While no one can deny that the printing press is at the heart of every print shop, there are a multitude of print shop tools and supplies that are either incredibly helpful or downright necessary to a functioning shop. Some tools are “compositor’s tools,” useful for the person printing with … Continue reading
Frederick Peter Rosback was a machinist and inventor. In 1881 he started the Rosback Company in Chicago with the invention of a foot-powered tool for the bindery that could perforate paper with small metal pins. It was used to create paper that could tear easily such as stock certificates, stamps, … Continue reading
Every letterpress printer—amateur or professional—uses compositors’ tools (tools used in composing handset type) that are essentially unchanged from those of the last century. It would not be too extreme, in fact, to say that some tools, like the composing stick itself, are essentially the same as those used by Gutenberg’s … Continue reading
On old platen presses, the parts that are most often missing are rollers, roller trucks, and treadles. New Rollers and Trucks The least serious are the rollers, since there are several companies that sell new composition or rubber rollers complete on the proper-sized core. The main problem here is to … Continue reading
Instructional Books about Printing Hard Copies Elementary Platen Presswork by Ralph W. Polk General Printing by Glen U. Cleeton, Charles W. Pitkin, and Raymond L. Cornwell A Guide to Experimental Letterpress Techniques by Barbara Tetenbaum Letterpress Now: A DIY Guide to New & Old Printing Methods by Jessica C. White … Continue reading
Documentary filmmaking has kept pace with letterpress printing’s resurgence in popularity. Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu “Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu” was filmed by David Loeb Weiss in 1978 on the last day the New York Times was printed using Linotype and other hot type methods to produce the newspaper. It is narrated by … Continue reading
Joining a trade organization is a wonderful way to get to know other printers both near and far and provides a ready-made community from which to glean inspiration and expertise. American Printing History Association The American Printing History Association (APHA) produces the journal Printing History, which has valuable articles about printing’s … Continue reading
