press size and type
Hi, I’m trying to determine what size press I should be looking for. It’s my understanding that a 3x5 will print that sheet size. Can you use multiple plates and a larger sheet size and move it around to create a larger piece? What is the largest sheet size for a table top press?
I’m in the Atlanta area if anyone has one they’d like to sell.
thanks,
Maureen
Concerning table top presses:
Press size= the size of the chase.
The actual size of the forme (or image size/plate) you would like to lock into the chase should be 50-75 of the actual chase size. Therefore a 3x5 will have a smaller imprint than 3” by 5”.
The size of the sheet that you put into the press can be any size. You can use multiple passes/plates on a larger sheet etc., but you will be limited on how far you can feed it into the press; a logo on an 8x5 sheet of paper for example would work fine on a 3x5. A logo in the middle of a 18x24 sheet would not work so well.
Or, for example, if you wanted to print a line that says “Happy Birthday” on the front of a 5.5x8.5 card and another line on the inside that says “You old cuss”; this would be perfectly within the utility of a 3x5 press, providing you do not exceed an image size of about 2.5 x 4 for each line.
RMG is partially right in that, assuming a press with open sides, a larger sheet can be printed. However, some press designs don’t allow for that, so you have to decide what you want to do and look for a press that will do it. I can print a much larger sheet than the 6x9 chase of my Sigwalt, even though I can only print a solid area smaller than about 4x6. The type area for a 6x9 page size of a book would be possible, and by printing only one page at a time a 6x9 book could be printed. It all depends on what you have in mind doing with the press.