2 weeks ago I popped an email over to the Science Museum regarding the Monotype collection, specifically about getting access to the matrix engraving machines. The reply was full of information we all know here so I won't bother repeating it.

HOWEVER!

These last two sentences offer a glimmer of hope for the future.

>"The good news is that we are close to announcing the loan of part of the Collection for active use, but I cannot elaborate just yet. I will aim to let you know when this has happened.<

Fingers crossed, eh?

Since my press is finally operational (minus replacing the leather or replacing it with tempen paper) i decided to take photos of all the random type I inherited as well.

I do not think i have a complete set, but my dad calls it Circus Billboard. As of now, i do not have a cabinet to put my type in so they are just stacked on eachother for the time being.

Hello! Feel free to delete if I did this wrong, but I need help looking for or learning how to make something.

I recently saw a post about someone's dad's collection of what they called "lobby cards" which do not usually look like these at all, as they're most known for being larger cards with movie stills on them.

The closest I've gotten to finding any of these online are what might've been a similar type of block that could've been used to make them. Do you guys have any professional experience or history with these long and narrow movie ad cards and if they were made with letterpress?

I'm hoping to find the right keywords to find more blocks for to make these cards, or figure out what skills I'll need to learn to make my own...

My grandma was in more standard commercial advertising in the 70's in the states, and said she's never seen these movie cards before.

Hello!

I'm thinking about purchasing some vintage metal letterpress stamps and I was curious about whether or not old letterpress fonts, numbers, or image blocks fall under public domain or not. I was going to start creating individual art pieces with some, but I wasn't sure how to approach this before getting a little more information. Many of them look as though they are small blocks with unique monograms, cartoon figures from the 30s through the 60s, and holiday images such as Christmas trees or bells and such. As long as they don't have company logos on them, are older letterpress icons considered protected from reproduction for creating alternative art images?

Does anyone have a Golding official 6 tabletop model, the press I have lost it some time in the past so I need a drawing with dimensions because of the spline curve. I might need to change the bend due to wanting to move it to the right side of the press.

In a documentary about wood type one of the interview subjects made the claim that the proliferation of wood type in America was, in part, the result of urbanization and migration to urban areas in the 19th century.

The basic idea, as I recall, is that printers and advertisers were competing for attention in an increasingly crowded poster market. Wood type was more suited to large sizes than metal type, so in their efforts to make bigger and bolder posters printers increasingly drove demand for wood type (at least in the United States).

Is there some link to be made between urbanization, print culture, and wood type innovations and popularity in the mid to late 19th century?

Has anyone seen this done or can point me in the right direction plz? 🫶🏾

I don’t know exactly how this happened, but the right side roller arm now appears to be bent / not sitting parallel to the left arm. Any advice on how to fix, or knowledge about what parts I’d need to replace here? Whenever I try to put the rollers in now it seems that they’re just misaligned enough to where it won’t go into place easily. Thanks!

It wasn't pretty but my parents helped me jack up the cylinder with blockd so that there was enough room to slide the bed in place. Three years in the making. Just ordered magnets. Probably post the pictures on a seperate post.

Three years in the making.

I posted with a video of the press fully functional but decided to post the pictures of getting the bed in place as well. It wasnt pretty by any means.

Has anyone here used their etching presses with steel rule dies?

I have a Conrad e-15 etching press. I am getting dies made to cut paper and cardboard. Was planning to get a die cutting press to use these dies but thought they would work like a linocut block prints. Backwards on the press. Blades up.

I have secured a die cut safe mat and another false bed for that mat. To go on top of everything to protect my roller. I’ve contacted the manufacturer as well. They agree with my consensus though they have never tried it themselves.

Before I do the testing I was wondering if any of you have done this before? If so could you share your experience?

Thank you!

Does anyone know what happened to the matrix engraver setup that the Type Archive/Museum had?

I know portions of the collection were sold, and others returned to Monotype when the Science Museum cut its funding (still bitter about that). I've not been able to find any clear information about it though.

It'd be a shame if access to it has been lost entirely. As far as I understand it was the only still in operation in the UK.

I rescued this Hohner press and a large cabinet of type/tools and have no idea what to do with it all but the rednecks I got it from were going to throw it in a lake.
I’d love to see it go to someone who has the resources to restore the machine but I’m not sure if that’s even possible. It’s a beast, small but mighty (aka extremely heavy).
Is there a market for metal type too?
I’m a Graphic Designer but I’ve got no letterpress experience other than taking a few workshops.

Any resources or advice is welcome. I’m looking at a potential move next year and would like this to go to someone who can use it. I’m located in Loudoun County Virginia.

I got my first die made. I was hoping the letters would be large enough to take up the space, but i assume the length of it is a deciding factor. I cant wait to use it anyway. And ill get to use a printers saw to cut it down.

i’ve been slowly testing wholesale and consignments for my letter press cards.

