Printing Pals in Minnesota and of course every where else

While I do live in MN, my primary work for years has been in engraving. For a few years I used a windmill Heidelberg for foil, emboss/deboss, and some die cuts. I actually got pretty decent at it. So I started thinking about picking up a windmill for my own hobby shop. The letterpress interest more came about in searching for a decent press.

I still do not have my own press, since I just began looking. I just started reading more about letterpress, and my wife who did run a windmill letterpress with lead type for a few years has been telling me about it.

That’s how I came across this site. My interest right now is more in foil, and especially embosses. Though letterpress does seem to be something worthwhile to explore and play around with. Although my real interest would be a Cronite or Carver hand fed engraving press, just to expensive to run and maintain for me right now. I am also looking to get in to hand etching to be able to work with brass and copper dies. The tools I was practicing with was owned by a company I used to work with, and when I left they stayed and I haven’t picked up any of my own just yet.

So I am in MN but I am just barely getting in on letterpress and how it works. So if you want foil and emboss horror stories I have a few. With a kluge I can sort of remember how to start and stop one, load paper, change foil, mess with the toggles… but that’s it with a kluge. Although I used to work for a company that had a Kluge with a foot brake and I remember having to really hold it down to get the press to stop. The other kluge they had all the safety guards were taken off so you could reach your hand in the press if the over sized paper or vinyl needed help coming out..hahaha we were crazy people.

I do like the way letterpress work looks and how specialized it has become. I have spent years getting ink to sit right on top of the paper in engraving, now I am looking to push it right in. One extreme to the other.

Brent Weaver
Mankato, MN

hello!

count me in… where in MN are you located?

krista
minneapolis

South of Mpls.

Hi. I live in St. Paul and have been in the process of starting a side business specializing in paper goods (e.g. invitations, cards, stationary, etc). Letterpress will be one of the methods I will use to print my products. If you’re thinking about starting a business, I can offer some stories of my adventure in trying to start up a small business, especially if you want to offer any of your products online. I’m just starting out, so this is process is all new to me.

Neng

Brent, engraving is very cool. I was able to tour a couple of local engraving shops, that is definately a trade in itself. There are windmills around this area for about 3M. If your still looking I have some contacts I’d be happy to share.
Neng, will you be printing your own products? Do you have a web site? Utube has some interesting letterpress videos that are fun to watch.
Krista, I have your site on my favorites list. WOW you do some beautiful work. Could I come tour your place?

A few of those local engraving shops around the twin cities, while they do decent work, are not kept up very well from a first impression. Ink and paper piled everywhere.

Although I would want to work for them if I was able to be up there. I am stuck to far south to commute in everyday.

The commercial engraving and letterpress business in Mankato is slowly be killed off by hired outside of the industry middle/upper management people who apparently are smarter then anyone else about how to turn a profit and what people REALLY want. That’s when the piece of junk Riso press came to town. Even slowly replacing AB Dicks.

https://us.riso.com/portal/page?_pageid=777,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Large commercial companies ending this kind of printing is fantastic for small business and hobby printers, though it has it’s good and bad effects for both printers and clients, customers, or whoever likes the look and feel of quality.

I am holding off on a windmill for a while and anything powered, until I can make sure I can at least make a manual powered press do what I want. Just a casual interest for me. I print all day at work, I am not sure how much I want to put in a hobby of printing, which would take more time away from my family. I love detailed embosses enough though that I want to find something to create a few things, even if it is just for my own use.

Brent W.

We’re in Winona, MN. There are two of us typographer print-enthusiasts in SE Minnesota, and two other private presses in the area. Get in touch if you want to visit our studio.