What Is Letterpress? Beginner’s Guide to the BetterPress System

Hello there, crafty friends! Lisa Tilson here with you today as we step into the fabulous world of letterpress. If you’re new to letterpress, or you’re still deciding whether to invest in a letterpress system, I hope you’ll find this post gives you a clear sense of what you need to get started and how this wonderfully creative innovation can help you make beautiful projects with minimal fuss. The “touch” and feel of letterpress is like nothing else! Like foiling and heat embossing, it’s another true “wow” moment when you press your plate and run your fingers over that deep, tactile impression.

What is letterpress, and why BetterPress?

So, what exactly is letterpress? Letterpress is a technique where you apply ink to the raised design on a press plate and then press it into your cardstock using a letterpress system. The result is a gorgeous, debossed impression. If you picture high‑end wedding stationery or luxury business cards, you’ll be familiar with the kind of texture and elegance that letterpress creates.

The Spellbinders BetterPress Letterpress System has been designed to help you produce stunning letterpress effects with ease, every single time. So, if you’re new to letterpress or considering dipping your toes into this wonderful innovation, this post is here to guide you and help you feel confident as you begin.

What comes with your BetterPress Letterpress System

You’ve made the exciting decision to purchase your BetterPress Letterpress System, and it has arrived! So, what can you expect to find in the box? Some of the boxes may vary depending on when you purchase the system, but essentially you will find the following:

• Platen – this is the clear acrylic plate that sits on top of the Chase. You will adhere your card panel to the underside of the Platen when preparing to press your plate. The Platen has A7 and A2 guides etched onto its surface. These help ensure you tape your chosen cardstock in the correct position.
• Chase – this is the bottom section of your system and it includes a magnetic platform which is where you will place your plates. The magnetic platform has gridlines and guides which help you to line up your plate.
• Shims – you can use one or all the shims depending on your preference and/or die-cutting machine. The shims sit in the Chase, under the magnetic platform.
• Cardstock – 100% cotton/118lb weight card panels that will ensure you have amazing results each and every time you press.
• BetterPress Black Ink – the essential black ink to get you started on your BetterPress journey.
• Best Ever Craft Tape – to hold your cardstock in place.
• BetterPress Plate – you cannot press without a plate, and a plate is included to get you started!

What Die Cutting Machines Are Compatible with the BetterPress Letterpress System?

The BetterPress Letterpress System works with the Platinum and Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machines, as well as the Sizzix Big Shot, Big Shot Plus and Switch machines. Always check your machine is compatible before using it with the BetterPress Letterpress System.

Tools/Supplies You Need to BetterPress

Below is a list of the tools you will need to create that beautiful letterpressed look on your projects!

• BetterPress Letterpress System.
• Die Cutting Machine – as mentioned earlier, Platinum and Platinum SIX work perfectly with this system.
• BetterPress Plate – these come in all sorts of designs, shapes and sizes. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful plates!
• Cardstock – you will need to use BetterPress Cardstock to achieve the best results when letterpressing. There is more information on cardstock a little further down the post.
• BetterPress Inks – these have been formulated specifically for BetterPress and will help you to achieve a crisp, clean press.
• Best Ever Craft Tape – to hold your plates in place when running the system through your die cutting machine.
• Handy Craft Tool Set – use the nudger tool to move the plate around so that you have it exactly where you want it. Small plates, especially sentiments, can move around when inking them up, so it’s useful to be able to “nudge” it back into position.
• Archival Cleaner – use with a lint-free cloth. The cleaner won’t get all the ink off your plate, but it will get most of it off. After using Archival Cleaner, you can wash the plate with mild soap to remove the oily residue if you wish but this is not essential. It will press perfectly next time around.
• Tweezers – to help pick up your pressed panel once you have removed the tape that is holding it in place.

Cardstock

BetterPress Cardstock comes in three colours – Porcelain, Pebble and Bisque. It is made in Italy and it is 100% cotton,118lb in weight. Because of the material and weight, it feels soft, thick and luxurious, and that is what makes it so perfect for letterpress techniques. Other cardstocks can also be used but you may not get the same quality of impression.

The BetterPress Cardstock comes in packs of A2 and A7 sizes which contain 25 sheets. You can also get packs of 8.5” x 11” cardstock sheets in all three colours.

You may find that you need to adjust the number of shims you put in your BetterPress Letterpress System. The number of shims needed for the perfect press can vary and depends on the cardstock you use and your die-cutting machine.

