Letterpress printing - Video

Well, after all this chatter about letterpress and printing and all the stationery photos I realised I have come up short. As of yet Gertrude (my printing press) has remained hidden from the public eye - shocking I know.

So we felt it was time to give her a dusting off and show her in all her glory. Please ladies and gentleman raise a glass for....

Gertrude in motion!

Gertrude is a 'Cropperette': one of the smaller treadle clamshell platen presses forged by H.S. Cropper & Co in the 1800s. As you can see in the video, the treadle operates the flywheel which in turn creates the opening and closing motion of the press. 

The paper is individually hand fed into the top, giving each item its own unique print. Any questions on letterpress printing or printing presses, do leave them below...