Printing 2016

Here are some photos of printing the 2016 cards.

Ben wasn't able to come to Oxford and print Christmas cards this year, so I (Ruth) had to do something by myself. I only had one day and spent quite a bit of time setting the lines in different sizes from some muddled up type, so I was only able to print the outside of the card.

I won't use the Arab press by myself so I tried the small Adana hand operated press. Once I adjusted the impression it printed quite well.

Photos start from the bottom.

The type in the Adana chase removed from the press and ready to be cleaned up

Gold ink!

Printed cards

Timmy had a go at printing

Ruth printing

A printing selfie

The press closed (type meets paper)

Side view of the Adana ready to print – it is very similar to the Arab press, just a lot smaller, it works the same way with the paper moving up to be pressed on the type and rollers collecting ink from the plate at the top

Proofs

Various typeset lines to decide on sizing

First lines in the setting stick, this first attempt was too small and the caps didn't work

Printing 2015

Here are some photos from printing this year's cards. We planned the card via email and then managed to do all the printing in one day, front and back. Photos start at the bottom.

The type back in its case

Finished cards

Ben printing (the press is closed to bring the type and card together to print)

Ben printing (the press is open to allow him to remove the printed card and insert a new blank card)

The press ready to print

The type for the inside in the press

A printed card

The type for the inside locked up in the chase

Printed card in the press

A printed card before removal from the press

Ready to print on the Arab, with purple ink on the ink plate at the top

Type in the Arab press ready to print the front

Proofs

Proofs in the Adana press

Ben with the Adana, the Arab is in the background

Initial proof, the quality wasn't as good as using the Arab press, so in the end we decided to use the Arab

All the type locked up in the Adana chase to proof it

Our initial idea was to use a small Adana press instead of our big Arab press

 

Looking at colours

Tiny type in its case

Typesetting the insides, we used the smallest size of type we have for the Parsnip Press line (6pt)

The type for the front

Printing 2014

Slightly (!) belatedly here are the photos of printing the 2014 card. Photos start from the bottom.

Ben and the press

 Running the press to score the cards (with no ink or rollers)

We didn't buy pre-scored cards this year, we needed to score them ourselves, this photo shows the scoring bars locked up in a chase, we then used this in the press to score each card

Testing different rules - but in the end we didn't have time to print them

We went to a friend's to look for rules (lines) to print

Looking down into the press from the side

 Ben printing the insides

Still hoping to print lines (here they are drawn on)

Proofs for the inside including initial font choice

The type for the inside locked up in the spider chase

Typesetting the inside

Cleaned up type before dissing (taking it apart)

Ben adding more ink

The card in the press (note that the card is at an angle so that the type will be at an angle on the printed card)

Type in the press

Ruth printing the fronts

Testing colours

The original idea was to print rules between the words

Type on the proofing press with magnetic quoins holding it in place

First proofs and working out the card size

Working out the layout based on an old card

Initial ideas with some wood type that Ben had acquired