Press Plates

Press plates differ in colour to etched dies and Glimmer plates. They are a soft silver/platinum colour, and so it’s easy to tell the difference when searching through your supplies.

They come in many different sizes, shapes, and designs. You can get background plates, image plates, and sentiment plates that are suitable for almost every single occasion that you can think of! There are hundreds of plates to choose from whether you are looking for fancy typography, a beautiful floral or an ornate background.

A later development to the BetterPress line was the introduction of the BetterPress Letterpress Registration plates. These sets come with a guide which allows you to press multiple areas in different coloured inks, allowing you greater flexibility in your designs.

Beyond pressing, your plates can be used for other techniques as well. You can dry emboss with them, and of course, you can also use them for foiling.

A word of note. You cannot use your Glimmer plates in the BetterPress Letterpress System. You can, however, use BetterPress Plates with the Glimmer Hot Foil System.

Inks

When the BetterPress Letterpress System was launched, there were eight ink colours to choose from! A few years on, you now have over 40 beautiful colours to play with!

BetterPress Inks are acid-free, permanent, and waterproof. Developed by Ranger, the inks have a special formulation to enable a crisp, clean press. The BetterPress Inks are based on Ranger’s Archival Ink line but have a few additional properties that make them especially suited for BetterPress, and they will give you a rich, deep, lasting impression each time you press.

The inks come in a mini size as this was found to be the most suitable for BetterPress techniques. Because of their smaller size, you will find that they will need re-inking regularly, especially if you are inking up large plates. Re-inking will ensure a more even coverage across the plate.

There is a Full Size BetterPress Black Ink Pad available, and this is especially helpful if you need to ink up those larger plates.

You can also try using dye inks with your press plates, though the results can vary depending on the ink.

Note: Pigment inks are heavily saturated and usually come with a foam pad. They will not produce clean, detailed impressions if you use them.

Colouring Your Images

Watercolouring is the preferred colouring method when working with BetterPress plates. You can use traditional watercolour paints or watercolour pens, both of which pair beautifully with BetterPress impressions. Dye inks are another great option for adding soft washes of colour, and don’t forget, you can also achieve beautiful results with coloured pencils.

Many plates now also come with coordinating layering stencils. These allow you to add colour with inks and blending brushes, building up depth and dimension one layer at a time.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you succeed when letterpressing.

• Use small pieces of Best Ever Craft Tape to attach your card panel to the Platen.
• When pressing a cover plate onto an A2 panel, secure your cardstock to the Platen using small rolled‑up pieces of tape. Rolling the tape keeps it tucked underneath the panel so it doesn’t cover or interfere with the corners.
• To help prevent the magnetic platform shifting in the chase (if you are going to double-press a plate), then use small pieces of Best Ever Craft Tape to hold it in place.
• Use light pouncing and gentle pivoting motions to apply your ink. This helps achieve even, consistent coverage across your plate.
• If you are inking up a large plate with black ink, you may find it easier to use the Full-Size BetterPress Black Ink Pad.
• To avoid getting marks on your pressed images when die cutting, use a clean top plate.

How To Press

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to press using the BetterPress Letterpress System.

1. Start by placing your Press Plate onto the Chase. As this is a cover plate, it has been placed onto the magnetic platform using the grid lines to make sure it is straight. The plate measures approximately 4.50” x 5.75” (just over A2-sized).
2. Tape an A7 panel of BetterPress Cardstock to the underside of the Platen using Best Ever Craft Tape. An A7 panel has been used here as the press plate is just over A2-sized, but you could still use an A2 panel if you wish.
3. Ink up the plate with your chosen ink colour. Remember to use light pounce and pivot motions to apply the ink.

4. Once you are happy with your ink coverage, flip the Platen over and place it back onto your Chase.

5. Run the Chase slowly through your Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.

6. Remove the pressed panel from the Platen and marvel at the results!
7. Re-ink and repeat if you want to create another panel.

8. This final step is not essential, but you can, at this point, clean your plate using a lint-free cloth and some Archival Cleaner if you wish. As mentioned earlier in the post, the cleaner will remove almost all traces of the ink so that your plate is clean and fresh for when you want to use it next.

If you have been wondering about letterpress, there’s no better time to delve in! It is a simple, fuss-free way to bring gorgeous texture and detail to your projects. Our next post in this series is Layered Stenciling for Beginners – another versatile technique that is open to crafters at all stages of their cardmaking journey. We hope you will join us then.