We can set your design and text the old-fashioned way, using our 230-plus fonts of handset metal type, ornaments and borders, or we can use your digital design to print from photopolymer printing plates, the cutting edge of letterpress technology. And we can help you locate the right paper stock, and mix the right ink colors, to give you just the look you want in your finished printing.
WHAT WE NEED FOR AN ESTIMATE.
We're happy to work up an estimate for whatever job you may have in mind. In order to give you a more-or-less accurate idea of what your project might cost, it's good for us to know:
Whether we will be creating the job with metal type and cuts or with photopolymer plates.
What the component pieces of the project are, if there are more than one, and roughly how the designs will be laid out.
How many you need of each part of the job.
What colors of ink you would like to use.
The finished sizes of each part of the job.
Your preference of paper stock, including color and weight.
Any extra operations such as scoring, folding. binding, edge painting etc.
19th CENTURY MEETS 21st: DIGITAL FILES FOR LETTERPRESS.
Photopolymer plates from digitally created files are great for letterpress printing! They deliver clean, crisp impressions as long as the files from which they're made are vector images (made up of smooth lines that are infinitely sizeable) rather than bitmap images (made up of little dots).
Our suggestion is to make your file in Adobe Illustrator, which delivers vector images, rather than Adobe Photoshop or other programs that make bitmap images. Images saved as an .ai, .pdf or .eps file are best.
Everything in the file (including the type) should be outlined into vector shapes, everything should be the size you want it printed, and everything should be CMYK 100-per-cent black (0/0/0/100). If the design has more than one color, all the elements for each color need to be on a separate file, since each color will require a separate printing plate.
Also, to be sure everything shows up, thin lines need to be a minimum of .35 point (.005 inch) wide, and small dots need to be at least one point (.014 inch) across.
Let us know with any questions or concerns. If we can't answer one of your digital-file questions, we can certainly find someone who can.
MEET OUR DESIGNERS.
We are very proud to work with the most talented designers in Austin! If you'd like some amazingly skilled and imaginative help in creating the design for your project, tap on the contact for one of our designer friends: