The presses
Two Chandler & Price platen presses.
- Wilma, 1910An "old style" press, and Fred's partner.
- Fred, 1930A "new style" press and our main working press. Industrial and strong.
- 1,200 poundsCast iron and precision-machined steel. No bearings. No grease fittings.
- TodayTreadle powered, printing from modern polymer plates.
It may seem an unusual pairing, filmmaking and letterpress. But, then again, we don't exactly pursue the expected.
At Portlight, we believe in things that last. That's why, alongside our cameras and storytelling frameworks, we keep two Chandler & Price platen presses running strong. Fred, a "new style," was born in 1930 and is our main working press, industrial and strong. Wilma, his partner, is an "old style" from 1910. Both are marvels of ingenuity from the heyday of the industrial revolution. No bearings. No grease fittings. Just 1200 pounds of cast iron and precision-machined steel. A few drops of oil, and they sing with pure mechanical poetry so pleasing to the ear...steady, rhythmic, metallic.
They once came with motors.
I removed them.
Not only to keep my fingers attached to my hands, but mainly to own the pace and the purpose. Each print run is treadle-powered...slow by design, and deeply intentional. The antithesis of the mass production these presses were built for. Like a great story, letterpress rewards intention. You can't rush gravity and you can't fake resonance.
I use modern polymer plates, sure, but the process itself is ancient, nearly unchanged since Gutenberg. It asks you to think ahead. To plan. To solve. To listen. To move with craft and care.
You can see Fred in action in the video above. Wilma is just as beautiful, but her curves more elegant and voice slightly more captivating.