HP Indigo

Indigo

press nickname: Big Indigo

year built: 2014

machine number: 320000584

largest printable sheet: 13” x 19”

weight: 6,000 lbs.

impressions per hour: 4,000

hometown: Israel

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: A blending of offset and digital technology is used to produce the beautiful results we see from the Indigo.

a few words from the printer who uses it: The results are worth the challenges involved in running such a complicated machine.

why we love this particular press: It allows us to incorporate the modern full color, photo images, with the classic old school letterpress technology that we are so well known for.

Champion 238

Champion

press nickname: Champ

year built: 1970?

machine number: 378

largest printable sheet: 26.2” x 38.1”

impressions per hour: 5000

hometown: Zurich, Switzerland

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: 2-color offset press. Ink train has 18 rollers, which makes for very good ink to plate and helps control water.

a few words from the printer who uses it: Champ is a good press. Once it gets running it will run consistently. Fitting in between the units is a bit of a challenge. It’s fun running the larger sheets.

why we love this particular press: Great color. Great potential for offering other types of printing.

Heidelberg Windmill 10×15 #1

Heidelberg 10x15 Windmill
press nickname: Pat’s press

year built:: 1968

serial number:: T169159E

largest printable sheet: 10.25 x 15 inches

weight: 2,350 lbs.

impressions per hour: up to 4,000 impressions per hour

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: Pat’s bamboo plant is thriving in a reclaimed solvent dispenser.

a few words from the printer who uses it: It rattles and has cockeyed grippers but it is versatile.

why we love this particular press: It has an awesome vacuum system.

Polar 78ED

Polar 78 ED Cutter

cutter: Polar 78 (finish cutter)

press nickname: “Old reliable”

year built: 2002

serial number: 7261207

largest cuttable area: 30” x 30”

impressions per hour: 45 cycles per min

hometown: Hofheim, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It likes to warm up for a while in the morning.

a few words from the printer who uses it: We use a weight for smaller pieces to be cut to prevent curling.

why we love this particular cutter: It is quick and accurate.

Pearl Number 11 Improved

Pearl Number 11 Improved

press nickname: The Pearl

year built: early 1900’s

largest printable area: 7 x 11 inches

weight: 730 lbs.

impressions per hour: 1,800 max

hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: Foot-powered treadle and wavy spokes remind us what printing used to look like. Original price (100 years ago)? $135. Read more.

a few words from the printer who uses it: Harold bought this press from a man who used it to print labels for vials of bull semen.

why we love this particular press: It’s the only press that works when the power goes out. Which has never happened for more than 5 minutes, but…just in case.

Heidelberg SBG

Heidelberg SBG

press nickname: Big Blue Two

year built: 1969

serial number: SBG26225

largest printable area: 21 x 28 inches

weight: 12,100 lbs.

impressions per hour: 4,600 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It’s a little smaller than the SBB.

a few words from the printer who uses it: You have to be aware and on top of things to make sure it runs properly.

why we love this particular press: It’s a very dependable, reliable machine and runs really well.

Heidelberg Windmill 10×15 #4

Heidelberg 10x15 WIndmill

press nickname: Jake’s press or “Schnell press”

year built: 1965

serial number: T165833E

largest printable sheet: 10.25 x 15 inches

weight: 2,350 lbs.

impressions per hour: up to 4,000 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: There is a label from some past printer that says “ Don’t hate, appreciate” and a couple of yellow star stickers.

a few words from the printer who uses it: There is a bungee cord on the impression bar.

why we love this particular press: Jake: I like this press because I know what to expect.

Heidelberg Windmill 10×15 #2

Heidelberg 10x15 Windmill

press nickname: Lou’s press

year built: 1968

serial number: T176779E

largest printable sheet: 10.25 x 15 inches

weight: 2,350 lbs.

impressions per hour: up to 4,000 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It’s not on a wooden platform and it has Smock gift wrap on the handle.

a few words from the printer who uses it: You always have to make sure the packing is right on this press. As far as sounds go, there’s a little “whish!” from the vacuum.

why we love this particular press: Lou: It’s a nice press—it’s good to me!

