I thought you might like to see this video of Misery in the making! A few weeks back I visited our letterpress printer in Texas, where the Limited Edition of Stephen King’s Misery is currently being printed on a Heidelberg Cylinder Press.
Originated in 1850 (taking the name Heidelberg in 1905), these presses were built to last, and are unparalleled in providing the peak of precision letterpress work. What makes a cylinder press so unique and outstanding in its achievement is that the impression of paper on type is delivered in a small strip, as opposed to an impression across the whole area of the type at once. This means cylinder presses can use a greater force with greater precision, creating a perfect printed page.
Letterpress originated in the 1400s and was the primary form of printing and communication for more than 500 years. Today, it is one of the most costly printing processes, especially when printing a 300 page novel! The results are quite stunning though, and we can’t wait for you to see the finished book.