Resources for Letterpress Printers

Presented by the American Amateur Press Association.

Letterpress printing may no longer be a growth industry, but there are numerous people world-wide who pursue it as either a hobby or a business. This page lists some of the places where individuals interested in letterpress printing can find information, services, and products.

Although we try to maintain the latest information, contact information may have changed. Please send corrections or new entries to the address at the bottom of this page.

This page is organized by topic:


Be sure to visit other AAPA pages related to Letterpress Printing:

There is also information of interest on the AAPA Graphic Arts page.


Internet Information

Getting Started
David Rose has put together a dandy Introduction to Letterpress Printing in the 21st Century that contains an amazing amount of information, all directed toward the newcomer to letterpress printing.

Letterpress Discussion List
To join this e-mail list, send a message to Listserv@listserv.unb.ca with the content of the message the single line
or visit the Join or Leave the LETPRESS List Web page

Once you have established a mailing list account and logged-in to it from your browser, you can visit the Archives Page, where you can read or search the archives, available back to January 1995.

Green Dolphin Press has prepared a Letterpress FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

Interested in how to make a good impression on a mailing list? Check out Mailing List Manners 101.

Yahoo! Discussion Groups
There are a number of Yahoo! discussion groups related to letterpress printing. To get a current list, go to the Yahoo! Groups Sign In page and search for "letterpress". A couple of the most popular are

If you have a Yahoo! user name, join a group by pressing the "Join This Group!" button on its introduction page. Otherwise, you can join by sending an e-mail request to the list owner.

Web logs
There are many letterpress-related blogs active on the Internet, including:

The Briar Press
This site is devoted to promoting the art of letterpress, and to preserving some of the familiar and not so familiar graphics and images of letterpresses and the printed image.

About.com -- Printing, Engraving & Printmaking, Newspapers Invention & History
Interesting links to History of Printing, Inventions, and other related topics.

The Atlas of Early Printing
The University of Iowa's interactive map of Europe that shows the spread of printing from Mainz, as well as early paper mills, trade routes, and universities.

The Alembic Press
I just love these typecase layout diagrams!

Barenforum.org
Information about everything related to woodblocks.

Behind the Typeface: Cooper Black
A bit of fun best viewed through a high-speed link.

Book Information Website
Many links of interest to letterpress printers

Bodoni Type Specimen book (Octavo Corporation)
You can view excerpts from The Manuale Tipografico of Giambattista Bodoni -- a CD ROM containing ``the greatest type specimen book ever printed.''

Boxcar Press
Boxcar Press provides loads of free information on their site, including

Chris Chen's Photographs
Chris Chen has taken a lot of digital photos related to letterpress printing. Among my favorites: M & H Type Foundry Pressroom; String Lessons (how to tie up a form with string); and Moving Presses.

Christchurch Letterpress
A guide to letterpress activities in Christchurch and elsewhere in New Zealand.

Cincinnati Book Arts Society
A nonprofit organization comprised of a group of professionals and amateurs from all quarters of the book, paper, and printing arts for the purpose of creating a spirit of community among hand workers in the book arts and those who love books.

College & University Letterpress Printers' Association (CULPA)
Established in 2006 to bring together students and educators at international college-level letterpress programs.

Downloadable Letterpress Documents
A dozen scanned documents provided in PDF format by Lance Williams of Williams Stationery Company. Included: information about makeready, Ludlow, Linotype, and Intertype.

Galley Gab
During 2007, Mike O'Connor produced 12 issues of of this full-color PDF magazine packed with letterpress news and information. Hosted by Metal Type.

Google Book Search
Google is scanning all the books they can get their hands on and indexing the results. You can search their database, and read the books that are in the public domain. Here are a few titles related to letterpress printing...

Gutenberg Digital
The Gutenberg Bible is on the Web.

Gutenberg Homepage (English version)
Descriptions of the time of Gutenberg, the Gutenberg Bible, and Gutenberg's Invention. (More subjects yet to be translated from German.)

Handpress
A site set up by Richard-Gabriel Rummonds to provide information about iron handpress printing.

How to Make a Pressman's Hat
A diagram on how to turn a newspaper into a printer's hat, provided by Dennis Havlena.

