USING LETTERPRESS PROOF MACHINES IN PRINT MAKING

Abstract

Johannes Gutenberg's development of the movable type and printing press in Europe in the 15th century led to a technical and cultural revolution. Taking proofs of works to be printed has been an ongoing practice since these early days of printing. Proofreading has become a method to prevent errors and obtain customer approval. While the first proofs were made on the printing machine, they were later made on simple hand presses, and in 1909, the first letterpress proof printing machine was developed by Robert Vandercook. With the integration of computers into design and printing, letterpress printing was replaced by offset printing. Letterpress proof press and machines that were out of use were adopted by artists, designers, and educational institutions in Europe and especially in USA. Thus, a new experimental, creative, educational, and artistic usage method was born. The transformation of the old letterpress proof presses, a quality system application in the pre-press process, into an art and education technique is a unique example. In Turkey, such a usage method does not yet exist. The aim of this study, which uses qualitative research methods, is to conduct the outputs in the field of printmaking with letterpress proof printing machines in the world, while making an examination of the technique from past to present, and to introduce this method and its machines, which do not exist in Turkey, and to guide those who are interested. The transformation of letterpress printing in the historical process, the artists, workshops, and institutions that produce and train in the field of printing making with letterpress proof printing machines were examined and exemplified. Literature research was conducted on the subject. In the conclusion section, an evaluation and recommendation were made.