Letterpress and screen printing services are both older methods of printing that companies continue to use in new and modern ways. Screen printing is a method of printing on many types of materials, including fabric and plastic. With the advent of modern machines and materials, manufactures have updated the method.

Letterpress printing is essentially unchanged from the time of Benjamin Franklin, but benefits from new and modern designs and colors of paper and ink. Both letterpresses and screen printing have their place in our modern business world. Consider making the most of letterpress and screen printing services by:

1. Knowing the difference between letterpress printing and screen printing.

2. Setting a budget appropriate to the job required and determining which method would be most cost effective.

3. Finding a printer knowledgeable and experienced in the form of printing required for your job.

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Learn more about the process and products produced by a screen printing service

Businesses often use screen printing to print on items of apparel, including t-shirts and sweatshirts. Many t-shirt printers also offer digital printing and embroidery as other ways to get your logo or image onto an item made of fabric. Each printing method has strengths and weaknesses depending on your image and the number of items you need.

I recommend: Understand the difference between screen printing and digital printing and when each process is best by reading the information at Amalgamated Culture Works. Choose from a long list of articles about screen printing on fabric and apparel at Cheaptees.

Obtain economical printing from screen printing companies

Screen printers that print t-shirts can often produce shirts for a low price, especially if you order a large quantity. You can also use screen printing to print labels for many types of products, because printers can screen print directly onto various materials.

I recommend: Choose from a number of brand name garments or get your logo printed on tote bags and other items at ZigZag Designs. Read about the various printing processes, including screen printing, Yeuell Nameplate & Label Co. uses to print labels and nameplates. Learn about screen printing and how Oxford Graphics uses it to print labels for products of all kinds.

Find out about the kind of products produced by letterpress printing services

This type of old-fashioned printing is undergoing a renaissance as an art form. You can get unique business cards, stationary and invitations printed this way, if you are willing to pay the price. You'll need to wait for companies to process your order; they complete it by hand.

I recommend: Learn a bit about the letterpress process at Ephemera Custom Letterpress. Click on the "Process" link in the menu bar to read about letterpress printing and how Ruby Press uses it.

Order beautiful, custom-printed pieces from letterpress services

Make a statement about your business by ordering products printed by artisans who are still using this method or have re-discovered it.

I recommend: Browse through the gallery of beautifully crafted invitations printed by Turnstone Design. Choose from many designs of business stationary printed by Aardvark Letterpress, in business since 1968. Order letterpress business cards, custom-printed invitations, stationary and other print pieces from Paperedtogether. Click on the links to learn more about letterpress printing from Briar Press.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Letterpress and screen printing services are methods that require experience, so choose a printer which has been in business long enough to gain experience and ask for samples of its work before ordering.

Letterpress printing and screen printing are two different types of printing but they have many aspects in common. Both involve 3-dimensional blocks or plates that are used to make the image. Letterpress is the type of printing Ben Franklin used, and it was the most common type of printing up through the middle of the 20th century. More modern methods have supplanted letterpress and altered the process of screen printing so that it's very different from the old fashioned methods.

Old fashioned letterpress equipment is a dinosaur in the modern printing industry. However, many old letterpress machines have been refurbished by a new generation of craft printers, or are used alongside modern equipment. Screen printing provides various ways to print on all types of surfaces, but the old fashioned methods are still in use by niche printers.

There is room for all types of printing applications in today's marketplace:

1. Many businesses purchase fine stationery and business cards printed on letterpress printing equipment.

2. Corporations and small businesses imprint all types of apparel with corporate logos or business designs using screen printing techniques.

3. Modern screen printing processes provide business signs, product containers and labels for industrial use.

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Make a statement with unique printing products from letterpress printing services

Give your business a distinctive image by having your stationery printed using letterpress printing services. Make a great first impression by handing out letterpress business cards to your clients. Capture the ambiance of a bygone era by ordering letterpress invitations, menus or programs for a special event.

I recommend: Mercurio Brothers Printing advertise affordable letterpress and allow you to upload your own artwork. Crane & Co. produces unique and eye-catching varieties of letterpress stationery. Parklife Press prints elegant custom letterpress stationery. Blackbird Letterpress designs and prints beautiful invitations, announcements, business cards, note cards and posters.

Take advantage of the variety of products available from screen printing companies

Use screen printing services, also called silk screen printing, to order handsome and conspicuous custom-designed apparel to identify or advertise your business. Have almost any type of label printed on virtually any product, from CDs to paint cans, by industrial screen printing companies. Advertise your business with screen printed signs.

I recommend: Order custom screen printed apparel at Taylor Made and ScreenWorks. Altech Anodizing Ltd. provides screen printing on a variety of surfaces for all types of products and labels. AQL specializes in screen printing on various types of product containers, including bottles, jars, cans and tubes.