International Monotype Memory Project
Loads of information about Monotypes.

The Jobbing Platen: History and Development
A history of the development of the platen jobber printing press put together by Bill Elligett.

Ladies of Letterpress
``Dedicated to the proposition that a woman's place is in the print shop."

``Late Edition''
From the June 1997 Atlantic Monthly: John Fleischman tribute to the Miehle press used to print the Yellow Springs, Ohio, News.

Letterpress Exchange Group
A small group that exchanges letterpress-printed material approximately three times a year. Formed about 1994.

Letterpress Printers of the World
```Short autobiographies of today's letterpress printers''; created by Lance Williams.

Letterpress Printing in the 1960s
``A compilation of information 'deciphered' from my old note books whilst an apprentice letterpress machinist at The Melbourne School of Printing & Graphic Arts'' -- Bill Elligett.

Liberty Platen Press
Everything you'd want to know about this early platen press, manufactured from 1860 until the early 1900s.

Linotype & Linotipisti
This Italian site is dedicated to discussing the Linotype.

Linotype Maintenance and Operation
This site is devoted to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the maintenance and operation of Linotype machines.

Linotype University
Larry Raid began running Linotype University in Denmark, Iowa, in 2003. Come and learn everything needed to get started in the wonderful world of line casting.

Metal Type
Dave Hughes ran Linotypes for the Yorkshire Evening Press between 1976 and 1980 and the South London Press between 1980 and 1990. He's put this Web site together for printers and typesetters who remember the old days of "hot metal" to come and reminisce.

MyFonts.com
Although their products are software fonts, the ``Font by Name'' and ``People'' links under the ``Browse'' category provide a wealth of information about letterpress typefaces and type designers.

Paper Weight Conversion Chart
Comprehensive tables comparing the variety of weights of papers. Provided by Micro Format, Inc.

Pressed for Time
Documenting the last days of a vanishing breed: America's newspaper printers.

Printing's Past
Historical anecdotes/essays inspired by the printing industry, written by Frank Granger.

Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection
A detailed overview of the wood type Kelly collected while researching vernacular printing in America. The site also provides a broad contextual overview of the American wood type manufacturing industry of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Tramp Printers
Excerpts from the book Tramp Printers by John Howells and Marion Dearman.

Type & Press Articles
Articles taken from 100 issues of Type & Press, published by Fred Williams until shortly before his death in 2001.

TypeArt Library
Although created by a digital type foundry (Digiteyes Multimedia), this site contains a lot of information that letterpress printers will find interesting, including Typologia by Frederick W. Goudy.

Typographia by Thomas F. Adams
A full scan of an 1854 instruction book about printing and typography.

Vandercook Proof Presses
All kinds of information about Vandercook Proof Presses: model descriptions, manuals, articles, etc. Information originally put together by Mark Wilden. Site now managed by Paul Moxon.

Web Museum of Calendars and Wood Types
Established to educate people on the beauties of calendars and wood type. Presented by Unicorn Graphics.

Wood Engravers' Network
Information on the history and characteristics of the historic printing medium of wood engraving.

Zone Opaque
An association of graphic arts professionals who seek the realization of high quality book & graphic work without the aim of making a profit. Web site is mainly in French.


Type Foundries

