A proprietor’s card or “prop card” for the Cranky Press has been on my to-do list for many years. It’s a little project that is supposed to identify one’s press as a “private” press (i.e. a press that is primarily intended as a creative outlet, a hobby and not-for-profit entity for its owner or “prop”). Having been neither inspired for a design nor ready to admit that this love-hate relationship with the equipment in my basement is simply a hobby, I’ve managed to procrastinate on this task for nearly ten years. Finally, after the madness that is Christmas passed, I settled down to take care of business.
But first, I had business of a different sort to attend to: yet another technical issue arose on my tetchy Craftsmen Monarch press. Mysteriously, the roller arms decided to droop after many successful impressions had been done. No amount of cajoling, tinkering or head-scratching would fix this. No help in the owner’s manual, so off to the Briar Press website and to the wealth of knowledge that its members generously share. Within no time, I found the fix – and with a trusty hex screwdriver, I was able to re-position the troublesome roller arm and tighten it into alignment.
Once done, I could focus on the prop card. With a simple, two-colour design that described my little enterprise fairly well, I set type using Caslon (my house font) and Cloister types as well as a few embellishments. Soon I was able ink up and print the little prop card that would ensure my registry into the International Registry of Private Press Names (maintained and hosted on Briar Press). An uncomplicated and fun little project that finally took care of that nagging little chore I’d put off for so long.
So here’s a short, rough video of the (now-well-adjusted) Monarch in action; laying down the red ink. End of a good day.