Letterpress, Here We Come!

Working primarily as a screen printer these last few years, I've developed a love and admiration for letterpress printing. There is a look and feel with letterpress work that I haven't been able to replicate with the screen printing process. Letterpress is also a printing process that requires you to take your time, not rush anything, and really get inky.

After looking (and impatiently waiting) for the last couple of years, I'm excited to say Napkin Art Studio has a new addition to its creative arsenal: an early 20th Century Chandler & Price 10x15 printing press. I'm not quite sure on the exact manufacture date, but it looks and smells like an old mechanical workhorse. I'm excited to get this moved and set-up in the studio soon. There are many designs and projects in the production queue that would be great for this press. While I don't have a working collection of wood or metal type (yet), I at least have some alternatives with which to print. I should probably look into getting ink and a Pantone swatch book, soon, too. Ideally, I would love to be able to start combining silkscreen and letterpress techniques in my work, and I have a feeling this press will provide a great start.

Overall, my love for printmaking has blossomed, maybe just a bit more than my love of painting. Regardless of the process, however, I just love to make and be creative. Printmaking has taught me a level of patience that painting and graphic design has not, and it has taught me the importance of preservation and hands on production. This press is close to a century old, and it still works like a champ. I'm excited for my little studio to give this C&P press a new home, and hopefully, extend its life for another 100 years. Be on the lookout for some fun projects to come out of the press in the near future!