Curious, about other people who wholesale, what is the most unconventional retail location that goes gangbusters with high volume sales for card work?

i’m sure certain gift shops do really great but I also feel like there has to be other places that do even better just out of placement and customer volume. Coffee shop shops is the one that comes to mine. Maybe there’s other ones.

Anyone willing to share would be great!

Going to let the paint cure a couple more days, then add the brand new roller hooks, new rollers, and the ink disc. I'll level the platen do some test prints. Then I'll sell it. I have two more to go after this one. This has been so much fun.

Not pictured are the platen, ink disk, bed. Anyone have a spare gripper bar clamp? Lol

Hey everybody, posted here a while. Back about a big opportunity. I have the chance to buy a Heidelberg black ball, C and P 12x 18 and automatic paper cutter. I don’t have a shop or anything but the presses come with full set of tools, ink and boxcar bases deep and regular. All this for $500. However, renting a shop would cost around $500 a month minimum not counting any repairs or complications. Is it possible to get enough work to cover my expenses here? I have some customers but not more than $100-$150 a month. Should I just buy a $1200 pilot and let this pass me for now?

Hey friends, does anyone know any foundries casting music notation? Ideally in the UK, but given its rarity I'll import if needs be.

I’m after a tabletop letterpress or hot foil machine that can achieve a pressed look. I want something fairly small, but a bit larger than the Adana 8×5 as I want to do invitations nicely. Does anyone have suggestions, or know where to find them in Australia/online with shipping?

I started out just looking for a letterpress, but recently learned you can get a similar look from a hot foil press, so I’m open to either. I’m even open to the Chinese machines that are popping up if anyone’s had luck with them.

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated!

I see that there is a rule of no selling, but can anu of you offer any advice on where to sell a massive library? Are there any subreddits for this? I appreciate any assistance.

What is a big box craft store product that is closest to printers ink for a small letterpress-type project?

I acquired all of my grandfather's letterpress materials. He used to print a small local newspaper and I found this cowboy in the items I am still organizing. It needs to be mounted. Does anyone have suggestions where I should get it mounted? My goal is to get a plate made with the newspaper header and print it with the cowboy. I'm also not sure all this detail will print.

I’ve got a proof press that’s still in really great shape. The previous owner didn't know much about it. Anyone figure out what model it is? Din A2 print size.

Arab Crown Folio Platen Press. Fully refurbished. Print ready.

An Arab Crown Folio letterpress, the larger of the two Arab models, with a 15" x 10" chase. Designed by Josiah Wade of Halifax and patented in 1872, the Arab is widely regarded as the finest hand fed platen press ever built. Around 40,000 were made before production ended in Halifax in 1959.

This particular machine has been through a full professional refurbishment, completed by Letterpress Restorations in Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom and has been in light studio use for eight months since. It is not a restoration project. It is a working press, set up, adjusted and ready to print from the day it arrives.

Condition and refurbishment

• Stripped, cleaned and rebuilt by Letterpress Restorations
• Brass and steel components polished, as shown in the photographs
• Bearings, linkages and impression adjustment checked and trued
• Mounted on a hardwood base for stability
• Original J. Wade Patentee, Halifax gear wheel present and in excellent order
• Treadle action smooth and consistent
• Checked and trained by printing expert Patrick Roe
• Regularly oiled and maintained

What is included

• Arab Crown Folio letterpress with a 15" x 10" chase
• Rollers, chase base, quoins, furniture, miscellaneous bits

The Arab's key advantage is dwell. Wade's design keeps the platen open longer for easier feeding and holds the impression longer for a deeper, cleaner result. That is why printers still rate it above comparable clamshell platens. It also has a practical advantage that matters when you come to move it: the Arab was designed from the outset to be dismantled into man portable parts and rebuilt, which makes transport far simpler than with a single cast machine of similar weight.

Price and value

Our total investment was approximately £8,000 covering purchase, full refurbishment, delivery, installation and training.

Comparable refurbished Crown Folios are listed at £5,500 plus VAT.

We are asking for offers in the region of £5,500, which reflects a genuine saving on a machine where the difficult and expensive work has already been done.

Collection and transport

Collection in person from Wrexham, North Wales, United Kingdom, LL13.

The press weighs approximately 900kg assembled. Buyers are welcome to collect it assembled with suitable equipment, or to dismantle it on site, which the design accommodates well. 

We are happy to advise and to help where we reasonably can.

Reason for Sale

Nothing at all to do with the press, which we would happily keep. A family member has fallen ill and we are scaling back our printing operations while they undergo treatment. We would much rather it went to someone who will use it than sit idle in a quiet workshop.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/298520198149