Letterpress for the home crafter? Could it be?
Since planning my wedding, I’ve become a HUGE fan of letterpress stationery. Letterpress note cards, greeting cards, and business cards–I love them all! I realllly want to purchase an antique letterpress machine, but Mr. Eggplant axes the idea because my craft room is already packed to the brim with stamps, die cut machines, and paper. Plus, letterpress machines and replacement parts are often hard to find and expensive, and the learning curve can be steep.
But, this week I just got a newsletter in my inbox that this fall, Lifestyle Crafts (a division of QuicKutz Inc.) will be releasing the L Letterpress, a letterpress machine for the home crafter. And the starter kit is only $149! What?! I know nothing can replace true letterpress, but this might be a fun alternative for those of us who don’t have the space or money for a real machine (kind of like an Easy-Bake Oven versus a Viking convection, yo). I’m crossing my fingers that the L Letterpress machine will allow crafters to create and use printing plates with their own designs, too.
Here is a picture tutorial from the Lifestyle Crafts website:
1. Open the L Letterpress and place an adhesive-backed printing plate on the clear lid.
2. Ink the printing plate evenly with the brayer tool.
3. Place paper in desired location on base of letterpress tool. Use registration grid and Paper Placement Guides for greater accuracy and alignment.
4. Close lid and roll L Letterpress through Epic tool. For a deeper impression, add additional packing sheets.
So, what do you think? A great invention? Or a complete miss?
I think this could be really cool! I would like to check this out.
I agree with Snappy. if this works well, I’d love one too!
I think it’s a complete miss, honestly. Maybe I’m just a printing purist, but it seems hardly better than using stamps.
For those who really seriously want to have a hand in letterpress, I think the best option is having a plate made via somewhere like boxcar press ( https://boxcarpress.com/platemaking/index.jsp ), and then having it pressed at an actual studio nearby. If you’re really adventurous, you can make your own letterpress out of wood and such. There’s a fantastic Instructables on it here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Letterpress-&-Use-It-to-Print-Things/
I can’t wait to see what the finished product looks like… If it can really reproduce that great feel of letterpress… I’m sold!!
I wish we could see what the finished product looked like. Sounds like it could be a good idea…
Eggie, this is amazing. Can I come over when you get it- I totally want one now!!
Sounds like something I could get into! While I wasn’t originally keen on the idea of the Cricut cutter, I’m now totally obsessed with it. So I could see this going the same way… if only custom plates would be available! Or… wait for it… if I could cut custom plates from my cricut to use in this machine.
I just blew your mind, didn’t I Eggie.
I really hope someone tries this out. I think it would be great—but my question would be, how much do all the little plates down the road cost? That could cost an arm/leg I’d think.
I wonder how deep an impression it makes. I’m with Fiftyfootbride, it seems like a stamp machine. BUT if it works well, that would be really fantastic!
@Mrs. Perfume- Agreed. Another drawback to this product at present is the fact that you are VERY limited when it comes to “letter” choices. After looking at the sample products on the website, so many of those that aren’t the big/standard letters or phrases are not letterpressed with that machine. I’m not sure how they did it, but it was not using any product listed on the website. (Man, I feel like such a wet towel!) Referring to the ones in the ‘wedding’ section, that small type seems like it would be too small for the system they have set up. It’s probably printed digitally or some other way. Seems like your stuck with a few standard phrases and some big/big-ish letters.
Sorry again to be a buzz-kill ladies. 
I think it definitely has potential. If you could create your own plates, and it worked…it would be golden!
I heard about this a week ago and I’m dying to try it! Even if it isn’t up to the task of making a full on wedding invitation suite I bet it could jazz up the little things like hang tags on favors that would otherwise just get run through the plain old inkjet printer.
@Miss Bear Cub: Thanks, lady. 
They [boxcar press] do a great job making plates. My fiancé is just itching to make that press! If we end up making one, I’ll be sure to chronicle that journey. lol
Actually, the roller method they use for getting an impression has the potential to produce more pressure than the antique home platen presses, so it may create a fairly deep impression. It won’t be as deep or as crisp as a commercial letterpress, but it probably isn’t flat, either. However, without knowing how it’s been calibrated, I can’t say how *even* the impression would be. Homemade platen letterpresses like the Instructables one are notoriously uneven. My husband and I made one (not the Instructibles model, but based on a similar principle), and it was SO HARD to get a good print. If this device has improved on that process at this price tag, I’d give it a try myself!
Also, just based on those pictures, you could probably use the custom plates from Boxcar that fiftyfootbride mentioned.
naangel5 posted about this a couple weeks ago. After watching the demo video, I suspect that I could use my cuttlebug and the embossing folder kit and a cricut to do the same thing. Of course I’ve had my cricuit for a couple months now and it’s still sitting in the box and I’ve taken my cuttlebug to my mom’s!
I know this fall there will at least be a Bee or two that will run out and get this… and I can’t wait for them all to tell me about it so then I can go get them. But then again, maybe if I get it right away there won’t be a discloser on a Michael’s coupon… sighhhh if it’s by QuickKutz I’m sure they’ll be on top of it!
How is this different from the cuttlebug? Looks the same to me, but just with die. I do this already with my cuttlebug – I emboss, and then I rub the embossed paper over an ink pad gently to add color.
Mrs. Eggplant, San Francisco Age and Occupation: 28, Human Resources Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Associate Marketing Manager Engagement Date: January 19, 2007 Wedding Date: October 20, 2007 Blogging Since: May 31, 2007 Venue: Ceremony at a cement and stained glass cathedral and reception at a boutique hotel ballroom About Me: I'm a shopping junkie who lives to discover great deals and a craft addict that loves to scrapbook and knit. My profile picture was taken on the day I got engaged which is why my smile is so huge!
Latest Gallery Pics