Read a comparison of American type foundries in two articles from The Tribby Tribune: `` Typecasting in 1999'' and `` Typecasting Update''

Sheldon Wesson offers advice on purchasing type in ``Selecting Body Type Styles''

Acme Type Foundry
1812 W. Greenleaf Ave., Chicago, IL 60626
Phone: 773-465-8973

Australian Type Company
91 Moreland Street, Footscray, Victoria, Australia

Barco Type Founders
P. O. Box 1011, Bensenville, IL 60106
Phone: 630-766-1230; Fax: 800-356-6700
Catalog available for $2.

Bell Type and Rule Company
1128 East Eleventh Street, Los Angeles, California 90021
e-mail: movingahd@aol.com
Phone: 213-485-1609; Fax: 213-485-1600
Family owned and operated. Founded by Charles and Evelyn Bell in 1932. In 1977 Harley (son of Charles and Evelyn) moved the company to its current location. Four years later, Harley Bell and David Helbock teamed up to continue the tradition of casting foundry type, monotype composition, spacing materials, rules and borders, and Ludlow typesetting for the letterpress arts. Currently casting over 71 fonts, but virtually everything cast in the past available.

Michael & Winifred Bixler
Box 820, Skaneateles, NY 13152
e-mail: WinifredBixler@aol.com
Phone: 315-685-5181; Fax 315-685-1220
Fourteen faces (Baskerville, Bell, Bembo, Centaur/Arrighi, Dante, Ehrhardt, Fournier, Garamond, Gill Sans, Joanna, Perpetua, Univers, Van Dijck, Walbaum) with italic and some variants, in 8 to 72 point. Fonts sold by the pound ($12-$15/lb.; 20 lb. minimum)

Dale Guild Type Foundry
4621 Route 9 North, Howell, New Jersey, 07731
Phone/Fax: 732-363-3590
e-mail: daletype@worldnet.att.net
Proprietor Theo Rehak, formerly a typecaster at American Type Founders, set up shop in 1993 using Barth casters obtained when ATF went out of business. They cast type from 6-24 points, 72 point initials, ornaments, and borders.

Golgonooza Letter Foundry
P. O. Box 111, Ashuelot, NH 03441; e-mail (Dan Carr): dcarr7@earthlink.net; Phone: 603-239-6830.

M & H Type (also known as Mackenzie & Harris)
1802 Hays Street, San Francisco, CA 94129
e-mail: mandhtype@arionpress.com
Phone: 415-561-2546; Fax: 415-561-2545
Hundreds of fonts and borders plus composition and photopolymer. Catalogue available for $40 plus sales tax for California residents and a shipping charge of $2.50.

NA Graphics (Fritz Klinke)
P. O. Box 467, 1314 Greene St., Silverton, CO 81433
e-mail: nagraph@FRONTIER.NET
Phone: 970-387-0212; Fax: 970-387-0127
Offering newly-cast revivals of selected ATF faces.

Offizin Parnassia - Vättis (Hans-Ulrich Frey and Stephan Burkhardt)
In late 2004, they purchased Harold Berliner's typecasting equipment. Location: Unterdorf 2 / Postfach, 7315 Vattis, Switzerland; e-mail: info@parnassia.org; Phone: (0041) (0)81 306 14 70.

Pygmy Press
Dan Jones (Newmarket, Ontario, Canada) L3Y 2B6
e-mail: dj@neptune.on.ca
Usually casts one series per year, using new foundry metal (12% tin, 24% antimony, 64% lead) on an English Supercaster. Offering for spring 2001: 4 pound fonts of 18 pt. Perpetua Italic for $42 (US) plus $8 postage to anywhere in North America. E-mail Dan for list of typefaces available.

Quaker City Type Foundry (Bill Riess)
2019 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, PA 19344
Phone: 610-942-3637
Dozens of fonts available plus many handy boxes of ornaments. Catalog available for $2.

Schriftenservice D. Stempel
"Our hot metal fonts of Stempel and Haas are cast by Rainer Gerstenberg. The type foundry is located in the former 'Haus für Industriekultur' in Darmstadt (Germany)."
You can also contact an agent for Stempel who can assist your order.

Sind National Type Foundry
Nehru Bazar, Jaipur - 302 003, Rajasthan, INDIA
e-mail: ssales@sntfworld.com
Phones: 00-91-141-310307, -314959, -321424; Fax: 00-91-141-314097;
Manufacturer of printing types, spacing material, wooden types, borders & ornaments since 1949; more that 100 series of English Types from 6 pt to 48 pt. Book of Type Faces available for US$25 (use a Bank Demand Draft in favor of ``THE SIND NATIONAL TYPE FOUNDRY'' payable at ``JAIPUR'', India) to cover postage.

