Inquisitive Printers Want to Know – Things that Caught Our Eye

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Cathy

Those of us here at Boxcar Press are a searching, probing, questioning bunch of folks. We are drawn to many things creative, fascinating and colorful. Letterpress definitely fits those criteria, so we have to believe all of you out there are like-minded as us. It should be no surprise we discover through reading and listening and yes, emails from you, a goodly number of interesting stories that are parts imaginative, informative, and just plain neat. We are sharing folks too. Every other week, we endeavor to pass on to you a few bits of knowledge that have caught our eye and think you might ooh and ahh over as well. So, here goes…

From Cathy: A video on a German papermaker that is hypnotic and soothing as you watch him at his craft.

From Norway, the Future Library – An incredible story of a forest that was planted in 2014 and in one hundred years will be harvested to make paper to print 100 books written in that time period. The part I particularly like is that they are also preserving a printing press and instructions to operate it, in the event that books may not even be printed on paper in 100 years. I think a letterpress machine is perfect for this and have pondered which press might be fitting. The whole undertaking of the Future Library fascinates on many levels.

(photo courtesy of www.printcan.com)

And for fun, an amusing story about an alleged haunted Washington Model printing press in Toronto Canada. in the home of a newspaper editor. Perhaps he has a deadline to meet.

From Rebecca: Graphene is a technological marvel to watch out for as it is on the fast-track to revolutionize the medical, construction & safety, and art realms. This material has been documented as being 200 times stronger than steel, yet lighter than paper. Here’s a fascinating “how it’s made” video to pique the mind and jump-start new ways of utilizing this material. Maybe one day the mighty graphene will affect the way printers of all disciplines use their machines in new creative ways?

Next, we’ve been following letterpress printer Tristan Rodman for quite a while on his experiments with letterpress printing and creating playable paper records. Tristan has been keeping a log of his experiments and perhaps with a few more tweaks, letterpress can pave a way for a new way of sharing and collecting musical masterpieces.

Bonus: Although a few years old, listening to the first 3-d printed record album still gives us goosebumps as the needle hits the plastic. We find it a fine choice to honor Nirvana with this intriguing new way to braid new 3-d printing technologies with old school craftsmanship.

We hope you explore some of our links and perhaps learn a little bit more about what interests us here at Boxcar Press. Email us at info@boxcarpress.com the things that delight you also!

Top 14 Valentine’s Day Letterpress Gift Guide-2018

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Rebecca Miller

Specially chosen with care, we tally up 14 beautiful, heartfelt, and humorous 2018 Valentine’s Day letterpress gifts, including cards, prints, and letterpress classes (date night, anyone?). Let us know what you are getting your printing paramour this year in the comments below!

1. Tinder Love card by Steel Petal Press | 2. Trap Valentines card by Bench Pressed | 3. Letterpress Valentine’s Day Card Making workshop (February 13th, 2018 – Pittsford, NY) | 4. Personalized letterpress notecards by Inclosed Letterpress Co. | 5. You & Me Letterpress Love Greeting Card by Paisley Dog Press

6. Personalized large primary notepads by Haute Papier | 7. Main Squeeze letterpress card by Inclosed Letterpress Co. | 8. James Joyce Letterpress Quotation Valentine Card by LarryOrlandoDesign | 9. Tear & Share letterpress valentines perforated cards by Igloo Letterpress | 10. Introduction to Letterpress class by Igloo Letterpress (date night anyone?)

11. e.e. cummings lettterpress print by Thimblepress | 12. Cheers to Us – Valentine Love Lobsters letterpress card by darlinpress | 13. Letterpress Valentines Cards class (February 11th, 2018 – Fort Lauderdale, FL) | 14. Anywhere With You letterpress card by Permanent Collection

2017 Letterpress Holiday Gift Guide

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Rebecca Miller

We are counting down the Top 17 Gift Picks for the letterpress lover in your life in our 2017 Letterpress Holiday Gift Guide. From vintage printed goodies, to essential pressroom must-haves, our list is sure to please the printer in your life! Let us know what’s on your wish list in the comments section below.

