Press some letters against ink and paper, hang it on the wall

May 15, 2022 12:55 PM

I want to learn to do (non-digital) letterpress printing of posters. How much might this cost, and what press should I buy?

I'll be learning more about printing before I buy, but so far my books are heavy on historical practices and light on what I need to do to get started printing my own posters. I'd like to have a sense of how much a poster-size press might cost in mind before I get too excited about the idea. (Leaving aside operation costs like ink, letter trays for now.)

What's the price range for a post-size press? Is this probably going to cost thousands of dollars, or is something in the hundreds of dollars range available?

Is it cheapest to find an old used press (e.g. eBay), or are there companies making poster-size presses today that are more affordable?

Reasons should I think about paying more for a press instead of getting the cheapest poster-size option? (e.g. for ease of use, for quality, for friendliness to beginners)

Any specific brand/model/phrases to search for?

Thanks!

posted by rollcredits to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Classifieds at Briar Press might be helpful for some idea of cost.
posted by UrbietOrbi at 2:35 PM on May 15, 2022

I don't know if this is helpful, but as one data point for comparison, tabletop block printing presses for lino, wood cutting, or other art printing (intaglio/drypoint/etc) run in the hundreds of dollars. I've seen tiny ones for like $200-300ish, and slightly larger (but still less than 8"x10") for over $500. So just going by that, I'd say you're definitely looking at over a grand for a poster size press of any type.
posted by carlypennylane at 3:10 PM on May 15, 2022

Most of the "modern" equipment you can buy will either be really small hobbyist size (business cards, invitations, etc) and can run as little at $100 (L-Letterpress) or only fit for large commercial print shops. Lots of folks who get into home presses buy vintage equipment and learn about upkeep. A really rough press found in a barn (that will need tons of restoration) might be as little as $500, something fit and ready to go might be in the low-to-mid 4-figures. The Briar Press classified link above is good advice, and you could sniff around Boxcar Press (they make tons of plates) too. It might also be useful to understand how large you're considering posters/broadsides - there are tabletop and platen presses that can handle up to a certain size, and beyond you might be in the flywheel-freestanding platen press or big cylinder machine territory (again, low-to-mid 4-figures).

Chandler & Price platen presses (tabletop and freestanding) are great, and Vandercook is a very respected and coveted name in cylinder machines.

I don't know where you live, but when I wanted to dip a toe in these waters, I dug around and found a couple places in the DC area who teach letterpress classes so I could ask the questions that the books don't answer, and got to try out some of their equipment. At some places, taking enough classes (a few hours/days, not a few months) earn you the right to "open studio time" - for a small fee that covers some supplies, you get the run of the place, including presses, inks and type (and sometimes but not always paper), usually with some expert help floating around. Pyramid Atlantic in Hyattsville is one such place. I met lots of folks there who found that studio time is a nice compromise, rather than spending tons of money on a press and fiddling from the ground up. Of course, for folks who REALLY dig it, some also end up investing - a learning studio in your area might be a good way to explore a bit more before dropping a chunk of change.
posted by ersatzkat at 4:03 PM on May 15, 2022 [4 favorites]

See if there is a letterpress group of artists near you. My community has a very active such group, and they are all about sharing information and resources.
posted by dbmcd at 6:17 PM on May 15, 2022