Thank you so much for this video! I am about to attempt to clean/restore my grandfather’s old 10x15 C&P New Style Press. Grandpa passed away this month & I think it will be a great tribute to get the old girl up & running. Finding clear instruction is a bit difficult, so I very much appreciate printers such as yourself who pass on knowledge.
You can use wax paper to prevent your ink from skinning in the can. Just place a piece cut larger than the opening of the can and press down until the surface of the ink is completely covered. Then each time you need some ink, just lift the edge of the paper up just enough to dig out the ink you need and then replace the wax paper to seal the ink. Don't use water.
Great Vid.Reminds me when I had a C&P in my bedroom as a kid. I had a lot of mods, spray powder for eliminating sheets from smudging each other. Added a better brake and changed the belt for better speeds. I like to lean my elbow on the feed tray, hold a stack of cards in my hand and deal them out with my thumb and could product better than 2000 cards per hour. Had a good assortment of type with a few hundred California job cases. Being in the bedroom, breaks with my GF were great and occasoinally a quickie after a good run. Later, move it to my college house and added a raised printing machine that I made. Did a TON of social printing in college and provided beer money. GF is still with me after 55 years, but totally out of the printing business after have two rather large shops. Loved it! Don't you have gauge pins for your paper allignment? WAY easier and can line up on one try.
It's always so fun to hear others share their time as printers. I do have gauge pins, but I use compressible ones I make from foam tape and photopolymer - with the Boxcar bases it keeps them from crunching the metal pins (no longer need to worry that the pins clear the forme), and they're cheap to make (plus I don't cut holes in my tympan paper which I try to preserve for as long as possible).
Another great and detail video, thank you. The way how you align different plate is great, if you change that to a printed transparency, that would be even more accurate because you are aligning the printing side of the plate, not the back side which is bigger and fatter. I usually don't even need fine adjustment by doing so. What you need is put all images printed as black in a transparency, with the border of the paper as well. Put the photo polymer face up, then stick the positive onto the plate. Now usually print images is smaller than the paper, you can flip the whole thing and stick it back to the printing paper again and align the border. This method works with metal plate and foil plate as well, often time you will only have hairline adjustment only.
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great stuff! I'm presently coming to terms with our heidelberg windmill, my first time on letterpress, having previously been 30 plus years in screenprinting and embroidery
Nice video madam, I have been working with these chandler price machines long ago at Delhi, at that time we are feeding the paper by the left hand and receiving the printed item by the right hand, also the main important thing for a good impression for a platen press is its bed where the pin settings is done, be careful about the registration when more than one color is used, because the chase fixing to the platen will move to left or right to an extent of 1mm or 2mm ,this we often doesn't understand, for a prevention from this fault use some hard material on the side portion of the chase below the type level, also when printing neat wedding cards there is a hazard of ink impression and other dirts from our fingers, so to avoid this use a spinger ( means an instrument using to pluck out objects which our hands cannot reach) to take out the printed card by the right hand to avoid any dirts, this can be done neatly by continuous efforts, also clean the disc plate and rollers by using kerosene oil, so soften your platen bed with news print paper , change the bed after every long impressions, this will give you good results, best wishes madam, expecting more videos on letter press printing, tks, God bless, 🙏⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘⚘
Thank you for the advice! I've seen people use the device you mention to remove paper, that's a cool idea. I typically just use rubber gloves to mix my ink, setup, and oil the press - then I remove them right before feeding so my hands are clean. I'm always amazed to learn how other people have mastered their craft, so thank you for the comment.
Me encantaría volver a tener una "joya" de máquina como esta. Una verdadera reliquia; a pesar de sus años de fabricación aún es posible imprimir eficientemente.
i used to use an hand fed press called an Arab. Old trick, get yourself a wooden clothes peg, the type with wire, take apart, hold peg half in hand under index finger, you will find you can pick card up much easier x
το μαύρο μελάνι pantone είναι το καλύτερο... αν θες 👌πάρε ζυγαριά ακριβείας να ζυγίζεις τα μέρη... δοκιμή μελανιού γίνεται πάνω στο χαρτί που είναι για εκτύπωση, οχι αλλού... φόρεσε γάντια από την αρχή της δουλειάς
hi an Arab printing press, not run one for years, make youself a small piece of wood, like a clothes peg, hold under index finger, will find it much easier to pick up thin stock,lied video
Too many rollers on the press wasting ink and cleaning spirit. Only 2 rollers under the saddle are required, the third roller under the hook only goes on when there is a full forme.
