In grad school I fell in love with “George”! He was older – a bit outdated for his time; he weighed 1200 lbs and smelled of inks and solvent. None of that mattered – George and I had a love-hate relationship from the start. To everyone else he was known as the Vandercook Universal. My romance with George included tediously hand setting tiny 10pt. lead type, adding even smaller brass and copper spacers, along with leading lines for sentences and breaks, etc.; chases locked (often “pied” when dropped on accident – heavy sigh!) with wood furniture. We had many long nights together, til the wee hours of the morning, with loud music and the smell of damp paper in the air. Yes, with this level of commitment and attention to George, everything letterpress, from that point on, was a thing to behold!
Here is a young “George” in a rare shot, all cleaned up for a photo! Next to him is the new lightweight at home letterpress machine, and what I might refer to as Mr. Epic!
But, alas not all love affairs can last… nor could I afford to keep a 1200 lb George/Vandercook proof press machine in my home – let alone in my kitchen, which let’s face it, is where most of us do our art, any chance we get. It’s now 2010 and for those interested in getting a chance to play with a small hand-crank press that creates a lovely “impressed design” (whether inked or blind embossed) onto paper or wood veneer – without the late hours, loud music, or heavy solvents – this table top Epic letterpress machine is just the ticket!
Weighing in at about 5 lbs and no bigger than a toaster, this at home version is perfect for recreating a simplified form of letterpress. Now-a-days printers use polymer plates to print from, not unlike the hard clear plastic plates Epic provides with their machine, along with ink, and a printing bed.
Sign up for our Crafting Studio on September 29 and see a demonstration of this new crafting tool! You’ll get the chance to ink up and print a card yourself and learn tips and tricks. It may not be “George”, but chances are you might just fall in love!
–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Silhouette SD Digital Cutting Tool and Peacock Cards & Envelopes
I do love the epic 6, but I also had a few bumps in the road. You can read my full review of the product here:
http://www.vivalablogette.com/an-in-depth-look-at-the-l-letterpress-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
xoxo
Violet
What a fun item! I wish that I could try it out in person.