( image credit: USA Networks © 2009 )

The bad guys are trying to finish printing and box up the bonds before the FBI breaks down the doors.  It’s often a game of “Spot the Mistakes” when a printing press is used in a movie or television.  However,  it’s also a source of pride to see and say “hey, it’s a (fill in the blank) press” when you come across one.  You’ll probably admit that, when possible, you back up the action to take a second and even third look at the press (it’s okay, so do we). Just remember — this Heidelberg windmill was forced to do these illegal deeds.

Also spotted recently (with some very careful sleuthing) is a cameo appearance of another Heidelberg Windmill tucked away in the corner of print shop in the Academy Award-nominated 2002 film, “Catch Me If You Can”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.

( image credit: Dreamworks Pictures © 2002 )

The scene in question opens up with Tom Hanks’ character, Carl Hanratty, doing some of his own detective work with a few ink-in-the-blood printers while trying to locate where the crafty con-man, Frank William Abignale, might be next. In the far right, a sneaky Heidelberg graces the scene for a few seconds, but steals our heart for the rest of the film.

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THE PRESSES: 1960s Original Heidelberg “Windmill” 10×15 – Red Ball, main workhorse production press; 1950s Original Heidelberg “Windmill” 10×15 – Black Ball, mostly die-cutting and fail-over; 1940s Vandercook 219 Proofer 19×26; 1930sMiehle Vertical V36 Cylinder 13×19.5, and a 1900s Chandler & Price Gordon Old-Style 10×15.

THE LOCATION: My shop is in Dubuque’s Historic Millwork district, a few blocks from the Mississippi River, and in fact, I’ve been one of the “flagship” tenants. In the past two years, a public-private partnership has upgraded the District, including all the streets & sidewalks and a full-block quadrangle building to the tune of well over $20 million. I just hope I don’t get gentrified out – but the arts are a primary core function of the newly active district.

I’m a block from the Voices Warehouse Gallery and a block from the new Dubuque Community Food Co-op, so it’s an exciting time to be in the area. The building is an early 20th century brick warehouse. The space I’m in was converted to offices many years ago, but it’s surrounded on the 1st floor by raw warehouse, currently inhabited by an ‘architectural salvage’ and antiques dealer.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE SHOP: My large blue oriental rug in the coffee/lounge area (about 100 years old, it’s nearly worn out) with the futon couch and 1960s LaPavoni espresso maker.

NUMBER OF PRINTERS IN THE SPACE: One, just me and my new apprentice for the summer, Rachel.

MOST VALUABLE SHOP TOOL: Other than the Heidelberg Red Ball, and my MacBook Pro (without which there would be no business!), the most valuable tool is my loupe.

PLATE AND BASE OF CHOICE: I use KF95 on a locally machined aluminum base. I bought a 24×48 slab of .875 aluminum and had it machined down and cut into numerous smaller sections from 18″x24″ (used on the Vandercook) down to 2″x3″. It’s been in use since about 2007.

FAVORITE INK:  Oil-based – either VanSon or others as needed.

SOLVENT OF CHOICE: WM Wash from LithCo. I use Putz Pomade on the rollers after wash-up, which keeps any remaining medium from drying into the surface. The slightly pumice gritty stuff also helps keep the rollers from glazing. I’ve been using rollers from Advance in Los Angeles with very, very good results.

OIL OF CHOICE: 30W non-detergent

FLOORING MATERIAL: Hardwood floors.

PIED TYPE: Plenty. Much of it is wood type, as I purchased a barrel full on ebay some years ago. Couldn’t stand to see it auctioned off a handful at a time. I have one galley full of 24 point Legend, the beautiful Ernst Schneidler calligraphic type, purchased from an eminent printer who was closing up his shop a few years ago.

He shipped the type in the cases, with nothing but a sheet of single-corrugated cardboard on top. When the shipment arrived, the UPS driver set it on its side (although it was marked “keep flat”) and all the type was pied in a mound under the wrapping. I was not at all happy. Took hours just to get it into the galley, and I still haven’t figured out how to read Legend backwards. Major headache.

ORGANIZATION ADVICE: High tables and work surfaces with plenty of storage underneath.

