Looking for “Deepest” Impression Letterpress Card Maker
Hello,
I am very new to letterpress cards. I am in the process of designing my first card in AI. After I finish the card I need to find a letterpress maker here in the U.S. Perhaps my desire is typical of a newbie but I would like to find someone who will make the “deepest” letterpress impression on paper stock. I’ve been reading how doing this can sometimes ruin or break a press. Yikes. Maybe there is someone out there that has a special technique so it won’t break the press. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Who makes the deepest impression letterpress cards you’ve seen?
Thank you,
David
Hi David.
I can speak from experience stating that I have personally seen 1/8” board that was struck so deep as to appear to be a 1/32nd of an inch’s worth of impression. 4 ply museum board seems to be quite thick though, and I push about 50% of the way into it to create a deep impression when the form and work are appropriate for it. There are a lot of ins and outs to this and there is really no short answer.
So, my suggestion, instead of consulting an entire forum, perhaps your best bet would be to locate some printers near you, design your cards, and go to see those printers to view samples. What you want to know is one of those things that- while the internet can provide you with a prolific amount of information on- it would be best felt, seen, and heard about in a printer’s own words.
If you are in NYC, you could consult Kallemeyn Press in Greenpoint; Soho Letterpress; Woodside Press;Le Coeur Noir in williamsburg; I can personally recommend Haven Press in Williamsburg [ ;) ] ; WASP Poster and Print in Greenpoint; Peter Kruty Editions; The folks at Sesame Press; Aldine in Manhattan; Sway Space; Sheffield Product; the list goes on and on. Why you wouldn’t want to just contact a printer and speak to someone is the question.