1. Letterpress Printing, A Manual for Modern Fine Press Printers book, by Paul Maravelas from Boxcar Press | 2. Babies of Letterpress onesie from Ladies of Letterpress | 3. Letterpress Trail Set from Firecracker Press | 4. Set of wood type (box of ampersand dots) from Moore Wood Type | 5. Holiday Kitty Ornaments from Chandler O’Leary / Anagram Press | 6. “Upper and Lower Case” fine art print of printshop from Fine Art America

7. Heidelberg decal from Heidelberg University | 8. Henry Gage Pins from Boxcar Press | 9. Original Heidelberg Windmill History & Handbook by Jim Daggs / Ackley Publishing | 10. PANTONE Note pad from Pantone | 11. Big Caslon Ampersand Cufflinks by Ampersand & Co.

12. Keys&Quoins&Furniture&Registration Helvetica T-Shirt by Swell Press Paper | 13. Heidelberg Safety First – Enamel Pin by Skylab Letterpress | 14. Squintani Model letterpress poster by Briarpress | 15. Happy Holidays letterpress printed ornament card pack from JillyJackDesigns | 16. Boxcar Press printing apron from Boxcar Press | 17. 1957 Original Heidelberg T-Shirt from TEEPUBLIC

Fresh Impressions: Ladies of Letterpress 2017

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Cathy

The Ladies of Letterpress annual conference never fails to deliver an amazing week of printing, creating, and inky, hands-on, up to your elbows fun. Add to that two letterpress movies, and the time in St. Louis, Missouri was pretty much letterpress supreme delight.

Cathy Smith I often find it hard to describe to other printers what the conference experience is like and to give it justice. You are in a bubble for five days where conversations center around printing and antique presses and it’s never boring. The energy is great and I usually end up saying, “you have to go there next year”.

This year’s conference was in Saint Louis and was a collaboration with StL Print Week which is offered through Firecracker Press and Central Print. St. Louis itself has a lot going on in terms of attractions, housing renovations, and pockets of strong community sustainability projects.

Our activities centered around Firecracker Press and Central Print which share a wonderful joint storefront space. The neighborhood has little “pocket parks” on many of the blocks, and is on the cusp of bursting into a vital place to live and work. That just added to the appeal of our conference headquarters.

It was easy to get excited about our printing space because of the many vintage presses, the aisles of type cabinets, the retro and bohemian décor, and so much natural light. With the help of Peter Fraterdeus, I gained a larger appreciation for wood type as we learned to look at the letters as art forms of negative and positive spaces, I tried my hand at linoleum block carving taught by Rachel Kroh and have a new passion for this. I love the endless possibilities of photopolymer plates; however, it was freeing to work with other tools to create printed projects.

What I really love is meeting fellow printers as we talk about all things letterpress. I revel in the information sharing and passion of panel discussions, and can highly recommend Pressing On: the Letterpress Film.

If you have an opportunity to see it, do so, and then watch it again. This year, I was joined by three of our printers from Boxcar Press, plus owner Harold Kyle, and it was great to share with them the experience and value of a Ladies of Letterpress conference.

Samantha Peck Samantha is one of our windmill printers here at Boxcar Press and she agreed that being able to attend the event this year was an unforgettable time.

The opportunity to learn letterpress printing from the most advanced printers in the industry left me with a wealth of new knowledge, tips, and tricks to incorporate into my daily printing at Boxcar. Thanks to the great workshops offered, I now own my very first press that I built from household materials!

I also was able to use a variety of different presses and type to create unique prints that I turned into the covers of my handmade journals. I even got to try out linoleum block carving.

Through hands on learning and expert printers’ shared stories and advice, I gained some absolutely invaluable experience and memories. It was very rewarding to see so many inspired and creative printers all in one place carrying on the art of letterpress printing together.

Madeline Bartley Another one of our windmill printers recalls that her best moment from Ladies of Letterpress was during her workshop, Advanced Windmill with Graham Judd.

