Long-Distance Letterpress: Laser Cutting for Letterpress

Why you should take this class

Using traditional letterpress materials forces you to work within the constraints of your existing type and tools. But one look at the bold, colorful typographic art of Kristína Uhráková and you’ll want to expand the design possibilities in your letterpress work with laser cut printing plates, too. Learn how to combine the old with the new, visualize your designs on the computer, and get the results you want on press with the power of lasers!

What you’ll learn

In this discussion and demonstration, Kristína will show us her design and poster printing process from start to finish. We’ll start with a studio tour, learn more about her work, and then dive into useful, practicable steps for transforming a design into a file you can take to a service provider or to your local maker space for laser cutting. Then she’ll demonstrate how she mounts and prints the plates on her cylinder press, answering all of your questions along the way. Afterwards, she’ll send you the demo print all the way from Slovakia!* Over the course of two hours, we’ll discuss:

• The difference between laser cutting and laser engraving
• Creating a vector design in Adobe Illustrator, then exporting as a file you can take to a service provider 
• Experimenting with simulated color overlay on the computer 
• The properties of various laser cuttable materials
• Adhesives and materials to bring your laser cut plate to type-high level

* All participants will receive a resource handout and a Pressink coupon code to receive the workshop demo print for the cost of international shipping. 

Prerequisites

This workshop consists of a demonstration and interactive Q&A, with no advance preparation or supplies necessary to participate. Some knowledge of Adobe programs will be useful. No laser cutter is required, but access to one or a service provider will be helpful after the class.

Who should take this class?

Designers and letterpress printers interested in incorporating laser cut printing plates in their work and anyone curious about Kristína’s work will benefit from this class.

Will this class be recorded?

All of PiP’s letterpress classes are live and unrecorded — we find it’s a lot more fun and interactive this way. They are closed captioned using Zoom’s Live Transcription feature. 

Visit our FAQ page to learn more about PiP’s class policies.