Side Tracked

Being laid off has it's temporary perks. I get to do the things I have not been able to do, and I get to be with my dog, BulaBear all day. ("Bula" in Fijian means "hello", and my dog looks like a bear) She's so cute I had to post a couple of pictures of her on here. After all, she stands guard while I'm in my "studio" printing!

Rapid Project Update

This post is a "rapid project update". I've posted pictures of "Going Native" (a 4 blank card w/violet envelope set), and the beginning prints of Christmas 2009. Can you believe I am ahead of schedule?

Currently I am working on printing a 2 color, 4 mini gift card set " Red, Black, and White".

I will post those pictures when they are completed.
Going Native:

Wonderland Christmas 2009:

 

Photopolymer and a Boxcar Base

I had purchased a Deep Relief Boxcar Base for my Adana 8x5. Photopolymer plates (PP) are probably one of the best inventions. Though I prefer Magnesium Die set on wood, the idea of a PP is genuine. The base itself has a printed grid to you can align your adhesive plates correctly. Instead of opening and locking up your chase to adjust, you simply peel off your adhesive plate and rearrange.

I have been able to use this same base on my Chandler & Price, but I came across an issue:that I had with my Adana as well: Crushing your gauge pins. Depending on the size of your artwork/plate, determines where you need to put your gauge pins. I have had trouble with plates under 2 inches. There is not enough distributed pressure for this little plate. I would have to shove the plate in the corner of my base to not crush my gauge pins and even then, I would not get a high caliber print.

Although this is my experience with a Boxcar base, some use it consistently, others, like myself, would prefer the alternative.

Carefully Crafted

I am just now updating my blog with past projects. Hopefully I can catch up and post the newest projects before the end of the week!

I like to knit. I have posted a photo album of some knitted projects on my personal website
Blushing Pearl  . I would like to acknowledge Sunny C. She taught me how to knit during a rainy lunch break one day at work. Sunny is a genius at knitting, making up patterns, trying complex patterns, knitting at stop lights, between saving huge files...She is probably the most creative person I know. Confessions of a Serial Knitter is her blog, though I don't think it has been updated in a while.

I've posted pictures of the letterpressed hang tags. 

 

Action

Here is a short video on how my Chandler & Price works. I would like to thank my dad and husband for helping me with the technical difficulty of my press.

Birth of a Monster

Letterpresses for sale are picked up as fast as a Marc Jacobs bag at TJ Max! Whenever I would find a press up for grabs, I had to think about how much it would cost to freight one to my house if it came from out of state/country. This can be double what the press is worth. Luck was on my side in a weird way. I saw an ad on Craigslist for a table top press right in San Pedro ( about 20 or so miles from where I live). I contacted the seller and made the effort, cash in hand, to drive out and buy the reserved press. Halfway, the seller calls me and tells me the press was sold to someone who sent his payment via paypal. This was such a disappointment! Not only did I get my hopes up, but the seller advised the first one with cash will get the press. 

A couple of days later, an ad pops up on Briarpress.org- a Chandler & Price 8x12 for sale, right here in Pasadena! Jim Salazar Company, Inc. is a heavy machinery hauling company that finds machinery (such as letterpresses) and equipment from huge print shops. Jim is very professional and knows his machinery. I highly recommend his company if you ever need heavy machinery moved. He is very precarious and meticulous in his work.

While I was sealing the deal with Jim, he had received about 15 calls in regards to the press. I was able to inspect the press myself, left a deposit and had it delivered 2 days later.

Lessoned learned: Patience is a virtue. If it's meant for you, it will be there, ready for you to inspect have delivered!

