The Letterjazz print studio in Essen has mastered the letterpress, i.e. classic letterpress printing, to perfection. But they don’t print books here - instead they print highly exclusive cards, invitations, and illustrations with wonderful aesthetics. We stood between the clattering presses and were imPRESSed - and KNIPEX pliers were also spotted!
Sven Winterstein opens the door to another world. "At some point, we came up with a shared vision of the perfect print studio, where all the cool printing processes are under one roof," he tells us in the lobby, where various examples of his work hang. I want to see how they do something like that! Papers of various thicknesses and colours are stored on the walls and shelves in the bright hall. Large, sometimes huge printing presses work in a mechanical, well-lubricated, and perfectly maintained rhythm that encourages you to snap your fingers in time.
It smells like books - like paper, paint, and mechanical work. To manufacture their exclusive print products, the team uses other unconventional printing processes in addition to the letterpress, such as screen printing and hot foil stamping, to produce exceptional business stationery ranging from business cards to luxury packaging.
The printing press created by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century was a ubiquitous printing process for all kinds of printed products up until just four decades ago. Today, the letterpress is used as a technique for particularly high-quality prints, but without the classic typesetting that is historically associated with the letterpress.
At Letterjazz, photopolymer and engraved printing forms are made from digital data, so that modern digitally converted designs can be printed on wonderfully analogue 50s letterpress machines. Compared to today's technology, letterpress printing is amazingly versatile, as it can also be used to punch, emboss, number, perforate, and crease paper.
Here, every single one of the employees knows exactly what they have to do. They’re busy inserting paper, checking ink, and maintaining mechanics. You don't really want to go in there and ask questions. - It feels disruptive when there’s so much to do. But the staff are happy to provide information. The newly discovered, old printing processes are currently experiencing a renaissance, which started in the USA and is now also spreading in Europe and increasingly gaining traction.
It just feels good to have an invitation, a letter of congratulations or even just a business card in your hands that is such high quality. The printing presses emboss the solid paper, creating a tactile surface. Every card printed this way makes a good first impression before you’ve even read what is written on it. Everything is delivered to the customer in flawless condition, guaranteed by a final inspection, where every single card is checked by employees to ensure that it is in perfect condition. Only then are the packages put together and sent out.
But Sven Winterstein's factory doesn’t just produce printed matter, but also beautiful boxes and small packages. To work on the "packaging", Letterjazz uses, among other things, a massive sheet metal clamp press from the 1950s, which produces small telescope boxes. Cut cardboard is shaped and held together on this machine with staples at the edges, which are punched off a metre-long tape on a roll.
Because the different colours of sample boxes mean that the ribbon type has to be frequently changed on the machine, the employees here have to cut and reload regularly. To do this, the tape must be cut as cleanly and easily as possible. KNIPEX pliers are therefore always within reach. Letterjazz places particular emphasis on the durability of hand tools used throughout the hall; anything else wouldn’t suit the production environment full of well-maintained machines that are many decades old.
A lot has happened since Sven Winterstein launched his company in 2010. Printing capacities have increased, there are more busy people working here in the rooms, and many more different machines are being used. However, this doesn’t affect the company’s fundamental attitude: the decisive factor for an excellent print product is not the printing press, but the concept and the graphic work.
So adequate attention is also paid to the makers, designers, illustrators, and typographers - in other words, the customers. Letterjazz is on hand to offer advice and answers, and then contribute paper and quality craftsmanship to the artwork. They rely on the proven quality of their machines and tools. Which is immediately visible in their products!