What Are Printing Presses and How Can You See Them in Action?
A printing press is a machine that transfers ink from a raised surface — type or an engraved block — onto paper under pressure. The letterpress process runs from setting movable type, locking it into a forme, inking the surface, and pressing paper against it to pull a print. You can see this process live, and even pull a proof yourself, at working museums such as The Penrith Museum of Printing in NSW, Australia, which operates as a 1940s print shop and runs tours and courses.
The letterpress process, step by step
Letterpress is relief printing: the parts that carry ink are raised above the rest of the surface. The basic sequence is:
- Set the type. Individual metal or wood characters are assembled into words and lines, historically by hand from a type case.
- Impose the pages. Pages are arranged in a forme so they fall in the correct order once the sheet is folded — the museum's own pages are described as "awaiting imposition," which is exactly this stage.
- Lock up the forme. The type is secured in a chase so nothing shifts under pressure.
- Ink the surface. Rollers carry ink across the raised faces only.
- Press and pull. Paper is pressed against the inked type, transferring the image. The result is a proof or finished sheet.
Every historical press type below is a variation on this same idea — what changes is how the pressure is applied.
Main types of historical printing press
| Press type | How it works | Typical era | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand press | Screw or lever applies pressure manually; one sheet at a time | Gutenberg era (1440s) onward | Wooden common press |
| Treadle press | Operator powers it with a foot treadle, leaving hands free to feed and register paper | 19th century | Pearl treadle, ADANA |
| Cylinder press | A rotating cylinder rolls the sheet over the inked forme, faster than flat-bed pressing | 19th–20th century | Wharfedale |
The shift from Gutenberg-era wooden hand presses to 19th- and 20th-century iron and powered machines is largely a story of speed and consistency: treadle and cylinder designs let a single operator produce far more sheets per hour, and iron frames held tighter tolerances than wood.
Where to see presses running
The Penrith Museum of Printing is a fully operational letterpress museum set up as a 1940s print shop, covering letterpress from the days of Gutenberg until its commercial end in the 1980s. Its collection includes 19th-century machinery shown in action, with Wharfedale rollers and a form on an Arab press ready to print among the documented equipment.
Practical visiting details:
- Open: every Sunday, 10am–2pm, or by appointment
- Entry: $5 adult, children free
- Address: Mulgoa Rd & Ransley St, Penrith NSW 2750
- Getting there: plenty of free parking next to the museum, or catch the Blue Mountains train to Penrith then a bus or a 15-minute walk
- Tours and bookings: online or by phone on 0408 412 708, or email [email protected]
At events the museum prints souvenirs for visitors on presses including an 1890 Pearl treadle and an ADANA press, and visitors can "pull a proof of your own" — a hands-on way to feel how much pressure and registration a real press demands.
Try a press yourself: workshops
If you want more than watching, the museum's letterpress workshops cover Typography, Poster, and Adana work.
- Cost: $125 per person
- Length: one day, 10.30am–4pm
- Booking: register online or by phone; the museum advises contacting it immediately to secure a spot
The museum also hosts group tours and can be booked as a venue for parties, meetings, or events, and offers membership.
Common sticking points
- Book ahead. Tours and workshops are booked by email or phone, and workshop places are limited — the museum explicitly warns to plan ahead "to avoid disappointment."
- Check event dates. Special openings, such as the Penrith Highland Festival on Saturday 3 October 2026 (8am–5pm) and Rare Book Week on Saturday 24 October, 11am–1pm, differ from the regular Sunday hours.
- Expect hand-powered timing. Treadle and hand presses are slow by design; a workshop day is enough to complete a project, not to master the craft.
For anyone asking what a printing press actually is, the shortest answer is a machine for pressing inked type onto paper — and the clearest way to understand it is to watch one run and pull a sheet yourself.