Every have the roller ends snap? I have I ducked and it land 15ft. Behind me. Ran these C&P for 30 plus years. Use to do around 1500 sheets an hour. That 2 hand feed isnt good hold the card closer to the rigth and use your pinkie to slid it over. We use to feed gift boxes size from 2x 12 to 14 x24 x4 inches. Never wipe the rollers down while press is running good way to mess up your hand and fingers.
All solid advice. Definitely not had a roller end snap - will keep that in mind. In general, I'm not in front of the machine putting the rollers in (I'm too short to do that) so I'm on the side where should it go flying I wouldn't be in the way. It's been a long time since I shot this video, and sometimes I put myself in an awkward position to try and make what I was doing visible. Yes, I know about the two hand feed. The acetate on top of the tympan has a static electricity to it that makes it very hard to one hand feed as it get's stuck. I personally find a two hand feed (even though it doubles the hands in danger) makes me less likely to chase a dropped or stuck sheet. I am aware of that risk and don't advise anyone do it and would never let anyone do it in my presence (but we all know there isn't a pressman on earth without at least one risky habit - seen plenty drinking and printing lol!), but this press is pretty slow so I guess it's my own fingers that I'll lose. On normal tympan I do a one hand feed - this is just easier to get a sure seat in the pins quickly so I don't try and reach back absently. Did I wipe the rollers while running in this video or say to? I don't recall doing that, but in either case if I did it's not something I have ever done in recent memory (5+ years is a lot of time to refine my habits), the rag is too likely to get sucked up in there if it's moving and it doesn't work anyway to do it while it's going cause you'd have to dodge the rollers as they go. The press is off and the form/chase removed anytime I adjust ink because if I don't the plate will get ink on the shoulders in the next run and I'll have to stop it again to clean the plate anyway. All good points though - my explanations are just for posterity should others read it and further emphasis of what you've said
Cut a piece of absorbent paper using the tin lid, apply a little oil and work in to the paper place oil side down press lightly to remove air replace lid remove lid years later and use
Tienes trabajo o es tu pasatiempo. Cuénteme cómo está la situación en su lugar. Nicaragua, hemos perdido el 80 por cien de trabajo, nos quedamos 2 familias apostando esperanza desde hace 3 años, al parecer nos retiraremos sin nada. Habrá elecciones, covib haciendo desastre y posible guerra. Saludos
Thanks so much for your video! I have an arab and am starting out printing this year.. question - with your finished prints, can you stack them straight away? I got a bit of ghosting and I'm wondering if I used too much ink? thanks!
Feeding with both hands is a very dangerous thing to do. Please learn to feed with your right, and remove with the left. Speaking from 45 years of experience I would never do it that way. I would think that your long nails make it nearly impossible to feed with one hand. What are you willing to sacrifice for the craft?
You 'd be justified to argue that two handed feeding is a hazard because it is - I would counter that the press is very slow (by printer standards) and that getting the print in right each time (even if it is two handed) prevents instinctively grabbing at a bad print. I think a consistent, quick rhythm is more important than a specific method. If using traditional gauge pins I have no issue feeding the normal way, but the compressible pins have one disadvantage - they have drag/friction against the paper, meaning the cottony paper catches and won't slide into the left pin as easily. As a sub note I assure you the nails aren't an issue - they don't affect my ability to handle any of the tools, feel/grip the paper paper, and do not alter the method I feed with. Long nails look more awkward to people don't have them than they actually are. They CAN be dangerous if you aren't used to them though, it wouldn't be wise to have long nails applied if you've been used to having short ones.
So I agree too. Your feeding style look dangerous, cause one hand always must be near the clutch. So I didn't see any safety guards on your press. We have similar die cutter, it has emergency foot pedal to stop press immediately.
At that point, I can just use the actual impression on the plate to line it up. I can go back and find a "perfect" print and then just fit the plate back into the groves of the impression.
Don't remove the registration marks print on larger stock than required and trim to size on completion. Registration marks should be as small as possible with fine detail.
You're such a rockstar! So what about your waste? Do you have any environmental regulations to follow, or can you just send everything out with the trash man?
If your attention span is that short, I would suggest that Letterpress printing is probably not something you will do well with anyway. Just my opinion, as a professional Letterpress printer for 10 years, and a graphic designer/typographer for 35+ years...