During a demo we became curious about the condition of the windmill’s impression lever. Why doesn’t the lever release back to its usual position? The red ball lever didn’t move back far enough. The lead to Graham and I pulling out old die cut scraps from the base. Together we pulled out two waste baskets of oily paper detritus. 40 years worth! It was like an archeological dig into letterpress history.

This Boxcar Lady had a wonderful time attending the conference and is looking forward to more in the future!

Leanna Barlow My experience at Ladies of Letterpress/ Print Week was absolutely amazing. Spending time in another city surrounded by people who love the same thing you do is surreal. I have only worked at Boxcar press for about 2 years. At Boxcar we don’t set type, so this was my first time seeing such a vast collection of type! And actually getting to use it. Firecracker Press has such a great space and the staff was so talented and passionate about printing. I think what I took away from the experience overall was the willingness to teach and be taught, particularly by some who have been printing substantially longer than me. It was nice to see that there was no “generation gap,” as they call it. The older generation of printers was genuinely excited to be with the new and up-and-coming printers like myself. For me, making my own press out of everyday supplies, along with the advanced windmill class, has helped me develop as a working printer and an artist.

A huge shout-out to all the amazing participants at the Ladies of Letterpress conference this year! Have a fun story or cool thing you learned at this year’s meet-up? Let us know in the comments below!

Printing Community Spirit: Ladies of Letterpress

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Rebecca Miller

With the upcoming Ladies of Letterpress conference plus Print Week happening just around the corner (September 28, 2017-October 1, 2017) in St. Louis, Missouri, we catch up with Kseniya Thomas on the Ladies of Letterpress’ excellent camaraderie, fun, and cool happenings (and don’t worry fellas, Ladies of Letterpress is happily open to men as well!). The Ladies of Letterpress conference features more than a dozen workshops, panels, printers’ market, as well as a must-see showing of “Pressing On: The Letterpress Film“.

When Jessica C. White and I started Ladies of Letterpress nearly ten years ago, our goal was pretty simple: make it easier for new printers to figure out what they were doing, and why. It doesn’t seem like that long ago, but it wasn’t easy in the aughts to get good info on how to operate letterpress presses with a minimum of frustration. And the letterpress community was localized and largely offline.

A lot has changed in the ensuing near-decade. Help is readily at hand online no matter what the letterpress problem, Wayzgeese abound coast-to- coast, and our own conference has grown to include workshops, business talks, technical instruction, and more. You never have to print alone, unless you want to! Ladies of Letterpress has grown and changed, and its mission now includes community cultivation, conference planning, trade-show wrangling, group projects . . .

It’s been interesting and rewarding for me to see how letterpress and printing have changed since we started LOLP. Seeing people struggle and succeed in the service of letterpress is inspiring; letterpress isn’t the easiest gig out there, but people fall hard for it and make printing work for them, and keep the art and craft of printing growing and evolving. This evolution inspires me to print my own work when I take a break from my regular jobs.

Though two people started LOLP, many, many people and organizations keep it going with their generosity, enthusiasm, and continued interest. The creative helpfulness of our fellow printers has only increased, and keeps growing as our numbers grow. LOLP represents one thing printers can make when they come together.

Boxcar Press salutes the Ladies of Letterpress and all the other organizations and clubs who are the mentors, tutors, trailblazers, and backbone of the art of letterpress.

www.briarpress.org
www.collegebookart.org
http://printinghistory.org/
http://www.apa-letterpress.com/
www.letterpresscommons.com
http://woodtype.org/
http://vandercookpress.info/
https://listserv.unb.ca
www.penland.org
http://www.thearmnyc.com/
http://www.fpba.com/
http://thebeautyofletterpress.com/
The more than dozen Book Arts Centers across the world

Margery Cantor: On Why I Love Letterpress

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Rebecca Miller

I first learned about letterpress at the West Coast Print Center, where I was employed working in the camera department. There was a Vandercook Proof Press and Joanna Drucker was printing a book. I was enchanted and watched closely, the process seemed both logical and magical. Sometime after I left the Print Center I began to work for Adrian Wilson and that is when I really fell for the craft. What was it, the smells; the texture of papers; the rhythm quiet, thoughtful and methodical; the mastery of a machine that changed history? And then to see that all the patience and attention gives way to page; a broadside; a book that is simply beautiful to hold and to read. Why do I love letterpress, I think because the craft encourages the practitioner to give oneself over to the process and that giving over shows a willingness to try for perfection, again and again.

