A Beginners Guide to the Printing Method of Letterpress in Australia

When it comes to the printing process of letterpress Australia is well and truly in a league of its own. It is one of the few countries in the world that have brought back the age old printing technique into the modern world, updated it accordingly, and popularized it among the masses. Letterpress is back in vogue in the Aussie land and a lot of people, from all walks of life, these days opt to get their business cards, wedding invitations, and greeting cards get printed using the letterpress method.

The Printing Process

The actual process is quite simple to understand. A raised surface, which contains all the text and images to be printed, is coated with ink. It is then pressed onto a sheet of paper with great pressure. As a result, the texts and the images are reproduced in the paper.

A Brief History of Letterpress Printing

As far as historians are concerned, letterpress is the oldest printing technique, which dates back to the 1400’s. It evolved as a printing method during the time of the great Gutenberg. Records show that he used to meticulously arrange all the letters, punctuation marks, and images on a wooden frame, use his own formulation of ink made out of turpentine, walnut oil, and soot, and steadfastly print pages after pages of his works every day. He could print up to six pages of text every day using the method.

The printing method remained virtually unchanged for the next couple of centuries. Then, the advent of new printing methods like lithography and offset printing made letterpress printing less relevant than it ever was in history. Particularly, the invention of digital printing made all other forms of printing less relevant and popular and practically became the go-to printing method for many.

Letterpress Printing Today

There has been a revival of sorts for letterpress printing today, particularly in Australia. A casual Google search for the term ‘letterpress Australia’ will fetch you over 6,00,000 results – this kind of popularity was unimaginable up until a few decades back.

People are no longer fascinated by digital printing, which is very fast and can print things in no time, but at the same time lacks the novelty factor, uniqueness, and aesthetics to a large extent. Letterpress, on the other hand, has all these factors and then some more. So, it is not an uncommon sight these days to see people who like to get their cards and invitations printed using the letterpress method.

The process of letterpress itself has undergone a lot of changes these days. Handset wood and metal types are rarely used and they have been mostly replaced with polymer plates. The plates contain the text and images to be printed. The plates are affixed to a metal base and locked into a press. The press is inked and then the plates are pressed against sheets or rolls of paper. Any digital design can be transferred onto a polymer plate. So, there is absolutely no restriction whatsoever in terms of what you can print with letterpress these days.
People like letterpress printing for a number of reasons. First, it is beautiful to look at. The impressions are so deep that you can actually feel them with your fingers. Second, the quality of calligraphy and colors is also excellent and such quality is very hard to reproduce with run-of-the-mill digital printing.

There is also the antique factor which contributes to the popularity of letterpress. People generally have a deep respect and love for all things traditional and letterpress is seen in some quarters as one such thing. Printers take pride in the fact that they play a key role in reviving a centuries old printing technique. Consumers take pride in the fact that they get to support the people involved in reviving the age old process.


In terms of reviving the process of letterpress Australia is particularly active as it is home to so many printers who specialize in the printing method. If you are looking to order letterpress cards or invitations, you can contact the printers in your area and get a quote from them. Letterpress is a time consuming process, so it is always advisable to place your order well in advance. 
Location: Victoria, Australia

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