Update on letterpress materials
04Dec
My post earlier this week mentioned the use of letterpress materials that I found at A.C. Moore. Well, I tried them out and the results are so-so. The paper, which is a mystery of what type, works pretty well. It’s a pretty heavy stock and has some nice texture to it ( although, I don’t think it’s very cost-effective ).
( my Christmas card — maybe coming to a mailbox near you! )
The ink, I give a C. I was excited to find a nice silver and gold (look how pretty the silver is on the press!)
However, I had to keep adding more and more ink to the plate to get consistent coverage (and I only printed 16 cards!). No good. These inks may work for a touch of color here and there or for minimal use but not for any big jobs.
On another note, I just want to mention the generosity of a stranger. When I bought my press, about 4 pieces of furniture (wood pieces used to lock up the type) were thrown in with it. Printers usually have a large bookshelf full of these pieces with different sizes. As I was starting to lock up type, I knew I needed a lot more. I asked on Briar Press if anyone would sell a few pieces, which I received some not so appealing offers. Then one person e-mailed me and mentioned that his father used to be a printer and had some tools laying around. This is what he sent me:
Asking for nothing in return. For that I want to say,
It was more than I could have ever asked for and I’m very appreciative of the altruism. The power of Kindness — I’m passing it along!
Tags: Ink
Category: letterpress // 2 Comments