Margery Cantor has designed books for many presses in California, such as the Stanford University Press and the University of California Press. She is currently at The Impermanent Press in Norwich, Vermont and is still printing. A recent work is the letterpress version of Illustrated by Lynd Ward: From the Collection of Robert Dance (The Grolier Club).

Passionate about printing? Head-over-heels for letterpress? Let us know why you are love with letterpress in the comments below!

Let’s See That Printed: Bryan Baker’s Hypnotic Print

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Rebecca Miller

A myriad of eye-catching and pop-culture surreal characters snagged our attention when printer Bryan Baker and artist Jasper Wong’s fun order passed through our custom-made photopolymer platemaking service department. So much that we couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and get the scoop on such a brilliant and wild project!

The ever-wonderful Bryan helped illuminate how such an bright, hypnotic printing project came to be.

This project was printed at Striped Light in Knoxville Tennessee, by Bryan Baker. The artist who did the design is Jasper Wong. It is the second time that Striped Light made an edition of his work through an ongoing collaboration with a Detroit publishing company called 1xRun.

This particular piece was printed to coincide with a rather large street art event call “Pow Pow” in Hawaii. The print was run in four color ways: Trans on Pink, Trans on Teal, Black on Black, and Green and Black on Teal. All finished with hand torn edges.

Striped Light is often commissioned by 1xRun to do limited edition letterpress prints for the artists that they represent. It it a pretty exciting relationship, because they work with artists from all over the world, and are now in their fourth year of working together. It first began while Bryan was up in Detroit running a shop called Stukenborg Press, and has continued with his new community letterpress shop that he opened with his partners Sarah Shebaro, and Jason Boardman.

Top 20 of ’17 Letterpress Mother’s Day Cards

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Rebecca Miller

She’s the witty, smart, caring, and generally all-around-awesome human being that is the anchor in your life. Count down with us the top 20 of ’17 of the sweetest, funniest, and gorgeous letterpress Mother’s Day cards to say “Thank you, Mom!”. Let us know what you are getting your Mom this year in the comments below!

Top 14 Valentine’s Day Letterpress Cards for 2017

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Cathy

Hand-picked with love, today we’re counting down 14 beautiful, silly & sweet, and brilliant 2017 Valentine’s Day letterpress cards sure to impress your sweetie and printing paramour. Let us know what you are getting your special someone this year in the comments below!

1. We Go Together PB&J by Ramona & Ruth | 2. You’re Good At Husband Things by Sapling Press | 3. Love Letter Cat card by Mejiro Graphics | 4. Big Squeeze by Alee & Press | 5. Let’s Make Each Other Mixtapes by Little Goat Paper Co | 6. I’d Still Say I Do by Benchpressed

7. Happily Ever After by rbprintery | 8. Hand-Drawn Tree Trunk With Heart by FAsInFrankPapergoods

Papers, Papers, Papers

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Rebecca Miller

Modern letterpress is all about the feel of those tactile, luxurious papers and the bite into the paper. With these attributes in mind, how do you make the decision of cotton or bamboo or 1-ply versus 2-ply?

While we do not sell letterpress paper here at Boxcar Press, we do have some nifty tips to help navigate your way through the sea of paper possibilities for your next letterpress printing project.

The Basics

Most letterpress papers are uncoated paper stock (a paper with no gloss or shininess to it). Most papers come in ivory or a shade or two of white from a bright white to a natural white. A paper with a nice texture that aligns with your overall project’s aesthetic is a good choice.