Skyline Type Foundry (Sky Shipley)
Opened in 2004, Skyline has begun casting and selling fonts on a relatively small scale. "In due time, Skyline will be operating at full potential and able to offer a wide range of type and decorative borders." e-mail: sky@skylinetype.com; Address: P. O. Box 5 Highway 96 Mile Six, Kampsville, IL 62053.

Sterling Type Foundry (Dave Churchman)
P. O. Box 50234, Indianapolis, IN 46250
e-mail: churchmans@comcast.net
Phone: 317-849-5665; Fax: 317-849-1616
Casts mostly cuts and borders; foundry catalog available for $2; 20 page letterpress equipment catalog is $1.50.

Stichting Lettergieten
Jacobus van Waertstraat 53, 1551 CH Westzaan, The Netherlands
Phone: 00/31/75/628.57.53 (Monday and Thursday morning).

Swamp Press (Ed Rayher)
(New location as of July 1999) 15 Warwick Road, Northfield, MA 01360
e-mail: ed@swamppress.com
Phone: 413-498-4343 (Saturday through Tuesday; other times leave message)
Hundreds of faces, thousands of ornaments, 4 to 72 point; fonts, sorts, and composition casting; photopolymer; call or write for price list or quote. Type specimen book is $4.50; ornament specimens $5.00; both fees refunded with your first order.


Engravers

Visit the Foil Stamping & Embossing Association to find all kinds of related information.

A & G Engraving, Inc.
3846 South Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90058-1713; e-mail: info@aandgengraving.com; Phone: 323-583-9085; Fax: 323-583-5487

Atlas Photoengraving, Inc
5301 Tacony Street, Box 328, Suite #5, Philadelphia, PA 19137; e-mail: plates@atlas-photoeng.com; Phone: 215-288-9885; Fax: 215-743-7650

Augustine Company
Magnesium engravings mounted type high on wood base. 1210 Industrial Blvd., Marshalltown, IA 50158; e-mail: art@augustinedie.com Phone: 641-753-3875; Fax: 641-753-0635.

Bauer Engraving Co., Inc.
11290 Sunrise Gold Cir., Suite G, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742; e-mail sales@bauerengraving.com; Phone: 916-631-9800; Fax: 916-631-9811.

Brown & Hartman Engraving Co.
552 S. Quincy Ave., Tulsa, OK 74120; e-mail bhengraving@sbcglobal.net; Phone: 918-582-1165 or 800-572-1398; Fax: 918-582-1166.

Cal Art & Engraving Inc.
Magnesium photoengravings, including 16 gauge woodmount (.918 inches) for letterpress. 340 Industrial Road, San Carlos, CA 94070; e-mail: sales@calartasap.com; Phone: 650-591-4443; Fax: 650-637-0543

Central Michigan Engravers, Inc.
Magnesium line cuts and halftone cuts mounted on cherry wood. Larger ones mounted on plywood unless specified. P. O. Box 15600, Lansing, MI 48901 (or 412 W. Gier St., Lansing, MI 48906); Phone: 517-485-5865

Hodgins Engraving
Magnesium and Copper etching. 3817 West Main St (P. O. Box 728), Batavia, NY 14020; e-mail: orders@hodginsengraving.com; Phone: 800-666-8950; Fax: 585-343-0412

Kayenay Graphics
Location: 840-T 12th St., N.W., P. O. Box 240, Mason City, IA 50401; Phone: 641-424-2535 or 800-779-2535

KPE Graphics
Specializing in mail order gold blocking dies, foil printing dies and letterpress blocks, artwork, and general reprographics. Unit 1, A6 Business Centre, Telford Way, Kettering, Northants, NN16 8UN England; e-mail: sales@kpegraphics.co.uk

Metal Magic
Copper engravings. 4840 S. 33rd St., Phoenix, AZ 85040; e-mail: files@metalmagic.com; Phone: 602-304-0404 or 800-851-4120; Fax: 602-304-9202

Owosso Graphic Arts, Inc. Photoengravers
Providing the highest quality magnesium dies since 1949. 151 N. Delaney Road, Owosso, MI 48867; e-mail: imaging@owossographic.com; Phone: 517-725-7112; Fax: 517-723-5399; Toll free: 800-444-5552

Pella Engraving Company
808 East First Street, P. O. Box 127, Pella, Iowa 50219; e-Mail: pellaeng@kdsi.net; Phone: 515-628-2791; Fax: 515-628-8451

Peterson Engraving, Inc.