PRINTING ADVICE: These are hardly secrets, but for the auto-didacts who haven’t yet figured it out, these will help a lot.

• Don’t add white to color. Add color to white.
• There’s nothing worse than slimy long ink for sharp printing. But don’t add too much mag, or the ink won’t want to come off the roller!
• There’s no point to adjusting the rollers if there’s too much ink on them.
• How much is “Too Much” ink or “Too Long” ink is entirely dependent on the form being printed.

Deep impression only makes sense with deep paper, otherwise it’s just gauche. (Note to clients: you can’t have deep impression on both sides of the same sheet – unless there’s no overlap from back to front)

The post Workspace Spotlight: Slow Print appeared first on Boxcar Press.

SPICING UP LETTERPRESS Paprika letterpress + design has been an adventure since day one with a serendipitous beginning. Short story about my background: I studied design at a number of different colleges and universities from Detroit to NYC. I began my design career in the mid 70′s; the beginning of computer typesetting where artwork was prepared using rapidograph pens, Xactos, photostats and hand done mechanicals.  There is a LOT to be said for the fabulous resources and possibilities of today’s graphic design. My experience has included ad agency design and art direction, owner of several graphic design firms, freelance design, commercial printing sales and print services buyer.

INK IN THE BLOOD I was interested in the process of letterpress and looking for a creative venture where I could use my design skills and love of color. I began to think about a local printer I met about 10 years ago who had a print shop in my town. On a whim, I stopped in one day and asked Dan Dewechter, the owner of Constitution Press, a 120 year old, continuously operating print shop, whether he had any letterpress equipment he was interested in selling. As luck would have it, he did. In fact he was consolidating and liquidating much of his shop having decided to explore other career options.

That is where I first met my circa 1916 Chandler and Price 8 x 12 press, all 1250 lbs of iron.  Along the way I also contacted Alan Runfeldt of Excelsior Press in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Interested in more hands-on-printing experience, I signed up for a day-long class with Alan and had a blast printing on a variety of presses.

FLOURISHING IN THE GARDEN STATE I am currently set up in a small garage studio. I hired some renovation help and we painted, insulated, refreshed and reorganized the space 6 months ago and now it is much more aesthetically pleasing as well as energy efficient. I am looking to expand my capabilities by purchasing another press by the end of the year.

PRINTING LEGACIES As a printer for over 30 years, Dan Dewechter has a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can’t find in a textbook. He not only worked with me, but also gave me pointers and patiently explained the idiosyncrasies of the process. He was generous with his time, talent and skills and is the person to credit or blame for what I ‘m doing now — right, Dan?

DESIGNED FOR PRINT I design and print. Currently, I am continuing to add to a line of greeting cards, notecards, and soon-to-come calendars. It’s been an adventure exploring the techniques and mechanics of letterpress printing. I have just scratched the surface of custom work and have collaborated with clients on custom pieces which has been extremely rewarding and a ton of fun.

PRINTING FEATS Letterpress printing is a beautifully complex yet simple process.  I love the colors, the feeling and the fun exploration of papers and technique. I’m not really sure I’d call it “my life’s work”.  I really like it and I’ll see where it takes me.

BOXCAR’S ROLE It was Alan who suggested I check out Boxcar Press to purchase plates as well as acquire more knowledge of the letterpress industry. Frequently posted videos and industry information on the Boxcar website has deepened my letterpress education. All of my plates are ordered through Boxcar Press and they have been an excellent, reliable resource for me.

GETTING STARTED When it was time to get my press, I contacted Dan, rented a trailer, asked my engineer husband to check out the situation and set the moving date.

When I arrived to pick up the press (haha- that’s a good story there) the fun began. (see the pictures) Dan was invaluable and incredibly generous in helping me get my shop set up.  Along with the press he gave me just about every possible piece of equipment needed to get started and in fact things I didn’t even know I needed.

Seriously. He included  quoins, 3 C &P chases, furniture, sets of guides, large roll of tympen paper, packing sheets, extra set of BRAND NEW rollers still in their box, cans of pre-mixed pantone ink colors, press wash, large “stone” on which to lock up the base, roller puller tool, sticky finger goo and stacks of  different types of paper to get me started. And more. And he helped move the press. Dan was amazingly helpful and I like to think he was happy to see the press go to someone who would work it and not sold as scrap.

