DIY Letterpress Machine
Have I confessed my love of letterpress here yet? I recently posted about a soon-to-be released product called the L Letterpress machine by Lifestyle Craft and just had to share the info here, too. The L Letterpress is a kit that is used in conjunction with the Epic Six Tool (a die cut and embossing machine).
{The Entire Kit} 
{Some of the printing plates} 
{Ink colors}
Here’s a video of the Letterpress machine in action:
The L Letterpress is due on the shelves this Fall. What do you think?
As a budding designer, this is a tool I am very interested in learning more about. I wonder, however, if like real letterpress, the user will be able to purchase personalized plates for their own designs, and how one might go about doing more intricate work like invitations and save the dates.
As a budding designer, this is a tool I am very interested in learning more about. I wonder, however, if like real letterpress, the user will be able to purchase personalized plates for their own designs, and how one might go about doing more intricate work like invitations and save the dates.
I hope this set is budget friendly! I lust over letterpress but can't really afford it.
I hope this set is budget friendly! I lust over letterpress but can't really afford it.
How do the alphabet plates work? Do you have to print each letter individually if you want to spell something out, or are they individual letters you can place in a holder and print out a work or name with one pass through the machine?
How do the alphabet plates work? Do you have to print each letter individually if you want to spell something out, or are they individual letters you can place in a holder and print out a work or name with one pass through the machine?
I mean word or a name
I mean word or a name
Hey DIYers, I found a retailer who has this available for pre-order. http://ucutathome.com
The full kit (machine + letterpress doohickey) is $134.99
The letterpress part only (this may work in other die cutting machines like the Cuttlebug or Big Shot - need to verify) and that's going for $62.99.
Not too bad! I was expecting it to be in the $200 - $300 range.
Hey DIYers, I found a retailer who has this available for pre-order. http://ucutathome.com
The full kit (machine + letterpress doohickey) is $134.99
The letterpress part only (this may work in other die cutting machines like the Cuttlebug or Big Shot - need to verify) and that's going for $62.99.
Not too bad! I was expecting it to be in the $200 - $300 range.
That looks really good, but I too wonder if it is budget-friendly. I'm assuming not if it requires that additional machine, though.
Thank you thank you thank you!! I've just been agonizing over what to do about invitations that needed to go out about YESTERDAY, & here I JUST MAY have found a solution! I hope this can be ordered & set up pronto! I LOVE letterpress too but have been shrieking over the price!!
Thank you!!
:) C
That looks really good, but I too wonder if it is budget-friendly. I'm assuming not if it requires that additional machine, though.
Thank you thank you thank you!! I've just been agonizing over what to do about invitations that needed to go out about YESTERDAY, & here I JUST MAY have found a solution! I hope this can be ordered & set up pronto! I LOVE letterpress too but have been shrieking over the price!!
Thank you!!
:) C
I found a critique online with a video demo. Looks very interesting.... Can't wait to see more of it
http://www.craftcritique.com/2009/07/cha-coverage-lifestyle-crafts.html
Can't wait to hear your review.
Cant wait to hear what else you have to say!
Cant wait to hear what else you have to say!
Anne, it looks like the letters are maybe sticky and adhere to one of the plates so you should be able to print a name in one pass. The downside is going to be you'll need more than one set of letters if you have words or names that have multiples of the same letters. (It looks like the alphabets have only 1 of each letter.) Otherwise, you'll have to do it in multiple passes and I'm pretty sure that would be a major pain in the butt.
Thanks, Abby! That's very helpful!
I found a critique online with a video demo. Looks very interesting.... Can't wait to see more of it
http://www.craftcritique.com/2009/07/cha-coverage-lifestyle-crafts.html
Can't wait to hear your review.
I was wondering if you can customize your own design plate, if so how does it work with the DIY Letterpress Machine. This is really interesting.
I was wondering if you can customize your own design plate, if so how does it work with the DIY Letterpress Machine. This is really interesting.
As far as I know, the company will not offer materials and supplies to make DIY plates. That said, I have a strong feeling that one can create plates (have a tutorial on that coming up soon for something else) that can be used with the L Letterpress set up.
As far as I know, the company will not offer materials and supplies to make DIY plates. That said, I have a strong feeling that one can create plates (have a tutorial on that coming up soon for something else) that can be used with the L Letterpress set up.
Hi! This is Michelle from Lifestyle Crafts, the creator of the L Letterpress. Thanks for your comments and interest in our new product line! I thought I'd answer a few of your questions...
...our printing plates come with an double-sided adhesive sheet that is used to adhere the plates to the L Letterpress tool so you can print as many plates as you'd like at one time.
