Vandercook Proof Press
A cylinder proof press: the forme stays put, the cylinder rolls over it, and the sheet comes off even.
| Type | Cylinder proof press |
| Cylinder diameter | 100–150 mm |
| Printing width | 460–800 mm |
| Bed length | 600–1200 mm |
| Inking | Hand brayer or rider roller |
| Bearers | Steel, ground to type height |
| Drive | Hand crank or motorised |
| Bed height | Adjustable, 4–8 mm of packing |
| Cylinder diameter | 100–150 mm |
| Maximum sheet | 460 × 640 mm |
| Impression control | Bearer height, not pressure screw |
| Suitable stock | 40–300 gsm |
| Processes | Proofing, long runs of large formes, poster work |
| Compatible materials | Uncoated text, cotton rag, Japanese paper, thin board |
| Gripper | Adjustable, with a foot pedal on most models |
| Ink consumption | Roughly 30 per cent less than a platen for the same forme |
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.
Where a platen press presses flat on flat, a cylinder press rolls a steel drum across the forme. The contact is a line rather than a plane, so the impression is even across a much larger area and the pressure needed is far lower. A proof press is the tool for pulling a proof of a locked-up forme before committing to a run, and for printing anything long.
The cylinder is the whole point. It is set on bearers that ride on the bed rails, so the impression depth is set by the difference in height between the bearers and the type, not by a screw you twiddle. Once the bearers are set, the impression is repeatable.
Safety
Using it well
- Set the bearers first and check them with a straight edge across the bed. An uneven bearer shows as a band of light or dark down one side of every proof.
- Pack the cylinder, not the bed, if you need to change the impression depth — it is far easier to add a sheet under the cylinder packing than to adjust the bed.
- Pull a proof on the cheapest paper you have. Proofing on the final stock is a habit that gets expensive.
What it works with
Papers and substrates
- Uncoated text 80–160 gsm
- Cotton rag 200–300 gsm
- Newsprint for proofs
Type and fonts
- Metal type to 72 pt
- Wood type to 15 pica
- Photopolymer plates
Processes
- Proofing
- Poster printing
- Large-area solid coverage
- Two-colour work with registration
Tools that go with the vandercook proof press
Tabletop Platen Press
A small clamshell press that prints one sheet at a time, by hand, under a platen.
Letterpress Type Set
Individual sorts of metal, wood or resin, set by hand, one character at a time.
Ink Brayer
A hand roller that picks ink off the slab and lays it on the forme, evenly.