1242 S. Boyle Ave., Los Angeles CA 90023; e-mail: petersonengraving@sbcglobel.net; Phone: 323-264-1888; Fax: 323-264-9078.

Phillips Engraving Co.
Magnesium engravings. 2103 E. McDaniel St., Springfield, MO 65802; Phone: 417-869-4811 or toll-free 888-369-6906; Fax: 417-869-5504.

Valley Etching, Engraving, and Design, Inc.
120-B Whiting Farms Road, Holyoke, MA 01040; Phone: 413-536-2256; Toll free: 1-888-323-3283; Fax: 413-538-5881.

Winston-Salem Engraving Co.
446 Brookstown Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; Phone: 336-725-4268 or 336-724-1711


Printing Press Rollers

When buying rubber or synthetic rollers, consult with the manufacturer about what type are best for letterpress printing. You will usually want rollers that are somewhat softer (14-15 durometers) than those used for fast running offset presses.

A-Korn Roller, Inc.
3545 South Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60609; e-mail: a-kornroller@a-kornroller.com; Phone: 773-254-5700 or 800-999-2346; Fax: 773-650-7355. (Also: 8495 Roslyn St., Commerce City, CO 80022)

Advanced Roller Co.
212 Lewis Court, Corona, CA 91720; e-mail: advroller@aol.com; Phone: 909-272-3010; Fax: 909-272-4113

Columbia Rubber Mills
Location: 14800 SE 82nd Drive, Clackamas, OR 97015; Phone: 503-557-9919 x 110 or 800-547-5557 x 110; Fax: 503-557-9923.

Eli Evans Letterpress Rollers
Rollers for Adana and Kelsey presses. Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom; e-mail: ElliEvans@aol.com

Finzer Roller
Located in Illinois, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, and Maryland.
Note: In December 2004 Finzer acquired Bingham Rollers of Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Pittsburgh, PA; Palmyra, NY; San Leandro, CA; Searcy, AR; and Mississauga, Ontario.

Ramco Rubber Products
Location: 241 West Allen Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773; Phone: 909-592-1002.

Rubber Roller and Rubber Roll Manufacturers
This Web site provides information on the subject of rubber roller and rubber roll manufacturers and other related topics.

Tarheel Roller Co.
Will cast composition rollers for small letterpress: C&P, Kluge, Craftsman, Pearl, Golding, Gordon, Pearl, Official, Prouty, Miller, Miehle and others up to 2-1/8 inch in diameter.
Mail: P. O. Box 773, Shipping: 2156 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC 27012; e-mail: Hau6118@aol.com; Phone: 336-766-9823; Fax 336-766-4286
Visit Zycon, "the search engine for manufacturers," to view their listing of roller manufacturers.


Printing Equipment, Services, & Supplies

A & D Graphics, Inc.
Hot Metal Typesetting services for printers, foilstampers, etc., on Linotype and Ludlow machines. Established 1965; John Pylarinos, President. 150-30 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432; e-mail Adptg65@aol.com; Phone 718-523-9373; Fax: 718-523-9415.

Acme Machinery Company Pvt. Ltd.
This company produces a "C & P Model Printwell Platen Printing Machine." B/3, Royal Industrial Estate, Naigaum Cross Rd., P. O. Box No. 7146, Dadar-Wadala (West), Mumbai - 400 031. INDIA; Email: sales@acmemachinery.com; Phone: 91-22-2414 6345; Fax: 91-22-2414 6928.

American Printing Equipment & Supply Co.
Letterpress, printing, and bookbinding supplies & equipment. 153 Meacham St., Elmont, NY 10013; Phone: 516-437-9105; Fax: 516-437-9107.

Antique Machinery Removal
Antique Machinery Removal was established for the transportation of vintage printing machinery. Located in the United Kingdom.

Art Boards Printmaking Supplies
Art Boards Printmaking blocks are made letter press type high (.918" thick). Blocks are made in End Grain hard maple for engraving, and in Plank Grain soft maple for wood cuts. 612 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217; e-mail: artboard@earthlink.net; Phone: 718-237-2592 or 800-546-7985; Fax: 718-237-0142.

Bay Island Press
