Can I submit my own artwork? Yes, by all means.
What type of artwork file should I submit? A vectorized Illustrator or Adobe friendly PDF (with FONTS OUTLINED) will work just dandy. We can provide some layout templates if needed.
Can you print photographs? Unless it’s line work or very simple halftones, no.
What kind of finishing do you provide? We can edge paint, die-cut shapes, round corners, drill holes, perforate, or add sequential numbering to help enhance your product.
What ink colors can I use? We mix all our inks by hand according to the Pantone Uncoated color formula in-house. Metallics and Fluorescents are also available.
Can I print white? No, letterpress inks are transparent so it never works out. The best option is to use white foil.
Can I print on dark paper? White or light color ink just won’t show up very well on dark paper. If it is necessary for the design, we can discuss alternative options.
Do you offer edge painting? Yes, we are able to offer custom colors to match your specific Pantone color of choice.
Do you have a minimum quantity? No, but typically any less than 50 is not recommended.
How big can you print? 15″ x 20″
Can you print on both sides? Yes.
What paper do you use? Uncoated paper is best, something with a toothy texture. Also, the paper needs to be a bit heavier to withstand the punch on the press. We will happily suggest several great varieties of paper.
How quickly can I get something printed? Depends on the job. Standard letterpress requires 10 - 15 business days to print and package your design to our highest standards. Additional processes and special order paper will require additional time.
Can I see a printed proof? We will send you a digital proof. We cannot provide a printed sample of your design until we actually print it but we could send you some samples of similar products we’ve done in the past or paper samples.
When is payment due? We require 50% deposit upfront to start the printing process, the rest is required upon delivery.
What kinds of payment do you take? Credit Cards, PayPal, and checks are fine by us… Or cash. Cash is always acceptable.
How it works
We know that all the moving parts and precise details of this antiquated technology can take a minute to wrap your mind around. Let us provide some clarity on how it works and hopefully you’ll fall in love with letterpress too.
Dating back to the 15th century, letterpress is a relief printing technique of pressing an image or letters on paper causing a impression. By employing modern materials and digital technology, however, we are able to modernize this antiquated printing process allowing us to push the envelope of printed design possibilities.
We begin by taking the digital version of a design and convert it into a film negative. Then the film negative is used to create a physical printing plate out of a photopolymer plastic. This technique is similar to that of old school film development, where the light sensitive 3D plastic is exposed to light through a film negative and developed in tap water. Once the photopolymer plate is developed and inspected, it is mounted on the press and aligned with the paper stock to be printed. The impression is then dialed in, adjusting how hard the plate hits the paper, and the press is loaded with ink. The press is now ready to print!
INKs
We mix our inks in-house to match the Pantone color system. The signature impression of letterpress can be made with ink or without ink (a technique called a blind impression), however only one color can be printed at a time. In order for us to be able to match a color correctly, the PMS color must be picked from the Uncoated Guide since we are printing on uncoated paper.
Fine Finishing
Need that extra special touch? We offer edge-painting, duplexed and triplexed stock, foiling stamping, die-cutting and corner rounding, numbering, drilling, perforating, and many other specialty finishing techniques to further enhance the impact of your design.
COULDN’T FIND ALL THE ANSWERS?
Feel free to email us at info@skylabletterpress.com and we will be glad to help answer any questions you have.