...the current alphabet printing plate designs are designed to be used as monograms. You could of course use them to spell a word or name but the size and design probably functions best as a monogram.
...the other printing plate skus available all contain a variety of phrase dies that work well for many different occasions
...we are going to offer a custom program that will be announced very soon! This will allow you to create your own words, phrases designs etc.
Hi! This is Michelle from Lifestyle Crafts, the creator of the L Letterpress. Thanks for your comments and interest in our new product line! I thought I'd answer a few of your questions...
...our printing plates come with an double-sided adhesive sheet that is used to adhere the plates to the L Letterpress tool so you can print as many plates as you'd like at one time.
...the current alphabet printing plate designs are designed to be used as monograms. You could of course use them to spell a word or name but the size and design probably functions best as a monogram.
...the other printing plate skus available all contain a variety of phrase dies that work well for many different occasions
...we are going to offer a custom program that will be announced very soon! This will allow you to create your own words, phrases designs etc.
I think you may be on to a real winner here. Card making is getting to
a shade stale over here in the UK, and your approach may bejust whats needed. Apart from that area, there are currently over here unmistakalbe signs of a revival of real letterpress hobby printing, like
used to be over there with Kelsey presses using real priinters type.
I have a number of questions: 1 would you be willing to supply the UK? and how much does a full kit weigh? Exactly what thickeness are your plates? and what are they made of, metal? nylon? or rubber? Is the hinge pivot free enough to allow me to insert a hand made lino-cut? (this is an important point for sales over here)
Could the hand cranked impression unit take an inked lino-cut plus a sheet of paper? (Bear in mind the rather variable thickness of lino)
all in all a very interesting project, please let us know when they are
available.
best new years wishes
J Stafford Baker The Happy Dragons Press.
These are questions that need to be addressed to the manufacturer, Quickutz/Lifestyle Crafts. DIY Bride is neither the manufacturer nor a wholesaler of the L Letterpress.
I think you may be on to a real winner here. Card making is getting to
a shade stale over here in the UK, and your approach may bejust whats needed. Apart from that area, there are currently over here unmistakalbe signs of a revival of real letterpress hobby printing, like
used to be over there with Kelsey presses using real priinters type.
I have a number of questions: 1 would you be willing to supply the UK? and how much does a full kit weigh? Exactly what thickeness are your plates? and what are they made of, metal? nylon? or rubber? Is the hinge pivot free enough to allow me to insert a hand made lino-cut? (this is an important point for sales over here)
Could the hand cranked impression unit take an inked lino-cut plus a sheet of paper? (Bear in mind the rather variable thickness of lino)
all in all a very interesting project, please let us know when they are
available.
best new years wishes
J Stafford Baker The Happy Dragons Press.
These are questions that need to be addressed to the manufacturer, Quickutz/Lifestyle Crafts. DIY Bride is neither the manufacturer nor a wholesaler of the L Letterpress.
hi DIY bride - re: platemaking tutorial - did you ever get a chance to post this? i'm teetering on DIY'ing my wedding invites and this would be so helpful for me ;)
Very nice machine, I have used one and love it too much, very easy to learn for beginner letterpressers!
I have a great die cutting machine at my work. It sure looks like it would work if I had the plates. I'm just learning about all of this, my daughter would love her wedding invititations done by letterpress, but not at the prices we have seen! I am very crafty and patient, so looks like a project I can handle. Does anyone know.. where can you buy the design plates.. where do you get the specific wording plates made, and last will it work in a top quality die cut machine?
Hi Cindy,
Check out the Letterpress Resources post { http://www.diybride.com/2009/11/24/diy-letterpress-resources/ } for more details about supplies and such. In it is listed the places where you can get custom plates made. Currently Boxcar Press, LetterpressPlates.Com by Elum, and Quickutz all offer custom plate services.
What brand die machine do you have at work? Is it one that's made for crafters or is it a professional-grade printmaking industry machine? There are varying reports about which machines the L Let will work in. Some people say it won't work in the Cuttlebug, for example, but it works just fine in mine. I know for sure it works in the Big Shot and BigKick from Sizzix. It works in many of the scrapbooking/crafting machines.
can you use any stamps with this machine
Hi moonbairn,
The L Letterpress doesn't use stamps but hard, photopolymer (essentially plastic) plates to make an impression into the paper.
Anne, it looks like the letters are maybe sticky and adhere to one of the plates so you should be able to print a name in one pass. The downside is going to be you'll need more than one set of letters if you have words or names that have multiples of the same letters. (It looks like the alphabets have only 1 of each letter.) Otherwise, you'll have to do it in multiple passes and I'm pretty sure that would be a major pain in the butt.
Thanks, Abby! That's very helpful!