Letterpress is an antiquated form of printing which requires a raised image which is pressed into paper, making an relief impression. Please browse our letterpress process to gain a better understanding of the art of letterpress.
Lilikoi’s commitment to sustainable practices:
• Our press was born in 1889 and is a beauty. We run our press manually, without the use of electricity.
• We hand mix our inks which are vegetable based and omit minimal air pollutants.
• We clean our press using natural solvents which are gentle to our skin and on the environment.
• We use 100% tree-free, reclaimed cotton paper which is recyclable and renewable. Cotton is an annual crop and requires very few natural resources and energy to grow and make into paper, unlike wood or bamboo. It is luxurious and the most perfect compliment to letterpress printing.
• We are committed to proper disposal. We recycle every scrap piece of paper and old plates. We also use cloth rags for clean up.
Digital artwork is made into printing plates: The basic theory of letterpress printing has remained the same over the past five centuries, but modern technology has allowed us to combine digital layout with traditional printing. This has allowed us the opportunity to create custom artwork on the computer and then processed into a plate to be used on the press.
Ink is custom mixed per job: Our ink is vegetable oil based, omitting minimal air pollutants. It is mixed by hand and applied to the press where it is then distributed evenly with rubber rollers.
The artwork is setup and registered: We set the artwork (plate) by hand on a metal base which sits opposite of the paper on the press, set the paper in place and manually start the press by a foot pedal. The raised image area on the plate is inked by the rollers and an impression is applied by pulling on a lever.
Each piece is printed one at a time: While each individual piece is fed in the press at a time, only one color is on press at a time. If there is a 2 color piece, it is fed in the press two times. Once the ink is dry, all the paper gets a final trim or is custom die cut and is inspected for quality before delivery.
