All You Need to Know about Letterpress in Australia

When it comes to letterpress Australia is a country that offers an extraordinarily wide range of options for customers. There are a number of printers here who have mastered the art of letterpress printing and can create stunningly beautiful stationery that is of the highest quality.

Letterpress through the Ages

Letterpress is the oldest printing technique known to us, originating in the 1400’s. The technique was born as a result of Gutenberg’s efforts to simplify and improve the printing press, which he invented in the 15^th century. He used individual letters, symbols, and numbers made of metal, arranged them in a wooden form, coated them with a layer of ink, and pressed it against a sheet of paper. This process is known as letterpress – as the letters are quite literally pressed onto the paper.

The original process of letterpress was a cumbersome process, which required a great deal of time and effort from the printer. The individual letters had to be arranged to form pages and pages of text which needed to be printed. Still, for printers, it was a labor of love and they also took pride in the fact that they had mastered an art that requires a dash of imagination and finesse.

Today, the printing process has changed quite a bit. When it comes to letterpress Australia and a number of other countries follow a modernized, digitalized printing method. The printers no longer arrange individual letters to form pages of text anymore. The page to be printed is created digitally using a software program and a photopolymer plate of the same is created. The plate is then pressed against the paper to produce great quality cards and invitations.

The Advantages of Modern Letterpress Printing

One of the reasons why many printers have switched to photopolymer plates is that they are very easy to use and maintain. They cut down the amount of time and effort required considerably, as a result of which the printing process has become much faster. However, there are still a small number of old-school printers who employ the age-old letterpress printing method with individual characters. Old school, nostalgia factors aside, many of them do so to keep a centuries-old printing technique alive, which is commendable, to say the least.

The Advantages of Letterpress Printing

The rich history of letterpress notwithstanding, the question to be asked is – why should you, the customer, choose letterpress cards and invitations over regular ones? There are a few reasons why you should do so.

Print Quality

The print quality of letterpress stationery is simply unmatchable. Even the most expensive offset or digitally printed card will fall short of a letterpress card in terms of printing quality. The crisp and clean lines, the bold patterns, the excellent visual definition, and the deep impressions of letters add a distinct touch of class, quality, and sophistication.

Craftsmanship

Letterpress cards and invitations are a work of art. There is a high level of craftsmanship involved in the printing process, which is not the case with offset or digital printing. The deep and bold images look beautiful and a lot more realistic than what you usually see with regular stationery.

Works with Any Kind of Paper

Letterpress printing works well with treeless cotton papers and extra heavy and thick card stock, which is not the case with regular printing methods. It is particularly ideal for business cards, as the thick paper adds more character to the card. The cards also tend to last a lot longer than regular ones, so you get more value for your money as well.

Things to Remember

If you are looking for cards and invitations printed using letterpress Australia offers a lot of choices. You just need to make sure the printer you choose has the necessary expertise and experience to print high-quality letterpress stationery. You can visit their website and take a look at their body of work and see what they have in store for you.

Your personal input also plays a key role in the creation of letterpress stationery. So, tell the printer what you need and he or she can tell you what can be done with the equipment they have. Letterpress cards and invitations take time to print, so a two or three-week turnaround time is very common. So, place your orders well in advance to prevent any last minute delays.