Services, effects & FAQ
We listed below a series of techniques we can use on your particular project, in order to get an unique and impressive result.
See which of them suit you best!
FAQ
1. Can you letterpress with no ink (blind impression)
A blind impression is the one without ink. This is a subtle way to add texture without color.
It is charged as a one-color job.
2. What kind of ink do you use?
We use oil-based printing inks and we hand mix each color as we need it.
3. Can I get a solid coverage?
Letterpress is at its best with line art and typographic elements.
It requires extra effort and often additional cost to make sure that solid areas are seen as solids. Smooth surface papers help quite a lot with this.
4. Can you print both sides?
We do print double-sided on our Heidelberg.
5. What color inks can I choose from for the edge-painting?
We can match any Pantone color you specify to us, as well as fluorescent and metallic colors.
You can go to http://www.thelogoloft.com/pantone/index.html to see sample images of a Pantone color chart. Just remember the color on your monitor is just an aproximation of what the color would look like on paper.
6. What kind of paper do you use?
We print on many different papers, as long as they are uncoated or cotton papers. But this is a budget driven decision.
You can communicate us your project budget and we can make paper recommendations for you.
7. What is the depth for a deboss?
The depth of a deboss is closely related to the thickness of the paper.
8. How many colors can you print?
As many as you would like, in theory. But you have to know that each color represents one pass through the printing machine.
This process does affect the final cost. We prefer to use between 1-3 linear colors. The mix of different colors by superposition (eg. yellow over blue in order to obtain green) are to be avoided. We do not use the overlay method as seen in digital and offset printing.
In letterpress each color gets its own plate as it does in offset printing. The difference is that each color is a linear color and it is not intended to blend with other inks on the page.
9. Why is letterpress more expensive than other printing methods (digital or offset)?
Because it is involved a lot of handmade work and care for every detail. Letterpress prints one color at a time.
For each color we must set –up the machine for the job, prepare the plate, setting registration, inking and finally printing.
After that we wash the machine and start again the process for the next color. It does get expensive because of the time that goes into production.
10. I’ve received my prints and each one looks slightly different and ‘handmade’. Why?
That’s because they are almost handmade! The ink is handmixed. The paper is hand cut sometimes.
Each piece of the press is a unique and precious piece of handmade art to cherish. The appeal of letterpress is in its modest handcrafted origins.
If you would prefer sleek unwavering precision, you may want to look into offset or digital printing. But if you love being slightly different, please try letterpress.