letterpress • foil • emboss • die-cut • duplex
•letterpress • foil • emboss • die-cut • duplex
•letterpress • foil • emboss • die-cut • duplex
•letterpress • foil • emboss • die-cut • duplex
•letterpress • foil • emboss • die-cut • duplex
•
The
Options
are
endless
From paper options, Pantone ink colors, duplexing, letterpress, die-cut, digital printing, foil stamping, embossing - if you can dream it, we can make it happen. We love helping you push boundaries to help your vision come to life on paper.
We print on presses that are 35-55 years old which brings challenges and quirks to work through, but the end products are always worth the effort. This type of printing is very hands-on, creating the possibility for each piece to be unique, especially if it involves several printing processes.
Letterpress
Letterpress is exactly what it sounds like - pressed letters, or any type of line art, into a paper substrate.
Modern day letterpress printing is done by mounting a custom-created polymer relief plate (UV sensitive) to a type-high aluminum base (.918"). We have 2 Heidelberg Windmills (Heide & Susie) that do the bulk of our letterpress printing.
After setting up the press for the specific size of paper, weight, and ink color, the paper is automatically picked up and fed through the press where it is sandwiched between the metal platen and the artwork plate.
This creates a "deboss" into the paper for that magic letterpress look. We prefer to max out the pressure resulting in a pillowy letterpressed effect that we love so much. This can affect the back of the paper, so keep this in mind!
Foil
In the world of print, foil is typically a metallic finish applied to a printable surface. Common shades of foil are gold and silver, but even those come in a range of finishes (shiny or matte) and shades (warm or cool). Foil is also available in a rainbow of matte and glossy colors!
Letterpress inks are transparent by nature, which makes using dark paper challenging at times- so foiling is a perfect alternative that really pops when darker paper is the preference. It's also a great way to add an embellishment to a digitally printed piece.
We print with foil using our Kluge Presses (Effie and Andie). The foil is applied with heat pressure and a metal die (magnesium, copper, or brass - depending on the detail and scale of the design) creating a stunning finish.
Emboss
Embossing creates a relief or raised surface on paper. It's similar to foil stamping, which involves heat and pressure along with a metal die and relief plate. When the paper is hit between the relief plate and the metal plate, this creates an elegant and wonderfully textural design.
A true emboss will affect the back of the paper - so this is something to keep in mind when designing a piece with an embossed element. Embossing allows you to get create and view your design from all angles.
In the last image, you'll see embossing taken up a notch, which is known as sculptural embossing. This mind-blowing effect is achieved by a hand-etched brass plate (magnesium is used for typical embossing) and creates a 3-D look that we will never get over.
Die-Cut
Die-cutting goes beyond traditional cutting. Think outside the square (or rectangle) and take your design to the next level.
It is accomplished by laser cutting a vector-based drawing into wood and filling the line with a steel rule blade. Score lines, tear lines, and hole punches can also be added to the die.
Once the die has been made, we lock it in our press (Heide) and feed the paper stock through and the pressure cuts through the paper.
We also keep all of our dies, so let us know if you'd like to see the inventory to save a few dollars not having to make a new one!
Duplex
Duplexing paper involves gluing two sheets of paper together to create an overall heavy weight sheet.
This is often used when:
- the preferred paper color isn't readily available in a heavy enough stock
- a customer prefers the letterpress design is not visible on the back of a piece
- two colors of paper (as seen in image)
Duplexing can happen at anytime during the printing process - to create heavier weight paper to press with or to create a clean backing to a pressed piece.
Design
Public Print is a full-service shop, and that includes custom design. We know what forming an idea into a design can be a daunting task and we'd love to chat with you about it and make it less scary!
That being said, we have a very specific design aesthetic. If we don't feel we're able to find what you're looking for, we have a several designers to whom we'd be happy to refer you.
We print with foil using our Kluge Press (Effie). The foil is applied with heat pressure and a metal die (magnesium, copper, or brass - depending on the detail and scale of the design) creating a stunning finish.
Have questions?
We're here to help. Check out our FAQs or get in touch with us directly.