PRINTING PRESSES & TYPE

Tabletop Platen Press

A small clamshell press that prints one sheet at a time, by hand, under a platen.

3Printing stage Rank 1 of 28

Line drawing

Specification
Type	Hand-fed platen (clamshell)
Impression area	250 × 380 mm
Working height	23.3 mm (type high)
Maximum stock	1.5 mm, unscored
Drive	Hand lever or treadle
Impressions per hour	120–300, hand fed
Packing range	0.4–2.0 mm of tympan and drawsheet
Weight	68–180 kg depending on size

Working parameters
Impression area	250 × 380 mm
Platen pressure	Adjustable by screw, 0–8 turns of packing
Suitable stock	60–450 gsm, uncoated preferred
Processes	Letterpress relief printing, scoring, die cutting, blind impression
Compatible materials	Cotton rag, uncoated text, cardstock, board up to 1.5 mm
Floor space	About 900 × 700 mm including the lever arc
Noise	A dull thud per impression; not loud, but constant

There is a simulator for this. Press Simulator runs the same relationships in 3D, so you can change a number and watch what it does to the result.

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Overview

The platen press is the machine most people picture when they hear "letterpress". A flat forme of type sits on the bed; the paper is held against a hinged platen; the platen closes and the impression is taken. Every impression is a separate, deliberate action, which is why the process is slow and why the results have the character they do.

Tabletop models run from about 8 by 11 inches upward. Below that the platen area is too small for anything but cards and coasters; above about 14 by 18 inches the machine needs a floor-standing frame and a great deal more respect. The useful middle for a small studio is a platen of roughly 10 by 15 inches.

3Printing: Ink, packing and impression on the press.

Safety

Before you use itThe platen closes with enough force to crush fingers. Never reach into the impression area while the press is in motion, and never remove a sheet that has shifted mid-cycle — let the platen open first.

Before you use itKeep the lever arc clear of people. A hand lever swings through roughly 700 mm and will break an arm if someone walks into it.

Before you use itBolt the press to a bench or floor. A tabletop platen on a loose table will walk.

Using it well

Start with a kiss impression — barely enough pressure to transfer ink evenly — and add packing in half-sheet steps. Most beginners over-impress on day one and spend a month learning to take it back.
Set the gauge pins before you ink up. Every impression you take while adjusting the lay is an impression you cannot reuse.
Keep a sheet of waste paper taped to the tympan. It catches the ink that squeezes past the type and stops it marking the next sheet.

What it works with

Papers and substrates

Cotton rag 200–300 gsm
Uncoated card 250–400 gsm
Handmade paper with a deckle edge

Type and fonts

Any metal or photopolymer type to 72 pt
Wood type for display sizes above 72 pt

Processes

Blind impression
Scoring
Die cutting with a steel rule die
Foil stamping with a heated platen

Note. Specifications are conventional working ranges for this class of tool, not a measurement of any particular machine. Follow the instructions that came with your own equipment, and treat every figure here as a starting point to check rather than a limit to trust. Nothing on this page is for sale and no manufacturer had any input into it.

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Vandercook Proof Press

A cylinder proof press: the forme stays put, the cylinder rolls over it, and the sheet comes off even.

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Ink Brayer

A hand roller that picks ink off the slab and lays it on the forme, evenly.