The press was in good condition. Considering it's about 50 years old (I need to find out the exact year). What is important when looking for a press, is the functionality of the press. Everything else you can find replacements for. In my case, there was an existence of rust, squishy rollers, and tons of grease. Restoring my press took about 3 months. Scrubbing, sanding, and more scrubbing. Here are pictures of the process:

The Armory

Because my letterpress skills were a bit rusty from college, I decided to take the letterpress class at The Armory Center for the Arts, in Pasadena. The instructor for the class is Denise Figueredo. She is the same instructor that introduced me to the book arts and letterpress printing while I was in school. The Armory is a great place to learn how to set type (the way it used to be in print shops- no photopolymer plates here!) as well as learn how to use various presses. This is where I learned how to operate my Monster (a Chandler & Price 8x12). In the print shop are 2 Goldings, 1 Vandercook, a big collection of metal type and dingbats. I feel it is important to learn something the "old-fashioned" way first. It is very tedious work in a print shop. Hand setting type requires a lot of patience. Computers make picking a font, kerning and leading seem easy as pie. After learning how to typeset, one appreciates the trade and values the art of letterpress even more.

Here are some pictures from the Armory.

*Thanks BDC for taking the photos 

LOL

Check out Ladies of Letterpress This is a great site for ladies and letterpress! A great place to ask other ladies about their experiences in letterpress.

Here is a list of questions I've answered on my ladies of letterpress page:

Press Name?

Adana, The Monster

Printing for How Long?

Here and there for 3 years. Time to get serious!

Types of Presses?

Adana 8x5, Chandler & Price 8x12 ( very newly acquired)

Services Offered in Addition to Letterpress?

Design for print and apparel

Apprentices Welcome?

Not Yet

About Me:

I love color. I love to knit. Art is a part of me, it won't go away. I love to travel and take photos. I can't wait to set up my own studio, away from my living room. You can find me hiding behind "Blushing Pearl"

It's great to get to know other people who letterpress. One way is through leaving comments on other people's blogs. People are very good about responding. I've listed some bloggers that have helped me out with troubleshooting on the side of my blog. Don't be afraid to start a conversation!

Lalapress Saves The Day

In the event you are having issues with your press and have a deadline that won't let you sleep, there is always Lalapress located in Silver Lake. After having issues with my Adana 8x5, I decided to contact Mable at Lalapress. She is the owner of Lalapress and has a studio of Vandercooks and Heidelbergs. At Lalapress, you can "rent" studio time. For a fee to use the facility, you can get your projects done in no time! I was able to do a few projects (personal business card, gift card, and a 4 bar blank card set) I have had on standby because of my frustrations with Adana. I was able to use one of her Vandercooks. A lovely press that is very precise in registration and a press I hope to one day acquire.

 *Thanks to Brokenwinter for shooting my business cards.

First Press Run

I love handmade.Therefore I love Etsy.com

Etsy is where one can find pretty much anything handmade or vintage. This is where I found this beautiful, vintage Gothic wood type set that fits perfectly with my Adana 8x5. I was told, if you ever find wood type, do NOT get rid of it. Wood type is very rare, especially wood type in good condition. Sadly, I had to sell these rarities along with my Adana. It's tough times out here in California... Plus I wanted to feel better about buying my Chandler & Price :P

My first press run was a disaster. First there is the rush.. YOUR first print, YOUR high hopes for a crisp impression, bigger and better things.. I was utterly disappointed. From the pictures I am posting, my first print was very sloppy. It may look artsy, with a stamped effect, but with letterpress, it's necessary to get a nice, clean, and crisp impression. That is the letterpress "look".

Looking back, I know I did not set the type correctly and with that type of hand-levered press, what you see is what you get. I have a small press, hand powered. You are going to get a hand-powered look. This is all good if this is the look you want. Not good enough for me :(

Meet Adana!

Adana 8x5 is a beauty. Bright red, she is a table top Platen style press, about 30 pounds in weight and about a foot or so long. I won her in a bid on ebay UK. The seller was very informational. The British have pride in the Adana because she is British made. Caslon is her maker. I was lucky enough to find a work bench for $5 from Craigslist. I sanded and repainted it to coordinate with my Adana.

The Letterpress Community

The letterpress community is very small and close-knit. There are only a few places to buy parts, etc. for letterpress. To know someone who does letterpress printing is pretty rare, and therefore unique. I am happy to be a part of this letterpress community!

One particular site I find EXTREMELY helpful is briarpress.org Here you have printers who have been printing for over 30 years giving tips and advice to those who have just discovered letterpress. There is also a classified section where one may find anything for sale from wood/metal type, presses, and anything one might need for their print shop.