So lately, I have been printing with photopolymer plates but I have been having some mixed results with text.  I have decided to go with magnesium plates when printing text because I feel it gives me more of a crisp image.  In general, I think that magnesium plates give me a slightly better image so with that said I will be using magnesium plates for all my text and 1 color images.  When I have to register 2 or more colors, I am going to go back to the photopolymer because it is alot easier for me to register the plate allowing me to get a perfect print (I am still having issues with registering magnesium plates so if I ever master registering mag, I probably will use magnesium exclusively).

I am actually going to try a new company for magnesium plates called Owasso Graphic.  With their offer of a free die (not including shipping) what do I have to lose?  I will post about the die quality once I try it out. 

Also, as some of you regulars to my site have noticed, I have added a new link called shop.  This is where I will have some of my designs up for sale that you can purchase right online!  Check back often since there will be new designs added weekly. 

I think this is a question that does not have a definitive answer.  It’s all based on preference but after trying both types of plates I have found some pros and cons of both.  Lets start with photopolymer (pp).  If you have a design with fine lines (o.75 or less), the pp will not really hold a line that well.  Meaning if you intend for the line to be .5, once you print it it will turn into a .8 line.  That can really mess with ones design.  If you do not have fine details to your designs then you don’t have a problem.  Also, the sticky backing can be kind of a nuisance.  Either the pp slides or it is so sticky you cant get it off your base.  After repetitive pressing the pp can be quite tough to remove.  I have to say, since the pp is transparent, the registration is really a cinch.  That in itself may be the reason I might stick with the pp. 

Now the Magnesium.  Magnesuim will give you a crisp image at pretty much any resolution.  If you want a .25 line then that is what you shall get.  Also, (I might get some rebuttal to this) I feel I get a deeper impression with the magnesium plates although, Boxcar Press has addressed this problem by making a deep relief base as well as deep relief photopolymer (for more information regarding bases and plates read our post on Making your own base…).  Registration can be tough with the magnesium since they are mounted type high on wood and unlike pp it is not transparent.

I guess you might have to try both as well to see what you prefer to work with.  Happy letterpressing! 

At the shop we have been going back and forth over whether to use wood backed magnesium (metallic) or photopolymer plates for printing. We have heard a lot of good and bad things about both and many people have told us that its really something you need to try and see.

Luckily the company we use for magnesium plates (Hodgins Engraving), located in Batavia NY, will cut and mount the metal onto wood blocks to make the design type high. However, when using photopolymer plates you will need a base to raise the design to type high. The most popular base currently on the market in my opinion is the Boxcar base from Boxcar Press. Standard bases from Boxcar start at $150 for a 4.5″ x 7″ base all the way up to $1150 for a 24″ x 24″ base. They also sell deep relief bases for use in conjuction with their deep relief photopolymer plates on platten presses.

The question is: Is it possible to make your own base?

The simple answer is yes

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