What is Letterpress Printing?
According to Wikipedia, letterpress printing, “is relief printing of text and image using a press with a ‘type-high bed’ printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image.”
Letterpress printing was the main form of printing, especially for books, from the 15th century until the mid 20th century. Recently, there has been resurgence in the popularity of letterpress printing from anything from wedding invitations to magazines. Letterpress printing is quickly becoming a new found hobby, as well. Hobbyists use letterpress printing for invitations, letterhead, stationary and much more. In addition, many colleges and universities are conducting classes specifically on the techniques of letterpress. There are even amateur letterpress associations that you can join to keep up to date in the field via newsletters.
You can purchase a letterpress that fits on a tabletop, or you can purchase the large scale version that is used to make multiple books. This type of press can often be difficult to find and can be very expensive and inconvenient for those working with letterpress as a hobby or side business. Unless it can be used in a large basement or garage, the professional, large-scale letterpresses are not a good option.
The advantage of using a letterpress for documents is that it creates a different look than can be created by a computer. The printed work stands out from the page and allows different font options that you can’t find on a computer. A letterpress can give a document some texture and dimension which a traditional computer generated piece of work doesn’t have.
The disadvantage of having documents created by letterpress is that it may be challenging to find someone who can create letterpress documents. Even though letterpress is becoming more popular, services are not a prevalent as using a computer and computer graphics to create finished products. Not everyone knows how to use a letterpress, while the majority of people have access to and can use a personal computer.