Tomorrow, September 18, is Letterpress Appreciation Day. The date was picked because the standard height of wood and metal type is 0.918 inches. And that’s got me thinking about my own press and how I use it. It’s a competing mix of new (designs & plates made via computer) and old (a 125 year old, treadle operated machine printing the design). My fancy ink jet printer is less messy, smaller, more forgiving, more flexible, and above all less tiring to use. But it won’t print coasters, or white ink on black paper, or die cut. So even though I could use more room in my shop, I like (and need) my press for those special things that only it can do. (The picture is some coasters I recently printed.)
