Historically, printing was accomplished using a process called “letterpress” where a sheet of paper is pressed against inked, raised type. Surprisingly, this art form is far from dead, and Fathom has begun to explore the possibilities of letterpress printing—as an appropriate, eye-catching option for some jobs and as an exploration into the roots of our trade.

Letterpress originated with the Chinese who were the first to use movable type for printing (using clay characters in 1041). Movable metal type was later invented in Korea around 1230. Two hundred years later, Johannes Gutenberg combined a simpler process of molding metal type with the technology of the wine press to usher in a new age in printed matter for the masses. Fonts could be small, letters could be recast as needed, and the press was a reliable work-horse. Not a whole lot changed between 1440 (when the Gutenberg press was unveiled) and the 18th century. With the industrial age, metal presses were introduced, and in the late 19th century, the “Gordon-style” clam-shell press was invented. The Gordon-style presses were self-inking and powered by a flywheel, treadle, and eventually an electric motor.

Fathom began its exploration into letterpress by constructing an actual press out of wood beams. The result was some printed matter that captured the Colonial experience: inconsistent inking and tired arms!

Fathom then purchased an 1883 Gordon-style press, an Old Reliable. Once our renovations are complete, we will bring that press online (look out, kitty!). But until then (and even after that point, as jobs demand) we rely upon the patience and expertise of the good folks at David A. Smith Printing in Harrisburg.

David A. Smith has what is called a Heidelberg Windmill press, from the 1950s. It represents a high-point in letterpress technology: quick, consistent, and it even lifts and feeds the paper into the press and pulls it out again (something pressmen had to do by hand previously).

We recently did a job on the David A. Smith Heidelberg, and took some pictures to step you through the process.

Creating the Plate
Originally, letterpress entailed setting each letter of type by hand. Type was made of a metal alloy or could also be made of wood for bigger letters. Fathom has a number of letterpress fonts, though we rarely use them. You can see one of our fonts in the first image of this essay.

Rather than hand-set type, Fathom generally designs digitally but then produces a photopolymer plate which is then used for printing. We produce the plate in-house using a film negative and an environmentally friendly “Solar Plate” process. By exposing ultraviolet light through the negative and onto the plate, the design is hardened on the plate and the rest is washed out using tap-water. The process is non-toxic—we use bare hands to gently rub away the unexposed photosensitive material. In the design shown below, the area that is washed out (greenish looking) will not be printed and the paper color will show here. The higher area will be a big field of color.

Lock-up
The plate is positioned on a magnetic backing, which is locked in to a metal chase, or form, using wooden blocks (furniture) and little expanding metal gizmos called quoins.

Going on Press
The chase is put on the press and held there using a metal clamp. Ink is added to the press, in this case a metallic silver ink. The press runs a roller over the ink an then rolls it over the plate. Below is a plate that has just been inked. As you can see, the high points on the plate hold the silver ink while the low points are clean.

Printing
Stock is pressed against the inked plate to make an impression. The paper is then removed, the plate re-inked, and another sheet is printed. On the Heidelberg Windmill, the paper feeding is automated. On Fathom’s Old Reliable, we will put the paper in and pull it out by hand, while the press is moving. That may sound dangerous, but is how printing was done at the turn of the 19th century. To see the Heidelberg press in action, click here. Note how a “windmill”-like contraption removes a printed sheet with one arm as it puts a new sheet in the press with the other. The big silver plate keeps the press operator from getting clocked on the head by the “windmill”! (Video not playing? Watch the Movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith…it features a Heidelberg Windmill press, though you have to wade through a bunch of acting and storyline to get to the film’s real star!)

One color down…
Here, you can see the first color (silver) laid down on the page. Note the letterpress victim in the second image. Ever see the movie “Brazil”?

A quick note on letterpress inks…
Ink for letterpress is a little different from conventional ink used for offset. It is sticky like honey and is either oil- or rubber-based. While we can get Pantone color-matched letterpress inks, we generally use what we have in-house, lightening or darkening as needed. (Hey, Ben Franklin only had black!) Letterpress ink is opaque, which means that we can print on colored stock and the ink stands out just fine, like paint. We can print on dark cardboard, even black paper. We’ve even printed on thin plywood! Below is what the example design looks like printed on a cardboard sheet (used to test things before we put in the “good” paper, although cardboard looks pretty cool, eh?).

Now clean the press, re-ink, lock in a new plate, and print the next color!
Every additional color is like a new printing job. The press must be cleaned, re-inked, and the whole process begins again. Here we see Ken the pressman cleaning ink from the rollers. Ken jumps out of airplanes on weekends hoping his chute won’t open. This may be why…

Second Color Added
The second color is printed to align (register) with the first color. Getting proper registration using letterpress is not easy, especially on older letterpresses. Using the magnetic backing helps as plates can be repositioned. But honestly, when the plate is inked up and everything is backwards and upside down and paper-feeding is less-than-consistent, registration is not a simple task. That’s why designing for letterpress is an art in itself…you need to work with the medium. We learn new tricks every time. Equally, printing on a letterpress is an art, too.

It is a rare moment where digital design teams up with a printing process that hasn’t changed much in 500 years. The result is a product that is textural and unlike anything most people are likely to encounter these days.

That makes it memorable. And worth the effort.