Rossi Italian Gold Foil Letterpress Paper- Bees and Flowers in Red and Gold

Developed in the 14th century, letterpress printing involves setting type and motifs in reverse on a letterpress plate. The plate is then inked and pressed on to the surface of paper. The pressing process transfers the ink and leaves a deep impression on the paper creating a three dimensional print that has a feel unlike any other type of printing. The nature of the printing demands a high quality, and generally heavier weight, paper that will not tear or thin when pressed. Rossi 1931 uses a perfect type of paper containing fibers that are soft and readily accept an impression as well as ink. As you might expect, letterpress printing is both time consuming and labor-intensive. Prints are made one-at-a-time with each print having its own unique variations of ink coverage and depth of impression. Usually, letterpress is reserved for short-run items such as invitations, personal stationery, greeting cards and special decorative papers. Beautiful tactile and simply exquisite, letterpress printing has a rich, warm feel that one can’t help but appreciate.

The gold and red bees on this sheet measure approximately 1/2" tall. 120gsm, 20x28 inches.