Our Printing Process

For 56 years, we have printed the calendar the same way—the traditional way—which is one print at a time by hand, using a squeegee, a screen, ink, and paper.

Last spring, we visited another studio where they had a printing press. We could not believe our eyes. You load the paper in and take it out, but instead of pulling by hand, the press does that part, using the same ink and paper we have always used.

We decided that day we wanted to look into getting one of these presses and quickly realized it was going to be a huge expense and an even larger learning curve.

The press arrived last June, and for almost a year we have been using it on and off, learning it while also printing on the traditional table we have always used. The press also gives our bodies a much-needed break, and we often print the first color of a month by hand and the second color in the afternoon with the press.

Both methods have their own challenges, and sometimes we favor one over the other depending on ink texture, design, and registration of the print.

Not only does the press give our bodies a little relief and a change of pace, it also allows us to grow and print more in one day than we ever would have thought possible a few years back. This may be partly due to the press, but also because everyone at the studio has become better printers over the years, and each of us has our own way of working with our equipment.