Papers sold are categorized by the overall weight of a ream of paper (or 500 sheets of paper) -“lbs“ refers to standard American English pounds and “gsm“ refers to metric grams/square meters.

A traditional 1-ply paper is usually 110lb or 300 gsm. A traditional 2-ply paper is usually 220lb or 600gsm. In comparison, printer copy paper for a copier or at-home inkjet printer is usually 20lb or 54gsm.

Where to start?

Whether you are a newcomer to the letterpress printing & paper world or a seasoned printer who is looking for a new paper, we heartily recommend (if possible) that you purchase or obtain paper samples. If you have a keen affection or interest in a certain paper company’s stock of papers, you will find most companies either sell paper swatch books for a reasonable price or, in certain cases, have free paper samples. We have compiled a list of papers for your musing and contemplation. (Note that these prices do not include shipping costs and are current pricing for the items themselves at the time of this post).

General directory of sample packs: visit the following sites for a wide variety of papers and envelopes.

LetterpressPapers.com – samples range from $2 — $8
Takach Paper Co – sample ring with most stocked papers $12
Legion Paper – samples range from $2 — $20
Staff Pick: Legion Paper’s Letterpress Selections is $8, and includes 22 different types of 3.5” x 5” paper samples, including Arturo, Colorplan, Rising Museum Board, Stardream, and Legion Bamboo, to name a few.

What letterpress papers to use?

There are major factors that influence what paper to use for a certain project. Factors may include: budget, thickness of paper for impression depth ability, impression aesthetic, and overall aesthetic. Determine what your projects needs are and research your paper to fit those needs. If you can shop around for pricing… we heartily support it to banish away those barren budget blues.

If you are aiming for a softer impression, try a cotton rag paper like Crane’s Lettra. For a soft but tighter fiber paper, try a bamboo paper or something with less than 100% cotton content (example: Cardenon papers have 20%-35% cotton content). Some might like the natural recycled content of a chipboard or kraftboard.

Don’t avoid handmade papers thinking they are out of the budget. There are paper vendors who make beautiful papers in many colors that are favorably priced and will add a “wow” to your project. Handmade papers, which are a unique style of paper all on its own, will usually have a distinct, pronounced texture or feel to the paper where there are minute differences from sheet to sheet. Think of each sheet as “sisters” – similar look but unique all on its own. Deckled edges (or the feathery edges you see on the edge of the paper) are common with handmade papers, although there are papers that do not have the deckled edge. You can cut off the feathered edge if you wish. This uniqueness is often sought after for custom projects.

Embrace and explore all the options and special papers available to you.

Paper Types

Crane’s Lettra: “soft and luxurious to the touch, yet strong and stable on press, the distinct, extra bulky “letterpress” finish of 100% cotton is rare in machine-made paper.” Crane’s Lettra is a staple for our commercially printed projects here at Boxcar Press as well.

Neenah Paper offers your first swatchbook for free, each additional copy is $10.95. They also offer free paper swatches and envelopes – samples are available for Crane’s Lettra Pearl White, Crane’s Lettra Fluorescent White, and Crane’s Lettra Ecru.
Legion Paper also offers Crane’s Lettra, with a sampler pack available for $5.

Cordenon’s Canaletto and Wild: “Italian paper-making art dating back four centuries with a touch of cotton, creating strength and beauty, durability and class.”

Neenah Paper offers your first swatchbook for free, each additional copy is $14.95.

Fabiano Colored Paper and Fabiano Artistico White Rag: An Italian paper mill creates this luxurious soft, cotton-based paper that has a modified cold-pressed surface texture that provides an intriguing paper feel.

Available through the “Watercolor Paper Sampler” pack from Legion Paper for $12.

(photo courtesy of Holyokedirect.com)

Holyoke cotton papers: A soft paper cotton-based paper with a smooth feel and a good alternative to consider for wedding invitations and similar pieces.

A sample set is available through Holyoke Fine Papers and Supplies for $7.70 per pack.

