LETTERPRESS: PRINTING IN NYC

Publicide offers speedy letterpress printing for business cards, personal stationery, invitations, hangtags and more at our NYC Letterpress Print Shop. We keep 3 ancient Heidelberg presses on the floor for letterpress printing on super thick cotton papers with perfect registration, deep impressions and other custom print finishing that can only be created using a letterpress. Publicide offers a wide variety of unique papers along with the insight and experience to make the most of every job.

Did you know that the letterpresses have adjustable depth and can print at the surface of the paper, punch all the way through, or go anywhere in between? Truly, the devil is in the details, so we carefully consider your artwork for the best outcome and to make the most of this unique print technology. To further our pursuit of print perfection, all our letterpress printing plates are etched in solid copper from your electronic art so we can always get the sharpest cut and the finest line weights.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

Historically, our Heidelberg presses were just called “printing presses” since there were no digital printing or offset printing options at the time of their commercial printing use. Back then, a heavy impression was the sign of an inexperienced pressman and the best operators would just kiss the paper surface with their lead type. In fact, one of the many reasons we don’t use lead today, is that it is too soft to bash into the paper without losing its shape. Copper is both strong, a great heat conductor (for foil stamping) and is able to be photo-etched to include extremely fine artwork details.

Our print progenitors would spill their press wash if they saw all the different ways we have come to use their old printing equipment. We find that with custom printing, the more options we have available, the more unique and interesting each design turns out. That’s why we keep all our printing shop equipment on-site and recommend sending your artwork at the outset for Print Design tips, so that we can start thinking up the best execution for your letterpress print job, and keep a close eye on production throughout the process at our NYC Letterpress Shop.

Check out our Printing Sample Department to get design and layout ideas or to see the difference a pressed print can make. In addition to printing with in Pantone colors, Metallic Inks and White Ink,  the letterpress performs die cutting, embossing, and debossing. We use laser cut steel dies to cut paper into custom shapes, round corners, and punch holes.

If you have a print project ready to hit the presses, email us today for a custom quote and to get on the print schedule to begin work ASAP. Just send all applicable paper, quantity and print process info to print@publicide.com to receive your custom quote. For those just starting out or needing some extra help, Publicide’s NYC team can arrange a telephone or in-person consultation based on the scope of your project. We like to get some ballpark pricing to you before meeting, so do your best to get back to us as completely as possible when we follow up to get more information. It’s all in the interest of making sure we get you exactly what you are expecting! Our office hours are by appointment, so please schedule before stopping by for best results!

LETTERPRESS PRICING + PRODUCTION NOTES

Pricing for letterpress is based on quantity, paper type and the number of print processes that will be used to create the order. More elaborate and custom print specs cost considerably more than standard orders, so it’s important to get your quote before proceeding. Production time varies with order complexity and our seasonal workload but our elastic schedule allows for very fast rush prints when required, though rush charges apply. Turnaround time is calculated from the date of PDF proof approval. If your printing project has a hard due-date please let us know when making your request. Email us with your design file or specs to receive a custom quote for your project. All projects must have a custom quote number to proceed.

RUSH LETTERPRESS PRINTING

Some letterpress business card and other project specs are available for rush printing service. To inquire about a rush letterpress job, please email artwork, print specifications and desired completion date ASAP to rush@publicide.com. If we’re able to accommodate your schedule we will reply with pricing and additional costs for the rush. Letterpress rush printing is one of our specialties but please be aware that every moment counts in a rush print schedule. Some jobs will require additional shifts and weekend work to finish on time so the price can be significantly higher than jobs on a regular schedule.