Photopolymer Plates, Magnetic Bases, and other services. 1222 Lincoln Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501; e-mail: bipgraphics@earthlink.net; Phone: 510-523-7292; Fax: 510-523-3031

Bar-Plate
"The Diecutter's Source" includes equipment such as makeready supplies and tools and quoins.

Don Black Linecasting
Dealer in: Linotype, Intertype, and Ludlow matrices; Bindery equipment; Handset type; and Presses & parts. 120 Midwest Road, Unit # 5, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1P 3B2; e-mail: Don@donblack.ca; Phone: 416-751-5944; Fax: 416-751-5413

Boxcar Press
Supplier of photopolymer plates and supplies. 501 W. Fayette St. Studio 222, Syracuse, NY 13204; email: info@boxcarpress.com; Phone: 315-473-0930; Fax: 315-473-0930

Brother Trade Est.
Dealer for printing materials such as ink, wash-up, and Heidelberg spare parts. P. O. Box 3549, Zarka 13111 JORDAN; e-mail: sawwan@firstnet.com.jo (Hesham S. Sawwan); Phone: 962 5 3612338; Fax: 962 5 3860938

Caslon Limited
Manufacturers and exporters of printing machinery and graphic arts equipment, including Adana printing presses; Caslon House, Lyon Way, Hatfield Road, St. Albans, Herts AL4 0LB, United Kingdom; e-mail: info@caslon.co.uk; Phone: +44 (0)1727 852211; Fax: +44 (0)1727 855772

Challenge Machinery
Manufacturer of paper cutters, paper drills, and other paper handling machines. Location: 6125 Norton Center Dr., Norton Shores, MI 49441; e-mail: info@challengemachinery.com; Phone: 231-799-8484; Fax: 231-798-1275

Compound Manufacturing
Parts and tools for a wide variety of guillotine paper cutters. 43 Warner Street, Greenfield, MA 01301; Phone: 413-773-8909

Ralph C. Crawford Company
Printers' machinists and letterpress repair. 1769 East 23rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90058; e-mail: sales@pressrepair.com; Phone: 213-749-4497 or toll free 877-749-4479; Fax: 213-747-9409

Damosel's Printers Blocks
A variety of old printing blocks. Site includes on-line museum as well as store. PO Box 496, Campbelltown, PA. 17010-0496

Demers, Inc. and Demers Parts
Independent source for replacement Heidelberg parts and for aftermarket Heidelberg presses. 11052 Challenger Ave., Odessa, FL 33556; e-mail: demerspress@verizon.net; Phone: 800-956-3612 or 727-372-1200; Fax: 727-372-1201

Eco Printing Supply
Sells flatbed plunger and rotary numbering machines (6, 7, or 8 wheel; standard or skip; forward or reverse); also sucker feet for printing and paper handling machines. 1740 Haultain St., Victoria, BC V8R 2L2 CANADA; e-mail info@ecops.ca

The Evanston Print & Paper Shop
A community art center for bookbinders, letterpress printers, artists and designers. Located in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

GT Graphic Service & supply
Supplier for Intertype, Linotype, Ludlow, Vandercook, letterpress supplies. Fonts for Ludlow, Linotype, Monotype. Machinery mover and rigging. Greg Timko, 50C Rocky Point Road, Rocky Point, NY 11778; e-mail: greg@gthotmetal.net; Phone: 800-237-8009 or 631-821-1905; Fax: 631-821-1908

Graphic Chemical & Ink Co.
All kinds of graphic products, including letterpress inks. 728 North Yale Avenue, Villa Park, IL 60181; e-mail: sales@graphicchemical.net; Phone: 800-465-7382; Fax: 630-832-6064

John Gutek Heidelberg Repair Inc.
Specializing in repair of Heidelberg printing presses: windmill, cylinders, offsets, specialty presses (SBDP foilstamper, SGS 41 inch die cutter, rotaspeed). Location: 23689 N. Midlothian Rd., Lake Zurich, IL 60047; e-mail: JGutek@aol.com; Phone: 847-550-1617; Fax: 847-550-1621.

James Heagy
Buys and sells used letterpress equipment. Box 27397, San Francisco, CA 94127; e-mail: homerlea@aol.com

Hicks Brothers Printing Equipment
An equipment dealer in San Francisco selling a fair amount of letterpress equipment. 582 6th St., San Francisco, CA 94103; e-mail: sales@printingequip.com; Phone: 415-575-0933; Fax: 415-575-0907; Cell: 415-725-1670

