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
Solvents are necessary for cleaning up after printing. Most solvents that were used 50 or 100 years ago would never be considered for shops today (think Kerosene and Gasoline). Unfortunately, the solvents which work best inevitably cause the greatest health concerns, and of course, the safest cleaning solvents do not … 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
The supporting equipment and tools for your shop can often be found in the same places that you are looking for a press. The great news is that many of these tools are still being made new today, and many more still are available on the used market. Other Print … Continue reading
The variety of presses produced over the past 200+ years is astounding. It’s easy to forget how nearly everything printed before 1945 was produced on a letterpress of one style or another. Picking the appropriate press for your shop or studio is an important decision—trying to put a Vandercook in … Continue reading