Producing Retro Letterpress Postcard on An Original Vandercook SP 15

Taking retro printing to a whole new level, we’ve fully restored an original Vandercook SP 15 that is ready to create vintage postcards for you!

We accepted the mammoth task of producing an illustrated vintage postcard on a Vandercook SP 15 using a full-color CMYK process. Even though challenging at times, the hand-cranked printing process was an overall enjoyable experience, and the final product is something we now take extreme pride in. For our print experts, taking a step back in time and having to produce a print product as they did in the 1960s was an eye-opening, educational, and fulfilling experience.

The Illustration
To ensure an authentic look and feel to our retro postcards, we used a custom illustration of the Vancouver Airport in the 1950s. The combination of retro illustration and the original Vandercook SP 15 make for a beautiful early 60s-looking postcard.

The Process
Produced one plate and one color at a time, the Vandercook SP 15 created outstanding letterpress art. Using an etched magnesium plate (100 LPI ) mounted to the press bed for precision, the entire hand-cranked process is tedious but has mind-blowing results. After applying one color of ink to the distribution rollers, a single sheet of paper is rolled across the inked plate. This process has to be repeated multiple times as it needs to be done one sheet of paper at a time! The rollers are then cleaned and inked with the next color, and the entire process is repeated until the whole CMYK process is complete.

The Result
The time-consuming process results in a full-color print in a style unique to the 1940s and 1950s. Most commonly used for calendars, menus, signs, and other custom-printed goods during that time, it is something that we are genuinely in awe of and is an art form reproduction that stands out from ordinary CMYK printing.

About The Vandercook SP15
The Vandercook SP15 was produced by Vandercook & Sons, a proof press manufacturer founded in 1909. Known for being a dominating force in the proof press industry in the 20th century, Vandercook & Sons developed the first and most commonly used proof presses, including the Vandercook SP15.

To ensure authenticity in our work, we confirmed that the Vandercook SP15 we acquired was in pristine condition and close to being 100% original. Known for its lightweight design, the machine is part of the “Simple Precision” series. It was made to print repro proofs from metal-type forms. It was used to make photo-litho plates for offset printing using formulated paper and laboratory testing ink and paper.