Tips for a good bite?

Hi all, I’m just getting started with my letterpress and made some pretty good (for me) prints yesterday. The only thing is they looked the prints I would make using a rubber stamp and not like prints I have seen from letterpress. I am using a Kelsey 5x8, photopolymer plates that I made and Lettra 300gsm paper. How do you get that “bite” or impression? Is it harder to get on the smaller presses? I tried adding more packing but that seemed to make the print uneven.

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Try slightly dampening the paper. Not much dampness, just enough to soften the fibers a bit. Usually dampening is not necessary for Lettra, but it could make enough difference to get the effect you desire.

Do a Web search on “Dampening Paper” and you will find a myriad of techniques, one of which may fit your needs.

John Henry
Cedar Creek Press

I’d suggest trying to get some impression without ink first. When you say “rubber stamp” effect, I’m thinking very squishy and over inked, so I’d work out impression on its own, then move to inking.

I don’t have a Kelsey, but I do know that platens can only handle a small proportion of the actual platen dimensions. In other words, don’t fill the chase because that’ll guarantee no impression. You don’t say what you’re printing, but I thought I’d throw this out in case you had a large form.

Thanks for both of those tips, I will try them this afternoon. I am not printing a large area (business card sized) but maybe I will try something really small first and get that working with the impression like jonsel says. I like the idea of isolating the problem. Thanks again, I’ll report back!

Kelseys don’t do as well with deep impression as many other hand lever presses. Be careful — many Kelseys have been broken by trying to apply too much pressure.

Bob

If you made the plates, they may or may not be fully cured. Uncured plates- that have not been properly dried or fully post exposed- exhibit soft characteristics under pressure.

When you look at the blind/uninked impression, see if it looks at all distorted as compared to the film.