I wonder if we could open up a discussion on a very hot topic…in the world of letterpress that is. What paper do you print on? A few years ago Cranes came out with the Lettra brand specifically for letterpress printers. Its 100% cotton, and incredibly soft and plush. A lot of printers use the 110lb stock, but to be honest I have some issues with it. I think its beautiful of course, but it is so soft and fibery that it takes a beating even handling it around the studio. The stock doesn’t score well because the excessive fibers make it look like the paper is cracked, and the envelopes are impossible to send through inkjets for addressing. (Even if you can send them through the fibers build up on the print head and eventually disrupt the inkflow. Expensive and inconvenient.)
So why am I saying all this? This week I met with Reich Paper here in Brooklyn about the new letterpress stock they are introducing next month (not up on the site yet). I’m thrilled because I tested the stock for them last winter and totally loved it. The stock is also 100% cotton, archival, acid-free – but it’s more sturdy, the envelopes go through the inkjet gorgeously, and the score is clean and sharp. Instead of 110lb they’ll be offering a 118lb in white and off-white. Another plus is that they’ll be selling smaller quantities and pre-cut pieces, great for smaller printshops who might not have guillotine cutters.
Here are some photos of my test prints (notice the holiday themes – it was right before Christmas). I’m going to be printing a stack of samples for Reich to send out when the stock debuts – if you’re a printer and would like to check it out email me your mailing address and I’ll make sure you get some.
And in the meantime let’s start a discussion…do you print on 100% cotton paper? What are the benefits and drawbacks? Does anyone share my grief over printing on overly soft or fibrous paper? Is there a particular brand of paper you love printing on? Share your feedback below, I’m interested in hearing what you guys think.
We print mostly on the lovely Lettra, but I can certainly agree to running it through an inkjet. We have recently started printing on some paper from the wonderful French Paper Company, but it doesn’t have quite the same personality as Lettra because it is much smoother, but it comes in various weights and a gazillion colors.
I am very much interested in getting some samples of the Reich paper though… so I will be shooting you an e-mail!
This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately
Somerset velvet is a nice stock, but I haven’t scored it and can’t attest to its durability under conversion.
Copperplate is divine, but extremely given to picking up scuffs and surface discoloration at the slightest provocation. I’ve got issues with it though, since the 300 gsm is quite flimsy, in my opinion, while the 600 gsm is too rigid, given that it’s not a true 600 gsm sheet, but rather a duplex.
Arturo, while not 100% cotton, is a good alternative, but gives less-good impression than Lettra in my experience — the cellulose fibers are just hard enough to prevent the deliciousness achievable with cotton. Arturo is also more receptive to fountain pen ink, in my experience, than lettra; my nibs often snag on the cottony microfibers on the surface of Lettra.
A current favorite is Bockingford watercolor. There’s a 300 gsm and a 600 gsm, both of which print like a dream, having a nicely textured surface. The heavier weight, though, when cut down to card size, is extremely rigid since it’s a cold press paper.
I’ve printed on a lot of handmade cotton rag papers with good success, especially those of the fantastic Canadian mill St. Armand. Many of the handmades, though, have a pretty hard surface, which has a tendency to make good impression difficult. Probably the best handmade cotton rag I’ve ever encountered, though, is Khadi, an Indian cotton rag. Hard to find in my neck of the woods though…
Oh, lastly, I’ve had success scoring tricksy cotton papers by dampening them first, then scoring, then folding before the moisture fades.
I have favored Crane’s Lettra. But I’m interested in exploring other cotton options. I love the cotton papers for the soft and luxurious feel. I just feel like a letterpress piece should be on paper that also has a special feel…like a keepsake.
I’m glad I’m not alone in my experiences with Lettra. I sometimes think that if I look at it funny it picks up dirt and starts to look ragged and scuffed. I’ve also had fits with scoring it. I finally figured out how to get reasonable results with it, but it seems like there should be an easier way sometimes. I’ve just started playing around with some other papers, so I’ll definitely be sending you an email about the new samples. Thanks for the info!
Haha melissa, so funny. :) How do you guys score paper? On the press or a scoring device?
I’ve actually had a terrible time getting Lettra where I am. This discussion is interesting, b/c I so desperately want to try printing on it.
I will have to check out these other types suggested. Perhaps I will have better luck finding them.
Andrea, where are you based? Can’t you buy Lettra from the crane.com?
I’m in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
I did peruse crane.com last week, but didn’t contact them yet, b/c another online supplier (paper.com) had exactly what I wanted (letter size coverstock for ease of shipping and trimming for business cards) and they were more affordable.
It’s been over a week and I haven’t heard back from them and the # on their website doesn’t work, so I have no idea if they’ll ship to Canada? :S
Thanks for the suggestion. I had wanted the paper for my letterpress course projects that are due next week, so I will have to explore crane.com later on.
I am new to letterpress but I love Lettra paper. I have seen some of the issues that are mentioned by others here and would be interested in trying something new.
