One of the most common applications is to convert them into shadowboxes. There are multiple uses for letterpress drawers. What can you do with a letterpress drawer? They were essential for keeping the typesets in order. Wherever there was a printing press you would find letterpress drawers. The processes evolved through eh centuries to the modern printing processes, and now digital printing. Printing evolved through the years with printing studios using likenesses of the machine, spurring a new age with mass production of publications in Europe. Letterpress drawers were used as trays to keep the letterpress components separate and handy for printers. People manually lifted paper in and out of the machine with the inked impression of the print on it, and place more paper down to make copies. The ink was oil-based with walnut oil, lampblack, and turpentine. It increased the speed at which books and other publications could be printed. Gutenberg’s press was the modern version of the fifteenth century. The process was used in China in the year 175 AD. Before that, printing was done with wooden blocks with reliefs carved into blocks of wood. Johannes Gutenberg invented the first mechanical printing press with mechanical movable type. Letterpress Play confirms that the letterpress has been a part of the early printing processes for more than seven hundred years. The history behind the letterpress drawer is rich and of significant interest to printing enthusiasts and historians. Some companies reproduce replicas of letterpress drawers and while they’re lovely, it’s nice to have the antique versions. You can also find letterpress drawers at second-hand shops, estate sales, or online auctions. They’re an enduring part of the history of modern printing. The letterpress drawers are often removed and sold at antique shops because of their value sold separately. If you find a letterpress or printing cabinet you’ve found an antique treasure. Other names for the letterpress drawer are a type drawer, printer block drawer, printer’s trays, or type cases. Most letterpress drawers are made of thin wood and look like trays with separations or compartments for organizing the various letterpresses. The Spruce further describes the physical features of the letterpress drawers. Some cabinets featured 40 drawers with the capacity to store up to 1000 stamps. Most printing cabinets contained a dozen or more drawers to contain all of the letters and combinations of letters and words used in the process. Letterpress drawers were components of printing cabinets. It’s how books and newspapers were made during the 1700s and 1800s. Letterpress printing used a printing press by making direct impressions of the raised inked surface against a continuous roll of paper or sheets. The letter stamps featured letters or words that were put together to form the texts of publications and printed media by placing them on an ink pad, then transferring them to paper. It held components that were like letter stamps. What is a letterpress drawer?įarmhouse Seat 52 explains that a letterbox drawer is a type of drawer that was used to store the letters for old typeset machines in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a rich history behind the letterpress drawer and it has multiple applications today. We recommend that you continue reading to learn everything there is to know about this fascinating piece of furniture and its place in the history of our development of a literate society. You may wonder, what is a letterpress drawer? Unless you know the history of printing presses and the early printing machines, you probably have no idea what a letterpress drawer is or what it is used for. They’re also valuable collectibles when you find an antique version in pristine condition. Authentic versions of the letterpress drawer are charming antique items from yesteryear that offer a rustic aesthetic to your home. Letterpress drawers are trending in the home decor and useful accessory niche of the crafts industry.