For those of you who would like to see how the magic box works…

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A Little History

About the People

About the Printing Process

Letterpress Resources

The Letterpress Printing Process

Letterpress is one of the oldest forms of printing. In its most basic form, it involves pressing inked blocks into paper. Images and type, raised on blocks of wood or metal, are arranged, locked into place, and covered with ink by a roller. Paper is placed over the inked images and type, and a press exherts pressure on the type to transfer the ink into the paper. For a more detailed description of the letterpress process, read on:

Step 1:
For many of IoP jobs, the work begins with an original illustration, which is then transferred and carved into a linoleum block. If photos are required, metal plates are made through a process called photoengraving. Each color used in a design requires a separate carved block or plate. All plates to be printed must be mounted on perfectly smooth blocks of wood or metal to a standard height of .918 of an inch (a measurement printers refer to as type high).

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