Iowa Type Cases
Small (9" by 4") plastic injection mold cases that fit in 9" x 13" galleys. Larry J. Raid, PO Box 170 (222 S. 2nd St.), Denmark, IA 52624; e-mail: larryjraid@lisco.com; Phone: (home) 319-528-6151 (office) 319-528-4334

JanTech Marking Equipment Co.
13080 Three Oaks Dr., White City, OR 97503
e-mail: info@jantech.com
Phone: 541-830-0260 (In USA, 800-488-6588); Fax: 541-830-0261
Manufacturer of portable, electric, semiautomatic letterpress marking machines for identification marking and coding of manufactured component parts. Use letterpress type to imprint on flat or curved surfaces.

Letterpress Things
A warehouse collection of printing equipment. Owner: John S. Barrett. 55 North Chicopee Street, Chicopee, MA 01020; e-mail: letterpressthing@aol.com; Phone: 413-222-9029; Fax: 413-732-2146

Marlboro Mats, Inc.
Dealer in Linotype, Intertype, and Ludlow matrices & parts. Owner: Phillip Driscoll; 135 East Church Street, Clinton, MI 49236; e-mail: phil@phillipdriscoll.com; Phone: 517-456-4190; Fax: 517-456-6411

McClain's Printmaking Supplies
"Dedicated to the Art and Artists of Relief Printmaking." 15685 SW 116th Avenue PMB 202, King City, OR 97224-2695; e-mail: mail@imcclains.com; Phone: 503-641-3555 or 800-832.4264; Fax: 1-503-641-3591.

Mergenthaler Hot Metal Systems
(Sold to Thomas Fitzgerald in early 2000.) 4450 Commerce Circle, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30336; Phone: 800-321-2630 or 404-691-7670; Fax: 404-691-6086

N. S. P. Numotech, Inc.
Numbering machine manufacturer. Located in Tanjore, India. e-mail: nsp@number.co.in

NA Graphics (Fritz Klinke)
All sorts of printing supplies: books, spacing material, border & rule, ink, press parts, leads & slugs, quoins, rollers, etc. Contact Fritz Klinke, P. O. Box 467, 1314 Greene St., Silverton, CO 81433; e-mail: nagraph@FRONTIER.NET; Phone: 970-387-0212; Fax: 970-387-0127

Photopolymer Plates
For twenty years, Gene Becker has supplied photopolymer plates. 73-48 183 Street, Flushing, NY 11366; e-mail: info@photopolymerplates.com; Phone 718-454-0654

Polymetaal Graphic Arts Equipment
A manufacturer of printmaking equipment, including presses. Located in the Netherlands.

Presswerx
Parts, Service, & Equipment for the Graphic Arts Industry, including remanufactured Heidelberg Equipment. e-mail: Postmaster@presswerx.com; Phone: 800-668-0746

Primary Press Repair
Services presses used for printing and die-cutting anywhere in North America (U.S. and Canada). e-mail: info@primarypressrepair.com; Phone: 516-790-1768; Fax: 516-795-1675

Jim Reck
In the hot metal business for over thirty years as a repairman for Linotype, Intertype, and Ludlow machines. Willing to offer advice on setup, inks, and other letterpress topics. 14409 Valeda Drive, La Mirada, CA 90638; e-mail: jlreck@gte.net; Phone: 562-944-9184

SOS Linotype
Repair, mats, and sales for Intertype, Ludlow, and Linotype. 713 Space Park North, Goodlettsville, TN 37072; e-mail: soslino1@aol.com; Phone: 615-859-0029 or 800-367-3804; Fax: 615-859-7911

Dave Seat - Hot Metal Services
Supplier of Hot metal typesetting equipment & supplies. Linotype, Intertype, & Ludlow machines & parts. e-mail: HotMetalServices@comcast.net

Daniel Smith, Inc.
Fine artists' materials, including ink and paper. P. O. Box 84268, Seattle, WA 98124-5568; e-mail: sales@danielsmith.com; Phone: 800-426-6740 or 800-426-6740; Fax: 800-426-6740 or 206-224-0404

Thompson Cabinet Company
Manufacturers of wood and steel composing room equipment. 510 East Lake Street, Box 588, Ludington, MI 49431.

Woodside Press
A traditional letterpress printing company located in New York City's historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, Woodside Press provides services for hot-metal typography with their English and American Monotype; Linotype; and Ludlow typecasting. Their Web site has good descriptions of the Monotype and the Linotype. Address: Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building 3 - Suite 1008, Brooklyn, New York 11205; e-mail: Info@WoodsidePress.com; Phone: 718-222-4560; Fax: 718-222-4562

