Here’s an interview I did with Reid Johnson from Best Made Videos.
About us
Reb Peters Press is run by Rebecca Peters whose background is in fine art and printmaking. She earned her degree at the San Francisco Art Institute in printmaking in 2000 and then started working as an intaglio printer, helping to edition works of art for a handful of fine artists.
She opened Reb Peters Press in 2009 with one 10x15 Chandler and Price press in Oakland before moving to Portland. She absolutely loves designing, printing, and working with a variety of people.
When not in the print shop, she's rock climbing, reading, swing dancing, playing with plants, and goofing off. She is also one of those rare people who likes dogs and cats equally (don’t tell her cats).
Write us to make an appointment if you'd like to stop by and visit the shop in NE Portland.
Adjusting the pins that hold the paper in place.
About letterpress
Letterpress printing creates a beautiful, tactile, classic piece that will stand out as something special and unique.
It is a “relief” printing process. This means that the printing surface is raised to accept ink, and then pressed directly onto the paper to create a reproduction of the image. The raised surface we use in our shop is a photopolymer plate. These plates can faithfully reproduce digital artwork in high detail, which gives us the versatility to use whatever fonts we want. Photopolymer plates are also made of a very strong material that can easily resist the tons of force that are applied by letterpress presses. In fact, these plates are stronger than movable type, and less prone to damage when pressed with enough force to imprint deeply into paper.
These plates are what make the modern and now iconic “deep letterpress impression” possible. When combined with soft cotton paper, photopolymer plates allows the newer generation of artists to print beautiful, tactile stationery, invitations, and art prints, with a signature deep impression that is only possible with letterpress printing.
Photopolymer plate locked up in the chase.
Letterpress was once a method for mass production that met its demise due to its slow and time-consuming nature, but has been reborn and allowed to gain new respect for its very special qualities. Because of it’s need for hands-on skill, it’s connection to the past, and its unmistakable tactile impression, much of the surviving letterpress equipment is in the hands of people who cherish the machines and process. These craftsmen and women are keeping them well-loved and well-oiled, carrying on Gutenberg’s printing tradition in new and interesting ways.
In you're interested in learning more about the process, please write us about signing up for a workshop. You can see details about cost and what we do during the class on the workshop page. We'd love show you how this all works and give you a fun, hands-on learning experience.
