What Is Letterpress Printing?

Letterpress is a relief printing process: a raised plate is inked and pressed firmly into the sheet, leaving an inked image and a tactile impression you can feel with a fingertip.

How letterpress works

A plate is made with the design standing up in relief — historically metal type, today usually photopolymer. The raised surface is inked, and the press brings paper and plate together under heavy pressure. Two things happen at once: the ink transfers, and the plate pushes the design slightly into the sheet.

The signature look

That push is what people mean by "the letterpress look" — a soft, debossed impression around every letter. It reads as handmade and considered. The effect is strongest on thick, soft stock, which is why letterpress is almost always printed on heavy cotton paper.

Letterpress vs. engraving

The two are often confused, but they work in opposite directions. Engraving raises the ink off the sheet; letterpress presses the image into it. Engraving is crisp and formal; letterpress is tactile and characterful. Neither is better — they're different impressions for different brands.

When to choose letterpress

Letterpress suits business cards, announcements, invitations, and brands with a craft or heritage story to tell. It's a finish that rewards a simple, strong design — a logo, a name, a few lines of type — over busy artwork.

Letterpress at Wells & Drew

Wells & Drew runs letterpress on the same presses and the same heavy cotton stocks we've trusted for generations, finished by hand in our Jacksonville workshop.

Request a quote, or see letterpress business cards.

Related: Engraving vs. Printing · Specialty Printing Finishes