Vandercook Universal I

vandercook universal i

press nickname: Mine

year built: 1968

serial number: 27835

largest printable area: 14 x 20 inches

weight: 1,950 lbs.

impressions per hour: 360 max

hometown: Chicago, Illinois

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It has an automatic carriage and says “VanderCarrie” on it!

a few words from the printer who uses it: If you have large coverage areas, you have to ink up a lot because there’s no ink fountain. On large sheets with heavy impression, the paper tends to stretch out.

why we love this particular press: Because it can handle large forms and is less complicated to set up than the Heidelberg Cylinder presses.

Heidelberg GTO 52

heidelberg gto 52

press name: Heidelberg GTO 52

press nickname: Big offset

year built: 1977

serial number: GTO659941

largest printable area: 13.5 x 20.25 inches

weight: 3,000 lbs.

impressions per hour: 8,000 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It’s the largest offset press we have here. Not big in the world of offset presses, but it’s big for us.

a few words from the printer who uses it: There are noises—“clink clunk, clink clunk” and “psshp, psshp, psshp!”

why we love this particular press: Clayton: I love how well it registers—registration is hardly ever a problem with this press.

Kluge 14×22

Kluge 14x22press name: Kluge EHD

press nickname: Bob’s Kluge (pronounced Kloogee)

year built: 1989

serial number: GD141258

largest printable area: 14 x 22 inches

weight: 4,400 lbs.

impressions per hour: 3,300 max

hometown: St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: This press feeds differently than the Heidelberg Windmill and Cylinder presses—the paper feeds in and out of the press in one straight shot.

a few words from the printer who uses it: It sounds like you’re running a freight train! It prints and runs well, and because you’re using heat (which can range from 100° to 350°) you have to monitor the heat based on the coverage (lots of heat for large coverage).

why we love this particular press: Bob: This does foil stamping—we can do so much more with this press than we can with the others.

Heidelberg SBB

heidelberg-sbbpress name: Heidelberg SBB

press nickname: Big Blue

year built: 1969

serial number: SBB34723

largest printable area: 21 x 29.5 inches

weight: 12,100 lbs.

impressions per hour: 4,600 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It’s noisier than the smaller presses, and it’s a bigger version of the SBG.

a few words from the printer who uses it: It prints very, very well and is a joy to run, but it’s really loud and takes a little more effort to run than some of the other presses.

why we love this particular press: Bob: We can run a larger sheet and still put out a nice product, and get 2-4 pieces at a time.

Heidelberg KSBAZ

heidelberg-ksbazpress name: Heidelberg KSBAZ

press nickname: 2C-K

year built: 1973

serial number: KSBAZ345369

largest printable area: 16.5 x 21.375 inches

weight: 7,250 lbs.

impressions per hour: 5,000 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It’s a 2-color letterpress—it’s the only 2-color letterpress we have and there’s a whole extra unit on top for the second color. We don’t ever run it though, it works better to print one color at a time.

a few words from the printer who uses it: It prints like a Cadillac. No problems at all.

why we love this particular press: Dave C.: It treats me right and keeps me out of trouble! We could all use a press like that.

Heidelberg KSBA

heidelberg-ksbapress name: Heidelberg KSBA

press nickname: K3

year built: 1973

serial number: KSBA345540

largest printable area: 16.5 x 21.375 inches

weight: 6,700 lbs.

impressions per hour: 5,000 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press:
It has a rubber bungee to keep the delivery pile from going down too fast.

a few words from the printer who uses it: In order to get the press started, you have to jiggle a few parts on top to get it going.

why we love this particular press: Stan: I’ve become “one with the press” as they say.

Heidelberg 13×18

heidelberg-13x18-windmill-letterpresspress name: Heidelberg 13×18

press nickname: Hindenberg

year built: 1961

serial number: GT60843E

largest printable area: 13.375 x 18.125 inches

weight: 5,000 lbs.

impressions per hour: up to 4,000 max

hometown: Weisloch, Germany

distinguishing characteristics to this particular press: It’s way bigger than the other Heidelbergs; there’s more printing surface and you can get more impression out of it.

a few words from the printer who uses it: This press is definitely quirky to run—it’s difficult to get the pile to come up at the right speed. It runs cover stock well, but 1-ply paper can be tricky to feed on this press.

why we love this particular press: We don’t love this press, because it’s a bear to set up! After you get past the quirks of running it, you can get monster impression and great coverage.