Letterpress printing is a centuries-old technique. The nostalgic debossed "impression" gives a unique appeal. Cameraman Vardhana Vunchuplou and freelance graphic designer May Waikittipong accidentally fell in love with the laborious printing art and opened a small charming letterpress shop called Pianissimo Press.
Vardhana installed a printing block and locked it onto the base with wooden reglets and “furniture” (blocks in various sizes) to secure the right position for printing.
How did you start this studio?
It was in 2011 when Vardhana found this Adana letterpress machine on eBay. It was in good condition, so he bid for it. At first, we didn't know what to do with it. We'd only seen other people's letterpress works. As we tried to figure out how to use it, it drew us more and more into the technique.
How did you learn the skill?
It took us almost a year to learn and experiment from scratch. While we were looking for tools and supplies, we sought tips, techniques and advice from old-generation printers we found along the way. Most of them were in their 70s, in old-fashioned stationery, paper and ink shops in Soi Plaeng Nam in Yaowarat, for example. An old grandpa who runs a commercial printing shop in my neighbourhood in Sathu Pradit has been very helpful. He gives us a lot of good advice, comments on our works and acts like our troubleshooting guide. It's more like completing a jigsaw puzzle. We learn and improve over time.
A minimum amount of soy ink is applied to the ink disc before operating the lever to let rollers spread ink evenly across the ink disk face.
Tell us about your first collection.
We started selling the first lot when one of our friends opened Gallery Coffee Drip at BACC. So we tested the market with postcards for coffee lovers which received very good feedback. That first collection was made at Vardhana's house, which later became a mess because ink was all over the place.
How do you come up with new designs?
Since it all started as our hobby, the designs have been more to our own taste and personal liking. Now that are more serious about it, I try to come up with new prints and quotes that will attract a wider group of customers. So far, those of the coffee, beer, music and movie collections sell very well.
Why do you think letterpress is now enjoying a renaissance?
I think it's because of the craft trends. It's made by hand. Flipping through graphic design books nowadays, letterpress works are seen more often. Fine wedding invitations have also become appealing to modern-day couples.
The formation of Pianissimo Press and their love for the art of letterpress printing all started from this Adana 8x5 hand-operated machine. Like today’s inkjet printer for the home, the table top plate has been one of the most popular small printers since it was launched in 1953. Production ceased in 1991.
Setting the paper on the plate is the most difficult part of the process. Before printing, marking installed points and testing with a few sheets are necessary to help ensure each piece of paper is in the right spot.
May and Vardhana’s personal collection of old-fashioned metal types. “We got this set from a friend who found it at a scrap yard,” said May. “Since traditional printing methods have become outdated, letterpress metal types have been largely sold as scrap metal because it makes more money than selling them as a set of vintage print type blocks.”
The studio’s original prints are all designed by May, while every single piece is handpressed by Vardhana. Here is the limited-edition Mushroom Kids — from hand-drawn sketch, coloured pencil shading, Photoshop Illustrator touch-up, to letterpress prints.
Pianissimo Press’ designs come in letterpress prints and cards sold at several independent coffee shops and bookstores as well as at Another Story at The EmQuartier and Play Lab at Siam Discovery. The goodies can also be found in their Thong Lor studio.
