Rotate your device to portrait mode

The way it feels

Located in Sydney, Watermarx are quality, specialist letterpress printers and offer quick turn around.

Letterpress printing is the oldest method of printing. Over the years, letterpress has been replaced by more conventional, faster and economical means of printing. However, letterpress printing to this day, offers a unique tactile feel and quality that cannot be reproduced with modern day printing techniques.

Images are inked onto paper by raised printing plates. The raised surface is inked and pressed into paper. Colours are more intense with letterpress as more ink is transferred to the paper in the process.

Watermarx Graphics utilises steel backed photopolymer plates to create our letterpress printing plates. The plates are exposed to a computer generated negative and washed out in water. This process allows flexibility with design and fonts, allowing us to make plates from computer generated art work.

How to set up art for Watermarx Letterpress printing

  • Please supply your art as either a PDF or EPS file.
  • Save your art using PMS colours – don’t save as CMYK.
  • Include all registration marks.
  • Ensure your files are saved as vector files – (so all fonts are outlined) or a very high resolution jpg saved as black.
  • We ask you also supply a composite file of the job in colour as a PDF – which also serves as a positional.
  • It’s always best to check your art with us before you finalise your design.
  • Watermarx will check you files prior to running film, however we can take no responsibility for errors in client supplied files.
  • If a printing error is a result of incorrect artwork supplied by client, the client will be responsible for reprinting and associated costs.

Letterpress Paper Choice

  • Not all stocks are suitable for letterpress printing.  The stock selected will determine the depth of the impression that is achievable.
  • Uncoated stocks tend to be more suitable for letterpress especially cotton stocks and vellums. We are happy to discuss your stock selection with you prior to commencing design.
  • If you are letterpress printing on both dies of the sheet – we suggest you choose a thicker stock to ally “show through” OR you may wish to letterpress with less impression.