We hope you enjoyed Season 6 of Hot Off The Press!!! In this finale we recap 2024, and look ahead to 2025. We're heading into the new year with high hopes, big plans, and new ideas for how Hot Off the Press can be a helpful tool for our printing community!
We love you for being here, tuning in, and asking us all of your questions. We hope to see/hear even more from you next year!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! WE MADE IT! WOO!
In this episode, we’re joined by Kseniya Thomas, Director of Ladies of Letterpress, and the Owner/Presswoman of Thomas Printers. 🎉 We can't count the times we've turned to the forums or classifieds of LOLP during our printmaking journeys, and we can’t wait to attend one of the conferences in person. (2025 goals!)
As female printers ourselves, we fully understand the importance of the LOLP organization and greatly appreciate what it stands for, so we are thrilled to get to chat with Kseniya about it all! (Jillian was especially excited that for once she wasn't the only one showing up to the recording with a baby! Yay for moms of letterpress!!!)
Links:
If you're being bombarded with ads for in-house/studio lasers then, like us, you may be very tempted to take the plunge. While we have *so* much to say about our experience with the three lasers we each have, we thought it'd be great to give you an overview of the lasers themselves - what they're capable of, and what we have and haven't liked so far.
If you joined us at the Los Angeles Printer’s Fair in October, you might have seen some of our new prints the three of us created. You might have also noticed a few similarities… A few of them were printed in a combination of colors to create an ombre effect.
However you want to name it - split fountain, gradient, ombré - this printing method results in some really fun colors, usually more colors show up than you put on the press. Overall: an amazingly fun tool to have in your pocket!
This season, we’ve been talking a little more in depth about specific print methods, tools, and equipment. Tune into this week’s episode as we dive into creating an ombré effect on platen & flat bed presses, and with a good ol’ brayer if hand inking is your style!
Don’t forget to join us on instagram to see some of the projects we discuss printing, and be sure to visit hotoffthepresspodcast.com to see some of these prints (and maybe get one or two for your space)!
In this week’s episode, Cara Jo & Moriah are united in Denver and joined by Jason Wedekind, of Genghis Kern. We discuss his journey into printing, his experience in the design world (seriously cool branding & packaging is his speciality), and how he came to be a part of the Letterpress Depot.
The Letterpress Depot will be a living museum where you can get your hands inky and learn about letterpress, but it will also be a community oriented space in Englewood, Colorado where you can host meetings, attend workshops, and so much more. In order for this historic building (and it’s incredible collection of equipment!) to be open to the public, they need our support!
No matter where you’re located, you can provide valuable assistance to make sure this resource is opened as soon as possible. During the month of November, your donation will go twice as far thanks to Colorado Gives. Your donation will be matched, so there is no better time than today to donate whatever you can! You can also purchase limited edition letterpress prints and more on their virtual marketplace, or purchase a membership to the museum. Don’t forget to follow them on Instagram or join the mailing list to receive all the progress updates and stay in touch.
Colorado has a rich letterpress history and it’s not done yet. Jason, Cara Jo, and so many more are not only a part of the story, but working hard to keep this legacy alive for generations to come. Tune into the episode to hear all about Jason’s story, Genghis Kern, the story behind the Depot & the plans for the future.
Links:
Colorado Gives: https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/LetterpressDepot
Depot: http://www.letterpressdepot.org/
Depot IG: https://www.instagram.com/letterpressdepot
In this week’s episode we’re talking about something a little different… Modern technology!
While century old equipment is usually what we’re discussing on the pod, this week we’re changing it up a bit and discussing some newer technology. We’ve encountered a growing number of requests for this little tool in the wedding stationery industry, as well as on print items in general, so we thought it would be fun for all of us to learn a little more about it.
So tune into this week’s episode to learn all about QR codes! Their origin, how they work, and what you’ll need to know in order to make sure when you print one, it scans smoothly. We also touch on NFC chips, which are seeing an increase in paper popularity too. Whether you’re a wedding stationer (or planner) looking to make the RSVP process as smooth as silk, or a business who wants to ensure their print collateral stays accurate for the long term, this info will be relevant to many!
As a continuation of our episode from season 2 "Working on your Workflow" we discuss the processes and systems we use to keep jobs flowing smoothly through our studios.
