Recently Edited Articles
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Development Plans
Based largely on your feedback in the Suggestions Forum we plan to focus on the following improvements and bug fixes for Letterpress Commons. A more detailed list can be found in our IT Department’s bug tracking sheet. All code is maintained as a service to the letterpress community by Boxcar … Continue reading
Further Education
Further Education The following sections host a wealth of educational resources and articles on letterpress printing history: Letterpress Workshops & Classes Letterpress Business Guidance Letterpress Printing History Letterpress Trade Organizations Museums Books on Letterpress Printing Document Archive Instructional Letterpress Films Other Letterpress Web Resources
Get Involved
Get Involved Learn about Letterpress Commons and how to contribute: About Letterpress Commons Participating in Letterpress Commons Contributors Feedback Forum
Equipment
Letterpress Equipment Read about, help to document, or simply admire letterpress equipment in these sections: Museum Setting Up a Letterpress Shop Print Shop Tools Type Foundry Equipment Original Press Manuals Letterpress Plates and Bases Paper Letterpress Ink Letterpress Type Letterpress Maintenance Letterpress Restoration
Techniques
Letterpress Techniques Hone your technique or share a handy printing tip in these sections Letterpress Printing Instruction Letterpress Troubleshooting Hand Composition Letterpress Printmaking Technique Digital Letterpress Letterpress Ink
Privacy Policy
Your privacy and the security of your information are very important to us. This Privacy Policy governs the Internet Web sites located at http://www.boxcarpress.com and http://www.letterpresscommons.com, as well as the associated Web pages, features and functions made available by Boxcar (individually and collectively, the “Boxcar Sites”). It explains how we … Continue reading
Editing Tips
Here are some quick guidelines for how to create Letterpress Commons content inside our editor. Do you have questions? Try joining our chat room below for support or mention @letterpresscmns on Twitter. Images Ideally, each article should have at least one image in order to illustrate the topic and create … Continue reading
Letterpress Commons Press Gallery
Letterpress Museum Browse a virtual museum of letterpress equipment: Tabletop Platens Floor Model Platens Cylinder Presses Handpresses Shop Equipment Type Foundry Equipment
Meta: Filter and Manufacturer Counts for Print/Trip
The main Print/Trip map shows several hard-coded searches underneath the map options. The locations shown are driven by “manufacturers,” the manufacturers of the equipment at each location, and “filters,” generally a capability or a line of business for the location. These values are driven by the location’s account page settings. … Continue reading
Shortcode Reference
Have you edited an article and noticed some text within brackets? These are shortcodes, and they allow insertion of custom code or data into a Letterpress Commons article or press page. For more information on how to include shortcodes within the editor, please consult the WordPress documentation of shortcodes. The … Continue reading
Letterpress Commons Backlog
At Letterpress Commons, we rely on your help to create and edit content. Depending on the amount of time you have, you may tackle one of the articles that needs All Content, fill in a Description for one of the presses in our gallery, or provide an Illustration to an … Continue reading
About Letterpress Commons
In early 2012, two colleagues on opposite coasts—Harold Kyle in Syracuse and Jenny Wilkson in Seattle—decided that an up-to-date manual of letterpress printing was needed, one with the capabilities to expand along with the letterpress community. They agreed that in spite of letterpress printing’s renaissance, many would-be printers were finding it difficult … Continue reading
Design Considerations For Letterpress Plates
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Types of Artwork Overview
Before sending artwork for platemaking, and even before you begin the design process for letterpress, it’s important to understand how different file formats work. The decision whether or not to create a vector image in Adobe Illustrator or a raster image in Adobe Photoshop, for instance, can dramatically affect how … Continue reading
Software
There are myriad file formats available for output, but some work better for letterpress file preparation than others. It’s important to check with your service bureau to see what file formats they prefer to receive–it’s also important to know the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used formats. File … Continue reading
Troubleshooting Heidelberg Cylinders
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Troubleshooting Heidelberg Windmills
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Definitions of Relief Printing vs. Intaglio, etc.
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Restoring Heidelberg Cylinders
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Restoring Heidelberg Windmills
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Restoring Vandercook and Similar Cylinder Presses
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Restoring Tabletop Platens
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Photopolymer Platemaking By Hand
Platemaking by hand is a straightforward process. Photopolymer plates have a light-sensitive surface on either plastic backing or metal backing. A film negative is placed over the plate surface, secured with Kreene or a glass covering, and exposed to ultraviolet light. Where the light hits the plate, the plate is … Continue reading
Photopolymer Base Options
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Using a Photopolymer Base
Photopolymer bases provide a foundation to make thin photopolymer plates type high. When mounted with the proper plate material, they should print like any other letterpress form. That said, there are some special considerations when registering the base depending on what type of press you use. Lockup and Registration Bases … Continue reading
Lubrication: Oiling Charts
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take a print trip Get on the Letterpress Commons map platens on parade Museum, manuals, and more into the Stratosphere! Experimental printing with Brad Vetter Sharing letterpress printing knowledge for the common good. Get involved Who makes Letterpress Commons? You do! All content is free and created by the letterpress community. Help out.