Letterpress is the oldest form of printing. In this method, a surface with raised letters is inked and pressed to the surface of the printing substrate (usually a sheet of paper) to reproduce an image in reverse. Typically, metal type has been used but other possibilities included carved wood or stone blocks and nowadays photopolymer plates are used. Each piece of paper is hand-fed into the antique press one sheet at a time, giving each character an impression that cannot be replicated with modern machinery. The final product is a tactile, beautiful and precious piece of art!
After the Gutenberg press introduced movable type to the process in the 15th century, letterpress was the predominant printing method for 500 years. The creation of huge rotary presses made industrial printing and newspaper production practical.
By the 1950s, xerography and offset printing began to supplant letterpress and by the end of the 20th century, digital printing and related technologies had become the industry standard for many uses. Nevertheless, letterpress is still used for some specialized commercial applications. The old method is also enjoying a resurgence among modern-day enthusiasts who prize the hand-made qualities and historical nature of letterpress print - today is consider an art form in itself.
1-the press machine
2-the movable type
3-the ink
4-the result
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