Purchase letterpress and screen printing supplies and machines

Most printing is best left to the professionals. If you're in business as a fiber artist, consider purchasing machines and supplies to start offering this type of printing as an off-shoot of your small business.

I recommend: Letterpress Supplies America sells machines and supplies for letterpress printing. SilkScreeningSupplies.com sells machines and supplies for screen printing.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many of the letterpress and screen printing service websites have galleries showing pictures of their products. If you're not sure what you want your printed product to look like, spend some time browsing for inspiration.

Silk screen printing is a centuries-old art form that has become extremely popular in recent decades, specifically in the form of t-shirts, sweatshirts and other garments. Many screen printing companies have expanded to include letterpress services too, another old craft that has had a resurgence in the last decade. This is a technique often found in the form of letterpress business cards and invitations.

Take advantage of letterpress and screen printing services education and training opportunities and stay competitive in a growing and dynamic market by doing the following:

1. Train new employees in the art of screen and letterpress printing services.

2. Expand your existing business to include letterpress printing or screen printing service.

3. Hone your skills and stay on top of industry trends and technological advances through letterpress and screen printing services education and training.

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Use online screen and letterpress printing resources

There are many reliable online resources for learning the basics of screen printing and letterpress printing. Both techniques require hands-on learning to perfect the craft, but these are great places to start when learning for the first time or training a new employee.

I recommend: Instructables provides an illustrated guide on how to build a letterpress and use one. When just starting out with letterpress printing, it might be a good idea to build one to practice on. Expert Village offers a free online video tutorial series on how to screen print.

Join letterpress and screen printing associations

Becoming a member of associations will keep you abreast of industry news and trends, allow you to view other artists' work, attend expos and tradeshows, find tips and articles on running a successful business and much more. There is usually a membership fee to join associations, but the access to insider education and resources will be well worth it.

I recommend: Two top associations to join for screen printing are Specialty Graphic Imaging Association and the National Association of Quick Printers. Membership to the College and University Letterpress Printers Association is free, but application is required.

Take a letterpress or screen printing class

Taking a class to learn the craft is invaluable since hands-on instruction is the best. Most classes provide top-of-the-line industrial equipment to use, with supplies usually included in the registration fee.

I recommend: Find a list of hands-on screen printing classes at Screenprinters.net. Look through class listings and sign up online at Silk Screening Supplies.com. Letterpress printing classes are harder to find, but are growing in popularity. A comprehensive list of letterpress educational opportunities and classes is provided by Book Arts Web.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When purchasing screen printing and letterpress printing equipment, make sure the equipment comes with tutorials and instructional books that demonstrate how to use the specific equipment.
• •  If learning letterpress or screen printing as a new art form, start simple with single color and simple handmade or single presses.

Letterpress and screen printing are printing techniques that both have long histories with simple and rudimentary equipment, but continue to be relevant and commonly used in modern times due to new innovations with equipment and respect for the artistry required for the techniques. A small business might seek out letterpress and screen printing services for any number of reasons, from fine stationary and unique business cards to corporate apparel and business signs. When exploring the options of using these printing techniques, it is important to first have a grasp on the following letterpress and screen printing services key terms.

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Screen printing

Screen printing, also called silk printing or silk screen printing, is a printing technique that uses a screen to hold a stencil in place. Ink is pushed using a roller or squeegee to create an image on the printing area.

I recommend: Learn much more about the screen printing process from JL Screen Printing.

Letterpress printing

Letterpress printing is a type of relief printing, in which the negative of an image or text is inked then pressed onto the printing surface to make the positive print.

I recommend: Visit FiveRoses.org to learn everything there is to know about the art of letterpress printing.

Flatbed press

A flatbed press is a type of printing press where the text or image is secured on a flat bed within a frame. The image from the flatbed press is transferred onto the printing surface.

I recommend: Find a ton of information on the modern flatbed press, a digital press, from American Printer.

Flatbed cylinder

A flatbed cylinder is the cylinder apparatus onto which the printing surface is attached, be it paper, fabric or otherwise. The cylinder rolls across a flatbed press to print the text or image onto the printing surface.

I recommend: See an illustration of how a flatbed cylinder works at PrintingTips.com.

Rotary press

A rotary press is a type of press that works by pumping ink into the printing cylinder and uses an internal squeegee to control the ink flow; a rotary press works at a very fast rate.

I recommend: See a picture of a rotary press at History Wired.

Printable area

The printable area is the area on a printing surface that can be printed on; the printable area is determined by the type of press and can limit the graphic design.

I recommend: Watch the video on screen printing on Sunburst Apparel to see how the printable area is limited by printing technique.