I've had my letterpress for a while now, but it's only in the last few months that I've started to use photo polymer plates and it has changed everything!
Basically here's the way it goes: I design something on my computer then I email it to Concord Engraving - they make it into an adhesive backed plastic printing plate that can be used again and again, and they ship it the next day! No more collecting and sorting wood and metal type, getting creative with my text using only letters and fonts I have! And no more carving blocks! Storage is easier, clean up is easier, it's easy to register multiple colors, and it's affordable enough that I can try out all sorts of ideas and just print a few - reprinting later if the demand is there. I've been going WILD! It's gratifying! There are more challenges to come besides figuring out platemaking - but I'm psyched to figure out this one! In 2009 I bought a giant letterpress. Initially I had it moved into a studio space, and a year later, after reinforcing the floor of my shop and removing a wall - I had it moved again. Buying this press and getting it into Ferdinand are the best decisions I have ever made. The letterpress is beautiful! It was built in 1955 and I am the 3rd owner. It runs on 220 electricity and once it's going can produce a print a second. It took 8 people and a forklift to bring it into Ferdinand, and now it is here to stay! Luckily I have documentation in film by Bryan Bruchman. Ferdinand gets a press from Bryan Bruchman on Vimeo. |