Valley Litho Supply
``Quality printing, screen printing & photography supplies at a discount.'' Of particular interest: Van Son inks. Address: 1047 Haugen Avenue, Rice Lake, WI 54868; e-mail: custserv@valleylitho.com; Phone: 800-826-6781; Fax: 800-962-5924


Classified Ads

The Briar Press -- Letterpress Classifieds
Includes both ``Wanted'' and ``For Sale'' categories.

California Printers
Click on the "Letterpress" category.

craigslist
Select a geographic area, select the ``sale/wanted'' area, search on the word ``letterpress'', and see what pops up.

eBay
There's usually lots of letterpress equipment included in the ``Printing & Graphic Arts'' category of this large on-line auction service.

Horse Trader
Click on the "Letterpress" category.

Metal Type Classified Ads
Categories for sale and wanted include Publications, Equipment, and General.

The Printing Equipment World Wide Network
``We're Printers Serving Printers''

San Francisco Center for the Book
Equipment for Sale or Equipment Wanted in Northern California.


Publications

Publishers of periodicals and books related to letterpress printing.

The Bonefolder
An e-journal for the book binder and book artist.

The Legacy Press
A small publishing firm specializing in books about the printing, paper, and book arts.

Letterpress Printing, a manual for modern fine press printers
Paul Maravelas's sourcebook for beginning and intermediate letterpress printers. Published by Oak Knoll Books in 2005.

Oak Knoll Books & Oak Knoll Press
Publishers of books about books, the history of books, and book arts. Their site has a Digital Books page with listings for books about books.

The Printer
Michael J. Phillips, Editor-Publisher, 337 Wilson Street, Findlay, OH 45840 USA; e-mail: theprinter4918@hotmail.com; Phone: 419-422-4958; $30 a year for 12 issues; $55 for 2 years; $80 for 3 years.

Serif: The Magazine of Type & Typography
An independent quarterly on type and typography published by Quixote Digital Typography. One year subscription: $28, Canada/Mexico $32, outside North America $36. Payment in US funds or major credit card. Address: Dept. W-1, 2038 N. Clark St, Ste 377, Chicago, IL 60614; Phone: 312-953-3679, or for 24 hour ordering in the US 800-810-3311; e-mail: serif@quixote.com; Fax: 312-803-0698

Typofile: An on-line magazine about type
Put together by Daniel Will-Harris; lots of other interesting stuff is linked to the Will-Harris House home page.


Movies and videos

Movies and videos related to letterpress printing.

The Boxcar Institute Training Series
Videos explaining topics like makeready, adjusting roller height, and base lock-up and cleaning.

Firefly Press Interview
QuickTime video narrated/produced by Chuck Kraemer.

Kat Ran Press Resources
QuickTime movies, mostly related to type casting; also lectures on the keyboard and the caster and a PDF file showing the lay of the California Job Case.

Prelinger Archives
The Prelinger Archives contains thousands of short advertising, educational, educational, and amateur films. You can search for letterpress-related topics among the films.

"Ten Presses and How They Work"
Long-time printer Duane Scott and his wife Dolly produced this 105 minute video showing how to use a variety of letterpress printing presses. If you are interested in obtaining a tape or DVD, write to Duane at ddscott@mchsi.com or use the link above to order it from his daughter's Web site.

TypeCulture
Movies available for download include The Creation of Printing Type, Typomania, Letterpress Printing, and The Linotype.

Go to the AAPA home page.


This page was last modified January 1, 2010

Dave Tribby / dtribby@stanfordalumni.org