Comments on: L Letterpress Review Update with Preliminary Custom Plate Results

By: Mindy

Mindy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:08:21 +0000

Has anyone gotten good results using the modified boxcar tips? the only good ones i have had are blind impressions using custom plates and soft crane paper. Hand inking seems to be the only remaining problem, but it’s obviously the most important. Even with the new 6″ soft rubber speedball brayer and recommended side strips, the ink print was still blotchy, coated the walls of the impression and strayed beyond the image… soo ugly. The ink completely nullified the deboss effect and the print looked far worse than that of a rubber stamp. perhaps a different ink is in order? i used a dime-sized amount of the lifestyle ink.or a better inking plate? or maybe the expensive japanese brayer harold recommended really makes a huge difference? recent google search seems to show that most people have given up on this machine.. can’t find updates anywhere.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:00:05 +0000

Thank you SO much for all this incredible info. I tried the press with horrendous results. Glad to know it wasn’t all my impatience.

I just bought a Cougar custom engraver/cutter/embosser. I’m hoping that I may be able to create plates of my own designs. It engraves (even metal) but I don’t yet know how deeply, and if it would work in an etching press or the L Letterpress.

By: miranda

miranda — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:25:34 +0000

thanks for the review! does anyone know whether the boxcar plates are bendable? (i.e. able to flex at the base in between design elements)

By: whit

whit — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:09:53 +0000

i’ve experienced the same problems with cracking on the plastic plates included with the L letterpress — i’m SO GLAD i found this review before i dropped the $40 to order a custom plate from them. i will *definitely* be checking out boxcar after this instead – i plan to print my own wedding invites and was panicking a little that the plate wouldn’t hold up. thank you so much!!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:41:17 +0000

I did my research before buying the L Letterpress. I stumbled upon your post which gave me the final push to buy it. You were dead on with your review. Thanks for researched information. After getting custom plates, it made the world of difference. Its a fun letterpress for the price. HOwever, now it has me craving a more sophisticated Letterpress

Thanks for the info!

By: ThemeChaser

ThemeChaser — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:41:48 +0000

WoW!!! Thanks for the post. I really wanted to purchase this item and was a bit concerned about its performance. I will be checking out Boxcar for plates. Thanks Again!!!

By: Laura Haselden

Laura Haselden — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:08:06 +0000

Thank you so much for all of your hard work! I just received this kit as a Christmas present from my wonderful parents and was already in problem solving mode before even opening the box! I can WAIT to check out Boxcar Press now and get some custom plates and go to town. Thank you for all your suggestions!

By: Elaine B.

Elaine B. — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:40:20 +0000

After messing with a kelsey, the L letterpress is much better even with its issues. I think it`s fantastic. Boxcar press is just the cherry on my cupcake.

By: The Fashion Slinger

The Fashion Slinger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:59:14 +0000

I’ve been on the fence about the L Letterpress – should or shouldn’t I? BTW, this week at AC MOORE, you can get one for 40% off retail, at least that’s what their ad said.

Anyway, thank you for this review. I’m glad I waited to buy it! I’m so happy that Harold over at Boxcar shared his printing experience and techniques also. Without either of you I probably would have bought this thing then thrown it against the wall in frustration.

By: Mark Smith

Mark Smith — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:43:02 +0000

Hello, this is Mark from Envelopments. I want to thank Boxcar for their approach to reviewing the L Brand Letterpress and offering their insights in response to all your hard work at Paper Crave. The testing you have done was very thorough and a lot of work. We know as we have also been through this process.

I also appreciate Boxcar’s honesty in first acknowledging their apprehensive concerns when the L Brand Letterpress tool was first announced. As with any new tool, there will be skeptics from the reigning masters of the craft. I can just imagine how the Scribes felt when Gutenberg hit the scene. And as it is with any craft, art form or product, there will always be different levels of quality…just look around at the various “real” letterpress printers…not everyone is a Boxcar.

Boxcar’s approach to informing the public and sharing their depth of knowledge will be welcomed by many…particularly those who want to learn and explore as well as the recipients of a beautiful letterpress creation from the hand of someone they know.