Paper with a color on one side…

As an example:
If I want to letterpress on 110 Lettra and I want to have one side a solid color…would I just take the sheets to a local commercial printer first?
Can it be ordered online?
Do you have experience with this?
thank you for the info!
-sb

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I’m no expert but I would do one of two things.

You can bring parent (or cut down) sheets of Lettra to a local offset printer and have him coat the whole sheet with a color.

A more cost effective (and seems to me simpler) alternative would be to print what you need on your press on plain lettra, cut to about an extra 1” all around. Find a piece of cardstock in your desired color, mat that to the rear of your printed piece and trim 1/2” all around.

That’s how I would do it.

Good luck!
Professor Press

You might consider silkscreening the solid color, which would diminish any trouble with toning on the press. Small silkscreen kits are everywhere and many of them are pretty decent. If you intend to print small pieces with two-tone paper you might screen the Lettra yourself.

Glenn

If you’re looking to custom match a color for the 2nd side, then you’ll need to print or silkscreen in. Having laid down heavy dark solid color on a full 8.5x11 sheet before, I’d say don’t do it letterpress! Go offset or try silkscreening if you know how.

If you just need an approximate color, and can find another paper stock that’s close, you can paste them together. I’ve seen it mentioned a lot on here, but nobody’s made it very clear what the techniques are. I’ve heard of using a Xyron machine to lay down the adhesive. Someone mentioned Super 77 spray too. I’m sure there are many options.

I’ve gone pretty low tech for duplexing paper. I simply rolled Jade 403 (PVA, bookbinder’s glue) across the sheet with a paint roller and carefully pressed a sheet down on to it. I then gave it a good run-over with a hard brayer. Once I had a decent amount done I would compress them in a book press. So far have held up fine, printed/cut great.

Paul