Category: Letterpress for beginners
Later topic: Heidelberg Instruction
Earlier topic: Kelsey 3x5 printable area

custom plate substitutes?

hi everyone, i’m fairly new to this hobby and community so forgive me if this sounds ignorant:

being out of the US and away from places like boxcar press, i was wondering if i could get a store that makes office/government embossing seals to provide a similar service. or would the “plate” i’d get from them not work in the same way? i’d be printing with a kelsey 5x8.

thanks,
emily

Log in to reply   1 reply so far

Emily- Boxcar Press is not the only place to have photopolymer or zinc plates made…. far from it, actually. I see that you other post here was for a tabletop press to be shipped to Singapore. Is that where you are located?

Since Singapore is a major manufacturing center, and has a rather large printing community, I’d guess that there are several companies that will make plates/cuts/ so forth for you. Look in your local telephone directory for either “printing supply houses” or rubber stamp manufacturers…. and ask them who can make a plate for you. I’d avoid going to a stationery store, since they will probably have no idea what you are talking about.

Another option is to carve the images directly onto linoleum blocks or wood. If you are artistically inclined in the smallest amount, you should have no problem with learning how to do it…. and then you won’t have to be dependent on anyone else for your work.