So, how about a finished size of 5×7?

And the number of prints will be the number of participants + 15, right?

When is the last day someone can join in? We should post this somewhere REALLY BIG so no one gets left out.

If everyone sends their prints to you in a medium flat rate box, could the exchange prints then be sent out in that same box? Would save you the trouble of getting new boxes for each shipment. We should also include, in the box to you, a return shipping label + payment for return shipping.

Yes, add me to the swapee list! Our postcard swap turned out to be such a nice big stack of cards – I’d suggest another exchange in that size, or similar, to make it manageable (I think they’re 4×6?). I like the idea of a poetry card… does that make it a mini-broadside?

An ink that stays open on the press like a rubberbase but dries like an oilbase sounds too good to be true! I’d be happy to test your ink. Please send me a sample to:

Jessica White
29 Rosemary Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806

I’ll post results here.

Wow that’s super cute. Sorry I don’t have an answer for you but it reminds me of the toy presses for kids that they used to make.

I made one when I was in grad school and completely broke, and needed one that was larger than the school had. I used mdf for the base, placed a sheet of grid paper on top, then screwed a piece of plexiglas on top, trapping the grid paper in between. I counter-sunk the screws just a little so that there would be no risk to damaging the rollers.

This worked for what I was printing, but I wasn’t printing any fine text, just my own drawings. I think using a hard wood is a great idea, but again, was too expensive for me at the time.

Instead of screwing it all together, you could also try spray-on adhesive, or some other adhesive that you apply in a thin, smooth coat. Any variation in the glue will show in the print (on my first attempt, I randomly squirted some glue on the mdf, and that glue pattern showed up on every print!).

This was just a temporary solution – I saved all my dimes and nickels to get a Boxcar base, and I’ll stick to it from now on 🙂

I use both rubber based and oil based inks, depending on what I’m printing and what I need from the ink. It was a long time ago, so I’m not sure where I heard this, but I thought that offset inks could also be used on letterpress presses. Maybe you can confirm or deny this, Charley, when you look into it. Thank you so much!

So great to see these other ink providers! Thanks for letting us know you’re out there.

A question – is anyone offering smaller amounts of glow-in-the-dark ink for letterpress (for a smaller price?). All I’ve found so far are large cans of offset glow-in-the-dark that’s just too expensive for this little shop.

I buy mine from VanSon – http://www.vansonink.com/pages/Letterpress.html

I usually tell people that I’m an artist, or “studio artist” to make it sound more official, especially here in Asheville where almost everyone is some type of artist. If they want to know more, I tell them that I’m a printmaker and book artist. If they still ask for more, I tell them about letterpress printing, etc., and then the conversation gets fun. 🙂 During this conversation, if they ask if I’ll print something for them, I refer them to a friend who will be happy to.

Hi Jill,

I don’t offer printing services either. I refer requests to other local printers who rely on this type of work. I actually enjoy telling people about what I do that’s different from what they may have heard about letterpress, and I think it’s great that we can open their eyes to all the possibilities that are out there with letterpress printing. They might not be that interested in hearing about my book projects when all they want is wedding invitations, but that doesn’t bother me 🙂

Jessica

He doesn’t understand, like we do, that there’s room for all of us in the pool. Your work and his work are different and will appeal to different people. I also venture to guess that his interactions with his clients might not be all that pleasant either, considering how he was with you. Please keep up your excitement for printing, and keep doing what you do!

And congratulations on the little one!

Hi Gary,

I’m in a similar boat, having run a letterpress business of sorts for the last 5 years, after finishing grad school in 2009. I feel like this is the first year that I’ve done comfortably (financially) well, and things are finally starting to look up. I did it by saying ‘yes’ to EVERYTHING when I first started: craft fairs, custom printing, design work, teaching and workshops, even custom book binding and papermaking, and the list goes on. Over the past few years, it’s been a process of elimination to decide what works for me and what doesn’t, and even though I still stay crazy busy, I don’t feel like I’m spinning my wheels quite as much – I just stopped doing the things that aren’t working, or that I just don’t enjoy.

I agree with Kelly, that the local business has become my main focus, mainly craft fairs, shops, and galleries (local meaning Asheville area, plus about a 5 hour driving distance all around). Think about what you do that sets you apart from other nearby printers, or what you can do differently to make your work stand out, and make that your focus. There are many other printers in this area that are better than I am at design and custom work, so I don’t do that anymore, but I’ve discovered that people really respond to my artwork, so I try to keep prints framed and hanging up around town as much as possible. This, along with a couple of teaching gigs, keeps the bills paid.

It’s absolutely important to take the time to explain what letterpress is to people – the more they understand, the more appreciation they have for the work that we do. Be glad that they’re even interested; when I had a studio in a public location, I was usually asked for suggestions for the best place to go for lunch! Maybe you could even offer workshops, or a short course at the local university – it doesn’t hurt to ask!

I hope this helps, and hang in there!

Jessica

Yes we are! The NSS folks are behind in sending out contracts this year, so that’s put us behind as well. Look for an email with details about it early next week!

I think of letterpress printing as a type of relief printmaking, which is printing from a raised surface, including carved blocks. IMHO, it’s a letterpress print when printed from a press specifically made for letterpress, but the finished print doesn’t necessarily have to include type. So, a block printed on a C&P is a letterpress print, but the same block printed on an etching press isn’t, but just a relief print (provided that it was printed from surface, not an intaglio). Anyone else want to chime in?

The last time I visited Crayton -Heritage Letterpress, they had a Linotype, possibly two, that needed a new home. Not sure what model it is, but you might want to get in touch – http://heritageletterpress.com/. Space is definitely the issue! If I had the space, it would have come home with me in a heartbeat.

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