The three of us all have very different preferences and strengths when it comes to organizing our workflows. We hope you guys find it helpful to hear some examples, and that you take the time to tweak your workflow if it hasn't felt groovy for you just yet.
As we recover from the 16th annual Los Angeles Printers Fair, we travel back in time to the summer of 2024 when Moriah and Jillian discuss one thing that had befuddled them for so long... Motors.
This episode is *not* for the electricians or engineers (HAH)! It is for us entry level machinists who just need a better understanding oh how motors work so we can find the right one for the job at hand!
Looking to buy a motor? Check out our supply guide here!
This week we’re journeying all the way up to Alaska to visit with our friend Meghan Chambers! Meghan has been pulling some incredible prints, and building an understanding & appreciation of Letterpress all the way in Juneau, Alaska. We invited her to join us on the podcast to celebrate the grand opening of her new art gallery (The Laundromat Gallery) and to generally get the scoop on what it’s like living & printing in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Find Meghan at the links below:
Salt Water Press on Instagram and www.saltwater.press
The Laundromat Gallery on Instagram and www.thelaundromatgallery.com
For years, acquiring a foil press for our shops was a hotly debated topic. Would it be worth the investment? How would we feel about doing foil in house? Where on earth will we put another press???
We discuss all of this and more with Cara Jo because she took the leap and bought the highly sought after Metallic Elephant KSF3.
Tune in to find out whether it was worth dwelling so long on the decision!
Interested in learning how to use the foil press? There are currently two courses offering indepth lessons online:
https://www.sal-studios.com/foil-pressure-dwell-heat
https://papelnco.com/the-art-of-foil-press-printing
Don't forget to check out (and follow) Knapp Design Co on instagram to see all the fun things Cojo has been foiling with Tin Man: @knappdesignco
There are so many things to consider when designing for letterpress. Knowing the process, limitations, and techniques can help you elevate your design and avoid surprises ($$!).
In this episode we cover some of the main items you'll want to keep in mind while designing for letterpress (although there could possibly be a hundred more!).
We've discussed some of these topics more in depth in the past - but felt like it was time to revisit the subject as a whole. A few of the episodes we reference are:
File Types (Spotify link) | Apple Podcasts
Mixing Digital + Letterpress (Spotify link) | Apple Podcasts
Kiss vs Bite (Spotify link) | Apple Podcasts
Emboss Like a Boss (Spotify link) | Apple Podcasts
Screening & Halftones (Apple link) | Spotify
Some resources you can check out are:
Jillian's Letterpress course in Stationery School
Thank you so much for tuning in!! Follow us on instagram at @hotoffthepresspod
This week, Moriah & Jillian have an episode that requires some serious heavy lifting… Moving presses! All jokes aside, it’s an intimidating process to move antique printing equipment. With several moves under our own belts, and plenty we’ve seen/heard about, we’ve gathered up our best advice all in one episode for you.
If you’re looking at getting a press, then you’ll definitely want to tune in and hear all our best tips and tricks. For those who’ve moved presses before, you’ll know there are so, so many things to consider that may not be obvious until you’ve done it. So if anything, this episode will serve as a reminder to appreciate your current setup and maybe give you some good ideas for the future.
After you’ve tuned in, feel free to let us know if there’s any other advice you’d offer our fellow letterpress people and we’ll be happy to share with the class! You can DM us or comment on this week’s post over on Instagram, or send us an email any time.
Thanks for tuning in! We’ll be back next week with anotha’ one!
Although we’ve been working behind the scenes on this season for quite a while, it felt so right to officially kick off season 6 on Type High Day! Hopefully 9/18 has some fun print projects in store for you, and you can get caught up on all our goings-ons while you get inked up.
We have been through some big changes in our personal lives, our work lives, and with the podcast too over the past 11 months… You’ll have to tune into this episode to hear all about everything, but most importantly: we’re SO FREAKING HAPPY to be back!! We’ve got a big surprise in this episode, and some other very fun things to come.
Thank you SO much for being here! We’re incredibly grateful for your patience, excitement for our return, and for your tuning in each week. We can’t wait to share more with you soon.
Val Lucas is one of the few changing the game and carrying on the legacy of metal typecasting. We were introduced to her stunning work via her pattered border submissions to the APA, and we knew we had to have her on to walk us though this process! This episode covers Val's journey from printing classes to creating her own line of cast borders.
