The Art of Letterpress

Once upon a time, all printing was letterpress – for hundreds of years, in fact, there was nothing but movable type, ink and paper. But as always, technology intervened, and by the mid-20th century, letterpress was eclipsed by offset and digital printing.

Letterpress print shops fell by the wayside, machines were abandoned or sent to the dump and much of the craft was lost. That is, until relatively recently, when a small army of makers decided to bring it back. Neglected and junked machines were retrieved and restored to their former glory, and a new generation fell in love with the wonderfully tactile quality of paper products made with love by people who care.

Porchlight Press is proud to be part of this tradition – not just of letterpress, but of craft. The way we see it, the letterpress renaissance is part of a greater movement to get back in touch with how things are made, and to value things made by living, breathing humans. Of course, though humans are the driving force behind letterpress, our machines are our beloved workhorses. Meet them here.