WHAT’S NEXT My plans for 2012 include adding a new press to my shop, working with more custom clients and continuing to create new pieces for the Paprika letterpress + design line. My retail outlets include stores in Charleston, South Carolina, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and other areas of Pennsylvania. My cards have been featured in Culture Cheese Magazine and soon to be in USEF’s Equestrian magazine. In the future I’d like to grow the Paprika Letterpress brand specifically within the specialty retail and hand-made-art market nationwide.

Many thanks to Lenor for letting us take a look into the wonderful world of Paprika Letterpress + Design!

The post Boxcar Talk With Lenor Mirochna of Paprika Letterpress + Design appeared first on Boxcar Press.

Recently during winter travels, I was able to visit two customers in the Boston area. It meant navigating the Boston subway and bus system but it was such a kick to visit and get a tour from women printers and entrepreneurs, Smudge Ink and Albertine Press.

Shelley Barandes of Albertine Press is in Somerville, Massachusetts in a warehouse that also houses not one, but two chocolate companies.   That is the aroma you smell when you follow the signs that direct you to her space.  She has a large, open studio with plenty of natural light for printing and finishing.

I admired her Vandercook where her printer Matt was working and her Heidelberg windmill, not to mention seeing a pilot, a cutter and some tabletops.  On occasion, Shelley will teach a class to spread the love of letterpress, but not as often now that she has a pre-school daughter.  Shelley is busy!

A bus and another warehouse later, I was able to a have nice visit and tour with Deb Bastien and Kate Saliba of Smudge Ink.   They are in Charlestown, Massachusetts along the waterfront.  What amazed me was the quantity and variety of presses our customers have.  I lost count of presses at Smudge after five. Smudge Ink actually has a long history tied with Boxcar Press and we feel like we’ve grown in this business with them. 

They have a nice blend of letterpress with offset and everything was printed in gorgeous, vibrant colors (you should see their shelves!).  Everyone was hard at work while I was there and yes, I took note of their polymer plate recycling box.

While my visits were brief, it was special to see these talented ladies and where they find their creative energy. I was impressed above all at how they have built their businesses and thrive. And I especially appreciated their warm welcomes on short notice.  Our Boxcar doors are always open should you ever want to reciprocate and drop in here!

The post Boxcar Ventures Out appeared first on Boxcar Press.

Read on to find out more on the commanding and captivating Nina Bell.

THE NATURAL PRINTER I’m a a graphic and web designer, letterpress printer, paper maker, and lover of nature and local/organic food, with a dash of rock and roll. Also, I want to be a cowboy.

FOR THE LOVE OF LETTERPRESS When my husband (iHub, also know around the shop and our house as “Minister of the Office Of Fun”) and I got married 5 years ago, I helped to design and assemble our invitations. I had them letterpress printed by a local printer, and knew when I saw them that I wanted to learn how to do it. I took several series of classes at Columbia in Chicago where I learned to work with cylinder presses, type, and plates, and also helped out up at the Platen Press Museum in Zion where Paul Aken taught me my platen press chops. I wouldn’t necessarily claim one particular moment of insight when I realized I wanted this to be my full time job, but everything just sort of coalesced: my lifelong love of paper and desire to own a card shop, all my years of experience with graphic design, my (apparently) genetic desire to be a business owner, and the fact that I love to get dirty and tinker with dangerous equipment.

PRINTING LEGACIES I knew when I saw the miniature empire that Jen from Starshaped Press had built that it would be possible for me to do what I envisioned. I wanted the flexibility of creating my own schedule, the satisfaction of having people choose to spend their hard earned money on beautiful things that I design and print for them, plus the ability to take time off for kids when I need to (which will be March, 2012!). Paul Aken too, of course, without whom I would never have acquired any of my equipment and who I credit with helping me move closer to accepting imperfection. Still working on that.