We strongly encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about typecasting to look into classes, mentorship or even reaching out to us to see where and how you can learn more! Without active participants wanting to carry on the legacy, this keystone of print history will disappear!
To support Val, and see all of her amazing work, you can visit her website www.bowerbox.com and follow her on instagram: @bowerbox!
Pricing and finances are two of the scariest parts of going into business. In the third edition of our Book Club series, we cover two amazing guides to setting yourself up for financial success.
Books discussed:
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, 16th Edition: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines This textbookesque guide covers so much information regarding the professional life of a graphic designer. From contracts to pricing, this book provides real world examples and standards for it all!
Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine Everything you need to know about this book is in the title. Profit First will help set your business up for financial success by reframing the structure used to organize your money!
LINKS
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, 16th Edition: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines https://amzn.to/46pn014
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz: https://amzn.to/46k1ETi on Amazon or Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/la-ganancia-es-primero-transforma-tu-negocio-en-una-maquina-de-hacer-dinero-y-logra-una-rentabilidad-inmediata-profit-first-transforma-tu-negocio-mike-michalowicz/266082?ean=9780735214149
And if you’re interested in Honeybook (Moriah’s CRM): https://share.honeybook.com/moriah68753
If you want to keep your press in tip top shape, regular maintenance is key. But we know how daunting this could feel, especially if you're brand new to printing and just acquired your press friend.
In this episode we cover some of the standard maintenance procedures you'll want to take part in. Full disclosure: this episode favors those of us operating platen presses. If you run a cylinder press or something with more parts, like a Heidelberg, there may be additional tasks you need to add to your own maintenance routine.
Have some maintenance techniques you want to share with others? Come leave a comment on our post over at @hotoffthepresspod
For the second episode in this short series on Sculpted Embossing, we speak with Nick and Mac from JR Press in San Fransisco. JR Press is a family owned business that Nick's grandfather opened up in 1987. They have a hefty list of equipment and they've had the pleasure of working on some incredible projects.
We pick up the sculpted embossing process from where we left off with the fabrication of the plates and talk all about setting up the prints, the most successful materials to use, and even some troubleshooting tactics that we can almost guarantee you haven't thought of.
If you'd like to book a sculpted embossing (or any kind of print) project with JR Press, you can contact them via their email jrpress1@aol.com, or visit the contact form on their website: jrpress.co
To see some of their great work give them a follow in Instagram: @jrpress.sf
And to see the projects we discuss in this episode, make sure to check out our instagram over @hotoffthepresspod !!
In our second edition of the "Book Club" series, we discuss some of our favorite and most popular technical handbooks. These are books that can directly enhance your knowledge of printing and print history that can be applicable to growing your press skills.
Books covered:
Elementary Platen Presswork by Ralph W. Polk (buy here on ThriftBooks)
Printing and the Allied Trades by R. Randolph Karch (buy here on AbeBooks)
General Printing by Glen Cleeton, Charles Pitkin, and Raymond Cornwell (buy here on Amazon)
If you've been oogling the beautiful results from sculpted emboss while scrolling through Instagram, you're not alone! We have been so intrigued by the process that we decided to set out and do a 2 part series on this seriously impressive print method!
In Part 1, we speak with Mark Schumacher from Metal Magic, the #1 place to source brass and copper dies! Mark walks us through the process of creating a sculpted plate from the order submission to shipping it out. This is an episode you surely do not want to miss!
To start your next order with Metal Magic, you can visit the contact tab on their website: https://www.metalmagic.com/
To view the videos we discuss in the episode, you can click the following links:
Follow the Hot Off the Press instagram account to see more content and updates from Metal Magic!
Ever since the great wedding surge of 2021, it seems like rush projects are the norm. How we handle those varies from company to company, but if you're just starting out and are curious on how other printers handle rush fees - this episode is for you!
Prior to recording this episode, we polled our audience and the print community at large to gather some data. Immediately we spotted (3) common approaches to "rush fees" and we cover these, as well as some other thoughts and policies you might want to consider when establishing your pricing guidelines.
Enjoy this episode? Want to hear more business related content? Shoot us an email with a topic you'd like to hear us cover! hello@hotoffthepresspodcast.com
And don't forget to join in on the conversation over on Instagram! Just look for the post titled "Rush Fees"