Found this fella gazing out from the left side of a Heidelberg windmill 10 x 15. This creature seems to be part machine, part giraffe, part rhinoceros, a serious but friendly cuddler. 
Found a new friend!
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Author Archives: Carrie Valenzuela
Creativity in the muck
This is where inky washup trays get cleaned as we change colors. Somehow the mess is fascinating with all the different colors making an explosive rainbow.
Endless Diecutting
This mesmerizing stack is what was left over after diecutting square coasters. What a splendid pattern leading into a dark infinite middle!
Makes Common Sense
Have you heard of the Letterpress Commons? Boxcar Press has been a leader in getting this incredible online resource up and running. It is a wikipedia-type site where users may post articles about all things letterpress such as choosing a press, doing makeready, experimental printing, types of ink and so much MORE! Anyone can write articles or add on to what is already there. With this vast, unlimited resource of knowledge, there is no reason we can’t all be letterpressing!
Springtime is in the Air!
Pat’s magic letterpress bamboo plant has been growing mightily, fed by the sweet clanking of our presses and daylight bulbs overhead.
The rollers on the press go round and round
While in process of cleaning this Heidelberg windmill press, one cannot help but be struck by the fine engineering of the many MANY tiny parts and how they all fit precisely together. Not bad for mid-20th century pre-computerized production!
Don’t let this machine get cold!
Not to worry, Pat will keep this cutter warm by trimming our printed cards in the multitudes of grey bins. This shelf refills itself all day with assistance from our busy team of printers. 
Sleek Heidelberg Windmills
Today’s news is to highlight the different impression levers (what sets paper to touch inked form) on two models of Heidelberg Windmills. Our general workhorse for letterpressing invitation sets is the 10 x 15 windmill, with it’s solid bar capped by a red ball. The hulking cousin to this press is the 12 x 18 model with wider feed tables and more of a yoke for putting a firm handshake into to get it on impression. Can you see the family resemblance with their yellow eyes? How sweet!
Vandercook magic
Here is a bellyband being run on our Vandercook Universal 1. Using the tape registration method lets the grippers take the sheet forward across the inked form then the tapes hold it against the cylinder for the ride back to the operator’s waiting hand.
Flap-tacular
Tim is getting ready to run some Smock bamboo envelopes, house style is a pointy flap. Piles of envelopes have been counted out, press is in gripper (also called commercial) registration, plate is in position. Next ink will be added in just the right amount to get the right shade of color.