THE DESIGNER & THE PRINTER I do everything! My career experience has been 11 years of graphic and web design, and I’ve been printing for the last 4 years. However, I didn’t actually go to school for any of this – my music degree was supposed to help me be a recording engineer for when my band got famous, but that didn’t work out so well. Luckily I have always been a designer at heart, and creating show posters and websites for my band ended up giving me the experience I needed to land real design jobs. It all looks very intentional in retrospect.

THE DAILY GRIND Usually I end up procrastinating on big design jobs because getting over that initial hurdle of inspiration is so intimidating. Once I’m up against a deadline and have assured myself that there are no other “important” internet tasks for me to complete, I usually end up staring at the blank screen for a while. Once something gets me into the zone – it could be an image, a piece of text, or a color combination – then there’s no stopping me. Coveted episodes of TV on the DVR be damned! I can remain glued to my computer, despite iHub’s desperate attempts to force me to “relax”, for a very long time indeed.

FULL TIME PRINTER BY DAY, CREATIVE CHAMP BY NIGHT Just about. I still do a bit of freelance design work here and there that is unrelated to Tweedle Press, but most of my time is spent working at the shop. It has been a slow transition from my full time design job to what I’m doing now, but I’m very lucky that the owner at my previous company let me step down my days there gradually as Tweedle Press got busier. I’m still only making about half as much as I was when working full time at my previous design job, but I’m lucky iHub is so darn supportive and the business is growing every year.

CHI-TOWN CREATIVE  When I decided to buy Edward and Frank, I knew that I could no longer continue printing in the small, dusty corner of the warehouse where I’d been scoring free space for 3 years. I spent several months looking for the perfect shop – one with enough space for production and client meetings, and that also had a cute “storefront” presence on street level. I happened by a “For Rent” sign just half a mile from where I live in Rogers Park, which is the far north end of the city of Chicago. The price was right, the space was right (about 500 square feet), and there is cute terra cotta stonework on the facade of the vintage building. I spent a lot of time looking for the right “rust” color to paint the walls, so I’m pretty happy with that. I’m REALLY quite partial to these custom shelves I had built for me by a local woodworker, using reclaimed wood and cast iron piping. I’d say I’m trying to have it look, to a degree, vintage like the equipment that I have but also involving a lot of natural wood elements. My dream is to someday have my shop in a barn.  My 3 presses are Edward, Leonard, and Isabel.

PRINTING PLEASURES  I’m quite proud of orchestrating the move of all my equipment into my shop. SO intense. Both Edward (Vandercook Universal III) and Frank (antique Challenge Paper Cutter) had to be moved out of the basement of a giant mansion built into the side of a hill outside Chicago. I had to coordinate working with the daughter of the man who owned the presses (who had been an astrophysicist for NASA, and had an observatory on the top of his house), the print movers, the window company for removing and replacing glass on both ends, and my building management company. Some skirmishes erupted, a few things got broken, lots of scheduling conflicts arose, and the whole ordeal lasted a few months. But I prevailed.

BOXCAR’S ROLE The convenience and reliability of the platemaking has been awesome! I’ve also really enjoyed the series of videos teaching little parts of the printing process – the bit about taping a plate to your paper and running it through the press to adhere to the base is brilliant! Definitely one of my top “aha!” moments of the year.

PRESS HISTORY I bought my 8 x 12 motorized C&P (Leonard) and my C&P Pilot (Isabel) at the same time, both from Paul Aken. Luckily moving those wasn’t nearly as dramatic as getting everything into my shop this year, and the two of them served faithfully for the first 3 years of my business. At the moment they are both “resting,” as Big Ed has taken over most of the print work. However, I have plans to use Leonard for die cutting and Isabel for printing classes at the shop.

SHOP TIPS The main thing I’ve found so far is that if you spend a lot of time developing a truly excellent product, then eventually people will want to buy it. It doesn’t matter how much advertising you pay for or how many SEO tricks you’ve got if your product is mediocre and you aren’t passionate about what you do. It also takes a lot of patience, and not everyone can afford to hang on for as long as it really takes for a business to become profitable. You should assume going into it that it will take a lot longer than you anticipate.

