Letterpress Bronzing Powders
We have had a very positive response to the bronzing powders that we now sell through our store, we’ve struggled sometimes to keep them on the shelf but it’s good to know that people like and want them. We now have a full shelf full if you would like to order through the store… just click here
Not every letterpress printer has access to a hot foil machine or wants to. Instead you can use a very fine metallic bronzing powder to lift metallic ink which can sometimes look a little dark and flat on an uncoated board. When applied to a wet ink and then dusted off, you are left with a lovely sheen of shiny metal on top of your ink. Silver, Gold and Copper are now available through our store here. If you need any advice on how to use them please do get in touch. Just look how lovely they are in the little sample below…
Letterpress Bronzing – Adding the final touch
Letterpress Bronzing is a wonderful age old technique used to lift a print without moving into the foiling finish. It is a time consuming process and you have to allow time during printing to complete the bronzing process. Also enough room to make a mess is essential and you do have to take the correct safety precautions.
Safety First
Bronzing is a technique achieved by adding a very fine layer of a metallic powder on to wet ink. It is left to dry and then brushed off the finished print. Because of the nature of the material, we recommend using it in a well ventilated area, if you have extraction equipment, this should be used, we use a small extraction cupboard just to help us. We also recommend a face mask which covers both nose and mouth as well as goggles, not the swimming variety, but if you get stuck, these are better than nothing! And don’t forget to cover your clothing, the letterpress bronzing powders are finer than glitter and will get into all those places you didn’t think you had.