Letterpress works best when printing one color at a time and printing small quantities. Business cards, invitations, stationery and small posters are good candidates. Letterpress can be time-consuming and messy. Many modern printers see it as an antiquated method, and you may be using old presses and machines for which a manufacturer no longer exists to provide parts and support. However, letterpress produces beautiful pieces of art that will stand out because of their quality. You will be part of a movement to keep alive the excellent craftsmanship of days gone by while updating it with a more modern style and your own creative flair.
Visit a letterpress shop to see how the technique is achieved, and use the Internet to learn even more. Watch videos and step-by-step tutorials online to get a feel for the steps involved. Most letterpress printers use drawers full of lead type alphabets (called cases). Place each letter by hand on a composing stick or composing stone. Once the entire page has been set up this way, add the ink and apply the image to the paper. After the first proof, you may want to adjust things--add space between lines, replace letters that have broken bits or change the size of one of the lines of type. Then you are ready to print, which is still time-consuming because it may involve inking and feeding paper by hand. If you are overwhelmed by the amount of work involved, take a break and admire the quality of the finished product to appreciate why it is worth the effort.
If you have observed letterpress in action and read about it, and you want to learn to do it correctly, take a class. Many colleges and universities teach letterpress printing. A letterpress class will be an excellent learning and creative experience, even if you do not continue with the printing process.
If you want to get involved in letterpress, find out everything you can about the various types of presses. Visit as many shops as you can, join Internet forums and mailing lists and read some good books. Look for a used press and cases of type, and purchase ink supplies as well. Learn how to judge the quality and value of the items you need to buy. Feed the creative aspect of the work--subscribe to magazines that cover creative printing, get some quality books on principles of page design and visit blogs and other websites for inspiration and information. Make a collection of work that inspires you and reminds you why you were drawn to letterpress printing in the first place.