Legion’s bamboo paper: This bamboo paper has a tighter fiber weave and is great for business cards.

Samples of Legion’s bamboo can be found through Legion Paper (pick up a swatchbook with paper and envelope samples for $5) and LetterpressPaper.com – paper and envelope samples start at $5.

Moab Entrada: A 100% cotton smooth fine art paper that is acid- and lignin-free paper.

Two sheets of 8.5″ x 11″ Entrada are included in Moab Paper’s sample box, which sells for $26.48 and includes a variety of other fine art papers. Legion Paper also sells a sampling of thirty 8.5″ x 11″ sheets of various Moab papers for $25.98.

Mohawk Paper: Superfine is a beautiful paper with lush tactility, smooth texture surface and great for all-around projects. The Strathmore Pure Cotton line provides a crisp texture and beautiful wove finish.

Mohawk offers swatchbooks for all of their papers, and prices range from $4.99 – $12.99.

Reich Savoy: “blends old world elegance with new world sophistication making it the perfect choice for a wide range of projects from greeting cards and invitations to hang tags and luxury packaging.”

Reich Paper offers a swatchbook for $5.95.

Revere: A luxe and super soft paper that is meant to be held and is perfect for wedding invitations or a card that begs to be touched.

A 2″ x 6″ matchbook sample of Revere paper is available through Legion Paper for $0.99.

Rives BFK: “100% cotton and no optical brightening agents, it is a bright white, smooth, soft and pliable sheet.”

Samples of Rives BFK paper is included in Legion Paper’s Letterpress Selections pack for $12.

Somerset: A soft-handling paper with a supple surface texture. Good for wedding invitations or business cards calling for a softer impression or feel.

A mill book containing thirty 5” x 5” sheets is available for $7.50 from Legion Paper.

Arturo papers: A mouldmade soft, luxurious paper that comes in a variety of colors with matched envelopes available.

You can purchase ten 8.5″ x 5.5″ sample sheets through LetterpressPapers.com for $6.

Chipboard and Kraftboard: A thick, heavy weight of paper board that is great for hangtags and coasters.

French Paper offers a $5 sample pack that includes every color and weight from their Kraft-Tone line.

Where do I purchase letterpress paper?

Brick-and-mortar stores

A local fine arts supply store – you may have to special order papers if the store does not carry the papers on the shelf.
Michael’s – may carry small quantity packs or specific papers may be special-order items.
Utrecht – carries a variety of fine papers, including Rives BFK, Moab Entrada, and Lenox 100%.

Online stores

LetterpressPaper.com – a great variety of paper selected for letterpress printing with many different varieties in a multitude of colors.
Paper-Papers – another great online paper source with many papers in various sizes. We recommend their “Cotton Papers” for letterpress projects.
Paperworks – offers letterpress paper options with matching envelopes, including several FSC-certified papers.
Hiromi Paper – specializes in Japanese papers, but is also a good source for Arturo and Fabriano papers, postcard weight paper stock, and deckle-edge papers.
Porridge Papers – nice papermakers who make a great variety of handmade paper.
Legion Paper – use Legion’s ultimate paper selector to help narrow down your many options.
Crane – purchase Crane Lettra papers in a variety of weights and colors, with various envelope options to match.
Twin Rocker – offers handmade papers (check out their swatch set for samples).
Botanical Paper Works – specializes in handmade papers that are embedded with wildflower, vegetable, or herb seeds that can be planted later on (they offer a seed paper swatchbook for $10).
French Paper – produces over 100 stock colors in multiple weights and textures, including kraft papers.
Paper Mart – also offers chipboard or kraft papers.

Looking for a new luxurious cotton stock paper to try out for your next project? We carry Flurry Paper in our online store here! Available in three colors, three weights as well as envelopes and cards!

We hope that this essentials list of paper energizes you to search out and try something new for your next project. As always, let us know in the comments section below how you fared and any suggestions to our list that helped you out. We’d love to hear from you!

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