The timeless art of working with traditional letterpress wood type, art cuts and printing press techniques is being revitalized with the introduction of LetterMpress, a newly released Apple iPad app. The introduction is sponsored by Neenah Paper, the world’s leading manufacturer of fine printing papers. Neenah manufactures CRANE’S LETTRA Papers a 100-percent cotton fiber paper considered by many designers and printers to be the finest in the world for beautiful letterpress work.
The LetterMpress app is available now on the App Store, with the base iPad version priced at $5.99. More information and a video demonstration can be found at www.lettermpress.com or on Facebook.
According to the design team and developer, mpressInteractive, this new app lets designers of all skill levels experience and create beautiful letterpress designs and prints for invitations, greeting cards, posters and more. The app brings every step of the traditional letterpress printing process to the iPad screen, from selecting and assembling vintage wood type, and mixing colors, to selecting paper, and hand-cranking the virtual letterpress. Just for its educational value it literally shows how letterpress works of art can be created and exposes this art form which is good for all letterpress shops. LetterMpress includes 13 typefaces and dozens of art cuts, which will be continually expanded as the app is updated. Finished designs can be printed, shared via email, Facebook and other social media, or output to graphics applications for larger design projects.
“This app is a wonderful way to introduce people to the art of letterpress, making it more accessible than ever before,” said Ellen Bliske, brand manager for Neenah Paper. “The art of letterpress has been a hands-on craft for centuries, and we want to support the growing interest and awareness. Since Neenah introduced the paper world’s first iPhone paper app ‘color unleashed,’ we’ve continued to grow and support online tools as a part of the today’s communication medium. We believe this is a vital part of the printing world as we move into the future.”