About Letterpress

Hand drawn

Letterpress has been around for centuries and not much in the process has changed over hundreds of years. The one thing that has changed is the ease of making plates. Traditionally letterpress was just for mass producing texts and printers had to buy whole cases of individual letters in varying sizes and fonts.

Fast forward and modern letterpress plates are made from polymer plastic allowing for truly custom designs from any font of one’s choosing, to handlettering, and bespoke illustration.

Foot Powered

Big Wave Paper’s press is a 1908 Old Style Chandler & Price (the most established manufacturer in letterpress printing). It is manually powered… no motor necessary!

The flywheel on the side turns with the pumping of the foot peddle (known as the treadle). This action moves the rollers over the ink plate and over the plate and then closes the press to make the impression (what letterpress is famous for) into the paper.

Printing is very meditative! Read how I got into letterpress.

Hand Fed

Each piece of paper to be printed is hand fed into the press one at a time. Since only one ink color can be printed at a time that means the process is repeated again for each color; two ink colors, two times through the press. In addition, the paper is cut to size by hand and ink colors are hand mixed.

Letterpress is very much a “hands” on process which adds to the custom wedding invitations experience.

So Why Choose Letterpress?

Letterpress is a process unique to printing. With its roots in history but now updated with modern materials. Treeless cotton paper is preferred to bring out the trademark characteristic: visible impressions. But you can print on any paper. Due to the hands on process, no two prints are exactly alike distinguishing it from any kind of machine printing. There’s no dupe for letterpress.

Let the longevity of letterpress represent your marriage to come or business identity. Six hundred years after its invention, letterpress remains a fine printing method that is tactile, sincere, and memorable. If you appreciate fine detail, artisanal quality, and the handmade process… letterpress is for you.

I want custom design & letterpress