Letterpress printing
Solmentes Press specializes in the printing of short-run ( from 25 to
500 copies) limited editon letterpress books and prints.
Letterpress printing
A fully-automatic Heidelberg KSBA cylinder press is used that
has a maximum sheet size of 460 x 585 mm (18 x 23 ins), and printable
area of 410 x 560 mm (17 x 21). We are currently looking for an iron
hand press to compliment the Heidelberg.
Printing plates
We print mostly from photopolymer plates that are made for us by the
Boxcar Press in Syracuse, New York. We use flexible clear plastic plates
and double-sided adhesive tape to attach them to the proprietry bases
for mounting on the press bed. The plates are generated from digital
files. We also print linocuts and wood engravings from the original
blocks.
Paper
Some papers are more suitable than others for letterpress printing.
Generally softer papers give better results than hard, heavily sized
papers. We have used the full range of mould made acid-free book and
Ingres papers from the Zerkall mill in Germany for many years and found
them to be reliable and consistent with our high quality demands. We
carry large stocks of Zerkall book paper in a range of sizes. Also from
Germany, Hahnemuhle offers a wide choice of papers including some attractice
cover papers. Mowhawk paper is a good quality acid-free paper with an
excellent pedigree and wide range of variants.
For cylinder machine printing it is desirable, though not essential
to be able to print with the grain direction of the paper parallel with
the cylinder axis.
Ink
A variety of black inks are used, both oil based and rubber based. Our
preference for book work is a "warm" black, formulated for
printing on uncoated paper. Couloured inks are mixed as needed and can
be professionally mixed to match pantone colours. We delight in printing
in colour and the challenge of close-register work, however we do not
print photographs or other half-tone images.
The impression
The bite of the printing surface into the paper is what gives letterpress
printing its unique quality and "feel". We do not print heavily
at Solmentes Press and prefer a "kiss" impression —
using just enough pressure and ink to transfer the image onto the paper
without embossing.
Flat printed or folded?
The finished sheets can be supplied flat, or folded and collated as
required
Why commission Solmentes Press
David Esslemont has been printing on Heidelberg cylinder presses for
more than twenty years and his books have won several awards for the
quality of printing.