WHAT’S NEXT Well, the aforementioned birth of our first child is coming up quickly, so I’m trying to squeeze in as much design and print work as possible before that happens and I take off a couple of months for maternity leave. I’m in the process of training a new employee, though, whom I hope will be able to handle most of the quote requests and small print jobs by the time I’m out. I plan to participate in some wedding shows as well as speak at some events about sustainability. Also, on a slightly unrelated note, I plan to learn some cattle driving with my horse outside Chicago. Yes!!

Thanks Nina for showing us your creative edge and hard work! Check out more of Nina’s letterpress eye candy at Tweedle Press!

The post Boxcar Talk With Nina Interlandi Bell appeared first on Boxcar Press.

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Read on to get the full scoop.

SMOTHERED IN INK My name is Ivan Gulkov. I hail originally from the frozen wastes of Siberia, though currently reside in sunny California. PILLOWFACE PRESS is a small printmaking studio I set up to experiment with handset typography and photopolymer. Until recently, ours was one of the most traditional and conservative trades. For five hundred years, the tools and techniques of assembling type have not changed. Fonts were discreet, tangible things, you experienced on a physical level. In every letter, every space and ruler, there was a trace of the creators hand. Computers changed everything.

Typesetting became easy and responsive, type choices became infinite, and the layout possibilities became limitless, bound only by the imagination of a designer. But some people still cling to the old ways. They long for the harmony of a line justified by hand, and the slight bite that the metal blocks leave on the paper. They rejoice in the tiny variations between prints, and the smell of fresh ink. I’ve gotten into design because I fell in love with computers. I’ve gotten into letterpress because I fell in love with design.

INK IN THE BLOOD I stumbled onto Letterpress back in college when I was studying communication design. We visited a few studios, and I fell in love with the process, the long history, and ultimately the look that traditional printing techniques can achieve.

Having no formal training, I read voraciously anything I could get my hands on, from Moxon’s Mechanick Exercises to Adventures of a Tramp Printer, until was comfortable enough for my first humble tabletop.

THE GOLDEN STATE The “print shop” is in the process of moving from a living room to a more dignified and fitting location. Currently, it includes a small 5×8 Kelsey, and even smaller, Sigwalt Chicago #9, a type cabinet (doubling as a counter and imposing table), a few more loose cases, a trusty boxcar base, book sewing station and a deckle for paper-making. A guillotine paper-cutter serves as a rather dubious decoration, accenting the racks of ink tubes that line the bottom of cluttered book shelves.

PRINTING LEGACIES Aside from books, I would name the fine folks on the LETPRESS mailing list, and Briar Press discussion group. They are an incredibly helpful and generous bunch.

DAILY GRIND  It starts with a concept, germinates for some time, springing a few rough sketches, matures and solidifies on a solid typographic skeleton, receives a final cosmetic trim, and marches on to meet the unsuspecting world.

PRINTER’S PARADISE I am primarily a designer, working full time in the field. Printing is largely a hobby. I do not foresee myself getting into printing as a full-time occupation. It provides a nice alternative, and a spot of respite from the routine. I can not imagine running a successful jobbing shop in the 21st century.

PRINTING FEATS Helping to inspire and excite a number of people to launch a letterpress revival in Russia and Ukraine.

BOXCAR’S ROLE Aside from a quick and excellent service, Boxcar serves as a constant destination for old printer’s manuals. And the apron sure looks rather spiffy.

PRESS HISTORY A rather mundane story, my first press was listed on e-bay. This was before the general tabletop craze so prices were rather mild. I was just finishing up my internship, and saved up enough for a 5×8 Kelsey, a bucket of type, some furniture, spacers (intermixed with rat droppings) and a pair of heartily chewed up rollers. The press arrived in a plastic tub, packed and secured with pillows, but luckily intact and quite operational. After a week of cleaning, adjustment and sorting thought the pi, my first printshop was assembled and ready for the first job.

SHOP TIPS Do not attempt a print job with a client standing behind your back.

WHAT’S NEXT I am planning to print and bind a series of miniature books, build a working replica of a common press, and complete a run of custom designed tarot cards.

Many thanks to Ivan for giving us the sneak peek into his shop! Check out Ivan’s latest work at Pillowface Press!

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