Using the Letterpress

Letterpress
USING THE LETTERPRESS
These basic procedures will guide you through the press and assist us in meeting necessary
requirements for the safe handling of materials.
Press Set-up
1. Tympan is packed and ready to go.
2. Lock up is flat (level) and tight.
3. Paper is trimmed, stacked, and arranged for feeding press.
4. Ink is mixed.
Inking the Metal Distributing Drum
1. Using the spatula, distribute small patches of ink across the metal drum (10, .25” dots).
2. Turn on the press to allow ink to distribute evenly on rollers.
Printing and Registering
Remove all tools from Press Bed before advancing Impression Cylinder.
Removing Ink from the Rollers
1. Raise the rollers and turn off the press.
2. Take a spatula and spread Crisco vegetable shortening across the top of the metal distributing drum.
(you should be buttering toast, not smearing cream cheese).
3. Turn on the press, lower the rollers and let the Crisco work into the ink.
4. While the Crisco is distributing, you can put away the furniture, reglets, quoins, and keys, so that the press bed is empty.
5. Use a clean rag and wipe all ink off the rollers and metal distributing drum.
If the ink is still too sticky, squirt a little baby oil on the roller and spread it around.
This will thin the ink even more and make it EASY to wipe off.
6. To remove remaining oily film:
metal drums= soft clean rag + rubbing alcohol or California Wash
rubber rollers= soft clean rag + Simple Green or California Wash
! DO NOT USE RUBBING ALCOHOL ON THE RUBBER ROLLERS !
Removing rollers from the Press:
Never lay the rollers anywhere except in the roller storage rack.
Cleaning the Tympan
7. Clean off all ink on the tympan using a clean rag with rubbing alcohol.
8. Replace any damaged tympans.
Inking Slab Clean Up
1. Scrape off as much ink as you can with a palette knife.
2. Squeeze a teaspoon of baby oil onto the slab.
3. Mix it into the inked area.
4. The ink should now be thin enough to wipe off with a rag.
5. To remove the remaining thin film of oil, use a clean part of the rag and rubbing alcohol.
6. Clean palette knives thoroughly.
LECTURE NOTES,
HANDOUTS & REFERENCES
Kent Manske
www.foothill.edu/~kmanske/
this page revised 01-08-10

Press Clean-Up Checklist
❏ Rollers and press bed cleaned?
❏ Tympan cleaned and extra packing removed?
❏ Ink slab, palette knives cleaned?
❏ Ink cans tightly sealed and cleaned?
❏ Furniture removed and put away?
❏ All tools put away?
❏ Scrap paper and waste paper in the recycling bin?
❏ Soiled rags in red fire-proof bucket?
❏ Solvents properly stored?