Books; Beyond the Basics

Can anyone recommend some good books on letterpress printing and processes, that go beyond the basics? I’m expecting these to be historic texts.

These copper plate blocks have shown me that whilst we know how to do what we do, there is much still to learn. We use treadle platens, a proofing press & a Heidelberg Windmill for die cutting.

I’m not too interested in compositing, as we use plates, but I am interested in plate mounting/ink/paper/impression/packing etc refinements for top quality work.

I appreciate that some books will be strong on somethings and others on others, so happy to obtain a few to get different perspectives etc.

We want to work at getting our printing to the next level.

Many thanks,

James

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While not a book, this article has a lot of good information about makeready. Be sure to read the entire thing and also scroll down far enough to see the diagram at the bottom.

https://www.apa-letterpress.com/T%20&%20P%20ARTICLES/Press%20&%20Presswo...

The author, Fred Williams, used to put out a gem of a little periodical on letterpress called “Type & Press”

If you have questions about anything in the article, I’m sure there are people on this site who can answer them.

Thank you, there are a few articles on there that look really interesting. I’ll give them a good read.

James

In the UK, for the Victorian era, Jacobi’s woks (he of the Chiswick Press), then between the wars any of the many editions of Southwards great work, and then post WW2 the Pitman series had been updated. These three sources
would between them answer most anything in the way of queries. They are my cribs when asked. I learn from them
yet, even at my age, and thats after 45 years in the trade and near on 65 years in total of letterpress both as professional and amateur..

The “Heidelberg Hints for Pressmen” is a useful tool, they do come up on Ebay from time to time. Also the Heidelberg instruction manual.

An excellent book is Jessica White’s Letterpress Now: A DIY Guide to New & Old Printing Methods. Available on Amazon.

LD

Years ago I had a tube of “makeready paste” which I used for sticking down any necessary small paper patches during makeready. It was good because it didn’t dry hard and if necessary the patches could be pulled up and repositioned or changed easily. Since commercially prepared makeready paste is probably long gone, I was just thinking that nowadays I could probably use Post-It note paper (Post-It is a 3M registered trademark I’m sure) for removeable patches, at least in the areas where the thickness of Post-Its is what is needed.,

Years ago I had a tube of “makeready paste” which I used for sticking down any necessary small paper patches during makeready. It was good because it didn’t dry for quite a while, and if necessary the patches could be pulled up and repositioned or changed easily. Since commercially prepared makeready paste is probably long gone, I was just thinking that nowadays I could probably use Post-It notes (Post-It is a 3M registered trademark I’m sure) for removeable patches, at least in the areas where the thickness of Post-Its is what is needed.

I remember commercial make ready paste as a lump part dried on the backs of minders hands in the 1950s looking like some appalling diseased growth!

I use clear pritt glue that comes in a tube and still put it on the back of my hand, some of the old timers used a leather glove with the fingers cut off and put the glue on the glove back.
Recently I was given a small pot of glue that was almost identical to the old make-ready paste we use to use and it came from the US. Will have to enquire a bit more. I think Post - it Notes might be a bit thick - try tissue.

Frank, great idea. Is this what you are using?

https://www.prittworld.com/master/www/en/consumer/about-pritt/products/g...

The website says it is liquid but I assume it’s not too soft, if you put it on the back of your hand and it doesn’t run off.

I’ll have to get some.

Geoff

The sheets that come between offset printing plates is a wonderful supercalendared tissue, if you can find an offset printer using metal plates still….

I used tubes of the makeready paste sold by American Wood Type, and the closest replacement I’ve seen is Fish glue from Kremer (“fischsleim”), found at some art suppliers.
Glue sticks work too, and are inexpensive.

Mike, you are correct, the slipsheet material that comes packaged between aluminum plates is a perfect material. Plenty of commercial shops are still using it, we actually throw our plate slipsheets out. We regularly use 800-1,000 Heidelberg plates a month, printing roll to roll offset.

The only book still in print is Elementary Platen Presswork by Ralph Polk, get the paperback, no point in buying a hard cover copy.Originally published in 1931.

His 1926 book The Practice of Printing turns up sometimes second hand, I’ve not read that one.

The place to look is Google Books, there are some old texts there.

Parts of this are worth a read. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/11546723/printer-handbook-c-t-jac...

Working with plates you have the joy of working with underlays, interlays and overlays. :)

Strange how the original subject was books and it got changed to make ready paste. In my 5 year apprenticeship I always used wall paper paste - a little lump on the back of the hand before diving into the packing.

General Printing by Cleeton and others is still in print. Cleeton was among my instructors in college.

Greatness comments on the makeready phase on back of hand: I’ll have to adopt this practice!

PS Great, not greatness. You got to watch autospell!

Most of the adhesives mentioned fpr affixing make ready tissue, have some sort of squishy thickness of their own.
Some dry so quick that they definitely add uncontrollable caliper to the make ready tissue. So how to get it really fixed without creasing that little bit of tissue One thou thick of course and wove not laid like cigarette paper, then get some of that old gummed kraft paper tape, well moisten a bit, wipe its gummed surface on the relevant patch, apply tissue with tweezers, press and there you are. Four layers is one newsprint thickness and you ought to be replacing that character !! Beware of licking that darn tape it has razor sharp edges and WILL cut your tongue. All this is for letterpress perfectionists, those that like impression like the Grand Canyon, please ignore.

The Practice of Printing - Ralph W. Polk (1926)
The Letter-Press Printer: A Complete Guide to the Art of Printing - Joseph Gould (1888)
(both should be found in Project Gutenberg)

See also https://letterpresscommons.com/books/