equipment in use at the Excelsior Press

Letterpress Services

Available

at The Excelsior Press Museum Print Shop


We have been printing  
since 1962. Back in the beginning, it was a 3x5 Kelsey Excelsior press. (Hence the name of the shop. It sounded logical when I was twelve...) By the time I was 14, I had an 8x12 C&P and an old 9x13 Gordon.  (alan-add photos)

These days, we do most of our work on a 10x15 Heidelberg Windmill Platen Press and a Vandercook No. 4 Flatbed Cylinder (proofing) press. We also still get a lot of use out of an Early Series, treadle-operated 8x12 Chandler & Price Platen Press. (alan-add photos of each press)

But we still do commercial printing as well. Quite a bit in fact...

Now, first we should point out that every printing job is unique. Every job has it's own layout, design, color and paper issues to consider. Prices vary widely. Costs of materials, time involved in the work - all of that varies widely.

That said, there are many jobs which do fall into easy-to-define catagories. For that sort of work we submit this "pretty much common" prices for the work listed below.
  • Extras:
    • Custom Images
    • Colored ink
    • Special order paper
  • Numbering - set up $25, $20/m run (one number)
  • Perforating- set up $25, $20/m run (one perf line)
  • Scoring - set up $25, $20/m run (one line)
  • Die-Cutting - - cost of die + $80 set up + $40/m run (simple die)
  • Embossing - -  set up $100, $40/m run (one level die)
  • Card Printing* cost of typesetting &/or engraving + $25 press set up
    • 100-1000  $20/100 to run
    • 500 cards $140
    • 1000 cards $240 (+$40/m)
    • * plus cost of stock

  • Business Cards - standard in stock card stock
    • 100 cards $100 (+$20/100)
    • set up and print 100 cards $50
    • additional 100's + $20/100
  • Greeting Cards cost of layout + cost of stock + $50/100; $40/m (plus scoring)
  • Coasters $25 setup plus $20/100 plus cost of stock
  • Ludlow Slug-casting services
  • Note Pads 5x8" 50 sheets/pad - set up plus $50/2 pads $100/10 pads
  • Personal Stationary - 3 lines hand-set type and/or engraving
    • sheets & envelopes 
    • Fold-over notecards
  • Wedding Invitations - custom pricing
  • General Printing - @$85/hour shop rate
    • layout- hand typesetting + image layout
    • mix custom ink
    • setup - lock up form, ink up press, set gauge pins
    • press run - priced per 100; per 1000.
    • finishing work (cutting, drilling, bindery)




page last updated  February, 2018


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