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Step 4Print!
OK, you've got the thing built now. There's a good chance you're wondering how on Earth you'll do anything useful with it. That's what happened to me, at least.
What are you going to need to print?
Materials & Tools:
1. Something from which to print. This will most likely be one of two things, either a photopolymer printing plate, or else a case of letterpress type (or, potentially, some linotype you have a shop set for you). If you use type or linotype, which is what I originally intended to do, you'll need some sort of a chase to set it in (I imagine you could make one from plywood), and a way to mount that chase to the base of the press (my plan was to drill matching holes in the base and chase and use dowels to hold them together). You'll also need all the basic type-setting tools, and, presumably, patience.
I ended up going the photopolymer plate route. There are a few places you can get them on-line. Mine came from Boxcar Press. Send them a to-scale pdf of your art, and they'll send back a plate for a reasonable price. If you use them, I recommend ordering the "deep relief" plates, as it makes inking much easier. Boxcar's plate are adhesive backed, so you can stick them directly to the plywood base.
2. Some ink. You can get ink made specifically for letterpress applications. Because I put off the purchase, I went with block printing ink, which I could get locally. It's not ideal. I ended up thinning it out with a bit of Turpenoid. I've never used letterpress ink, but it's probably a better consistency for this type of printing, so you should probably get some.
3. A brayer, and something on which to roll out the ink. Speedball brayers are readily available, and, from what I can tell, of relatively low quality. Mine is just slightly uneven, which makes inking the plate something of a pain in the ass. A big sheet of glass or plastic, anything smooth and non-porous, can be used to roll out the ink.
4. A mixing knife or equivalent, thinner, etc. I found cotton swabs handy for cleaning up stray ink on the plate. You'll also need some scrap mat board.
So, you've got your plate. Stick it in the middle of the press bed, and let's get talking registration.
What are you going to need to print?
Materials & Tools:
1. Something from which to print. This will most likely be one of two things, either a photopolymer printing plate, or else a case of letterpress type (or, potentially, some linotype you have a shop set for you). If you use type or linotype, which is what I originally intended to do, you'll need some sort of a chase to set it in (I imagine you could make one from plywood), and a way to mount that chase to the base of the press (my plan was to drill matching holes in the base and chase and use dowels to hold them together). You'll also need all the basic type-setting tools, and, presumably, patience.
I ended up going the photopolymer plate route. There are a few places you can get them on-line. Mine came from Boxcar Press. Send them a to-scale pdf of your art, and they'll send back a plate for a reasonable price. If you use them, I recommend ordering the "deep relief" plates, as it makes inking much easier. Boxcar's plate are adhesive backed, so you can stick them directly to the plywood base.
2. Some ink. You can get ink made specifically for letterpress applications. Because I put off the purchase, I went with block printing ink, which I could get locally. It's not ideal. I ended up thinning it out with a bit of Turpenoid. I've never used letterpress ink, but it's probably a better consistency for this type of printing, so you should probably get some.
3. A brayer, and something on which to roll out the ink. Speedball brayers are readily available, and, from what I can tell, of relatively low quality. Mine is just slightly uneven, which makes inking the plate something of a pain in the ass. A big sheet of glass or plastic, anything smooth and non-porous, can be used to roll out the ink.
4. A mixing knife or equivalent, thinner, etc. I found cotton swabs handy for cleaning up stray ink on the plate. You'll also need some scrap mat board.
So, you've got your plate. Stick it in the middle of the press bed, and let's get talking registration.
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Hope that helps.