Hi Marijke,This week I’ll be trying a little duplexing experiment with Neenah Classic Columns paper; I’ll let you know how it goes. 🙂

Hello,Is there a way to duplex paper yourself with just the correct glue and put everything under the press for a few days ?Or am I too positive about this 🙂 ?

This happened to me once. Lesson learned. I require 1/2 upfront & signed estimate (doubles as contract) BEFORE design is even considered. Payment is due in full PRIOR to sending. This doesn’t necessarily save my butt if the client bails…but at least I’m making my materials cost from the first payment. I find it also necessary to state that all…[Read more]

Depending on what you plan on selling them for, I just ordered some round tin containers for my coasters. They are not to deep, but I think I can put 4-6 in there. They also had square ones as well depending on your coasters. http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=25

Christie I have the same problem with the crystal clear boxes from clearbags.com … I wish I could think of a really elegant solution for filling up the extra space! I searched high and low to find even those boxes, though. If only they were a few millimetres shallower.

Agreed… I take a 50% non-refundable deposit when the project agreement is signed, and the balance plus shipping upon completion of the job (and before the job is shipped). Clients can use credit card, but I take checks as well so I also included in my standard agreement: “checks must clear before design work can begin and before the final order…[Read more]

Hi Cory,I’d love to hear others’ thoughts on this, but depending on the kinds of repairs the damaged press needed, I’d probably go for the close/expensive/not damaged one, especially if they deliver. Moving a press can be a hassle, and it’s stressful–fixing one can be even worse if you have to search everywhere for a part or a welder who makes…[Read more]

I have the Rob Roy Kelly book and it mentions briefly some of the European makers. But I’m trying to identify a small pinmark on some wood type I have and would like to compare pinmarks with known makers.I’ll look into the Ruffa book. I have been ogling it since December!Thanks!

hey melanie,do you have either one of these books? American Wood Type–Rob Kelly or The Art of Wood Type–Greg Ruffa. both are interesting and full of info.

Hey Kathryn,I guess it’s also depends on where you see your business going . . . Photopolymer is quick, easy, and now recyclable, and, though it pains me to say it as well, its results can be indistinguishable from lead (a printer I knew occasionally substituted a plate for type with type-only customer). If you wanted to use photopolymer, you…[Read more]

The only way to get halfway decent results with Lettra is to score it with the grain, which on the 22×30″ and 20×26″ sheets runs long (not sure about letter sizes, but testing will tell!). It seems to crack least when scored–hard–by hand with a bone folder, though I’ve had ok results with a scoring matrix (followed by a gentle bone-folding) as well.

Hey Emily,I saw something about this in How Magazine a while back–it seems like it’s pretty dependent on where you live (people charge more in San Francisco than in Des Moines, for example). There’s a survey of designers, what they charge, and how they break down their billing here, and some pointers for how to bill time here. Probably applicable…[Read more]

Good call… I’m not sure, but I’ll check the lot I have in the studio tomorrow. If it’s grained long, then I just did a project scoring with the grain and it cracked. But it could have been grained short… will check, for sure!

i have never used Lettra…..does it have a grain direction like other papers? if so, folding it against the grain can cause cracking, scoring or not.

NOOOOOO!!!!! Your work is perfect the way it is…….keep it old school, just buy more type! ( skyline type foundry) we made a pledge to NEVER use photopolymer, for us that takes the fun out of letterpress. One of the attractions of it was to get AWAY from the computer. Nothing wrong or right about it, there is absolutely beautiful letterpress…[Read more]