As far as scoring, I use a scoring blade on my paper cutter and there is some cracking, which I dont like. So, I use beeswax to pull it back together. Just a quick run down the side of the score and the fibers mesh back together.
I will be excited to see and try this new paper you are talking about – your images look beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
I have been pressing on Lettra for about three years now–I love that it is consistent. I agree on the less-crisp fold. One thing I have noticed–my paper cutter blade seems to dull faster when cutting Lettra often. Anyone else notice this? I would love to try the new paper you mentioned!
While at Supply Side, we had the opportunity to talk to Robin at Reich Paper about the new Savoy letterpress line. Although we primarily use Crane’s Lettra, it would be good to try an alternative that maintains the positive qualities of Lettra and ameliorates the negative. We use a scoring matrix with the Lettra but prior to that scoring was an arduous task. We had to chuck practically every other card as collateral damage by cracking. I agree about not being able to run envelopes through an inkjet.
This post is so timely, I’ve been trying to source another paper other than my housestock, which is Lettra. I’m only trying to find an alternative because it seems that I can only get the paper from the US (I’m in Toronto, Ontario Canada). It’s mighty costly with the shipping and duty charges. One local source only has the paper in parent size and sells them in large quantities that I can’t justify purchasing at this point.
Right now, I use the Scor-It Board for scoring.
We use Somerset velvet for all of our greeting cards in the 250gsm weight. It folds so beautifully it doesn’t even require a score. Drawbacks? The watermark waste.
I prefer the weight and stiffness of the Lettra for invitation work, but also deplore the impossibility of folding the lettra for things like escort cards, even with a press-run score.
I’d love to see the Reich!
Thanks for the thread, Rebecca.
Shelley
This is such an interesting and informative discussion! I’m not a printer, but as a calligrapher, I can attest to the difficulties of Lettra. I actually just posted about it over the weekend after lettering a set of Lettra last week. It’s definitely beautiful – but those pesky little fibers can really get you! I’m very excited to hear about this new paper, as it sounds as if it will be easier for calligraphers as well! If so, I really hope it gains popularity with printers, or that they will offer the envelopes to clients as a Lettra alternative.
Like others, Lettra is my house paper too. I do have to say that its mostly because of the price and the ease of availability, and not because of any superior print quality. I favor an impression, but not always a super, super deep impression and with Lettra, that seems to be the only option to get consistent ink coverage.
As far as scoring, I score on the press with matrix *and* with the grain; consequently I don’t have much, if any, crackling.
I am super excited to see this new paper from Reich and will be emailing you asap to receive samples. Thanks so much for starting this interesting discussion!!
Lisa – thanks for your input. Its interesting to get the feedback of a calligrapher. I just looked at your site – your work is gorgeous. If I sent you a few samples of the new envelope stock would you like to test it? I’m curious to see how it works calligraphers too! I’ll shoot you an email. :)
We stock Crane Lettra as our house paper as well, but have also used French paper for a few jobs. I always love finding new vendors who offer letterpress supplies! As for the folding, after lots of initial trial and error we found that folding with a matrix on the press and folding with the grain (against the grain will make it crack) works best for us. We use the standard matrix for letterpress paper, but have had to order a few different heights of the scoring rule before finding the best one for our press. With the right matrix and scoring rule in place you are golden. I am sending you an email, we enjoy experimenting with new materials and would prefer to order from more local sources.
In total agreement on Lettra regarding the score. I also don’t like the limited envelope line (I’m not a fan of square flaps for wedding/social paper goods) I’ve recently started doing cards on a Strathmore Bristol cover 110#…. gives a nice impression and scores like a dream. No cracking whatsoever (scoring on a C&P with a matrix.) Also significantly cheaper than Lettra 110#. Still, nothing beats Lettra 220# in my opinion.
Just last night I scored a set of thank you notes on Lettra. Using my windmill with matrix and with the paper grain, I was still getting cracking which is odd because it is usually not a problem with that combination. So I dampened the paper with a light mist from a spray bottle. No cracking now.
Dampening, while labor intensive, is still one of those “magic” tricks that will solve some problems when nothing else will, and 100% cotton paper deals with dampening better than tree-paper or blends in my experience.
Well, I’m a few weeks behind on my blog reads, but am excited to see what comes from this!
It looks like it has a smooth(er) texture, which would be a great advantage over the Lettra. I print on French Paper’s Muscletone and Stonehenge 250gsm mostly–and while both are excellent for printing, the Stonehenge is the only one I use for folded cards. It doesn’t need to be scored on the press, and is soft enough for a tiny bit of impression. (I print mostly from metal type, so no deep impression for me!)
Kelly
hi! I’m obviously late to this discussion, but I am still not seeing this cotton paper listed on the Reich site. Any ideas how to get ahold of some samples at this point?
Thanks!
Is the paper available on there site now? What is it called?
I just ordered my first pack. I loved the results on the sample.
The paper is “Savoy” and is available on their site.
Is there anywhere online to buy French Muscletone papers other than the French Site? I have found most of the other French papers online.
thanks