Reviews
What beginner printing presses need: kit and checks
The core kit for beginner printing presses, from blankets and packing card to feeler gauges, plus the setup checks that keep impressions even.
Topic
beginner printing presses
Industry
What a printmaking press costs to buy, move, site and run
A practical breakdown of what a printmaking press costs to buy, move, site and run, with figures for rigging, blankets, servicing, ink, paper and studio time.
Maintenance
Habits that quietly wreck a beginner printing press
The habits that damage a studio press or its owner: leaving it under load, adjusting while it moves, and getting used to solvent fumes at the bench.
Reviews
Work surfaces compared for a beginner printing press setup
Choosing and arranging the surfaces around a press: the stand it sits on, the feed and receive tables, and the clean bench a damp sheet needs.
Reviews
Beginner printing presses: first principles
The four press families a beginner actually chooses between, the five specifications that decide fit, and how to judge guarding on a secondhand machine.
Reviews
Printing press materials: blankets, plates and paper explained
How to choose materials: choosing blankets, packing, plates and papers for a studio press, plus the lead and solvent hazards that arrive with secondhand letterpress.