What is it? . . .
It's a 94-year-old printing press! This is the
kind of machine that printers used in the days
before the offset press. Each sheet of paper is
hand-fed and stamped leaving a slightly indented
impression. The press was originally configured to
run off of a steam-driven pulley system, but is now
operated by a foot treadle. Everything about it
is manual, from putting the plate into the chase,
to inking the rollers and hand-feeding the paper—
one sheet at a time.

I became interested in the fine art of letterpress
printing after taking a class at the San Francisco
Center for the Book. My formal education included
offset printing, so I was already familiar with the
nuances of the printing process. Although the
technical aspects of offset and letterpress are
different, I immediately fell in love with the
beautiful, tactile qualities of letterpress printing.

What started as a hobby, turned into an
obsession—and now a thriving business. I
launched 1915press.com in January of 2006.
The site is dedicated to printing fine wedding
invitations and greeting cards.