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Remember!, originally uploaded by Ampersand Duck.

These are the most basic things to remember when playing with letterpress. This blackboard entry has not been touched for a couple of years (along with the magic number 0.918), and nor shall it be while my mind continues to operate like a kitchen thingy with lots of little holes. No one could even accuse my memory of being a steel trap. I blame all that dope in the 80s with a healthy whack of genetic demensia.

Anyway, for anyone who cares, whenever I'm swearing at a proof and wondering why the text has a little white shadow on one side, or is only just grazing the page, I look at the board and try to nut out the problem.

Just in case it is illegible thanks to the original low-res quality of the image, let me lay out the law, just in case you're interested...

Remember!
1. pressure - rollers (inking)
- packing (paper)
2. paper - humidity
- texture
3. viscosity (ink) - too thin
- too thick

Considering any combination of those factors saves my arse every time. A bit of press tinkering, and all usually runs smoothly.