9 Tips, Tricks and Insights for Spellbinders BetterPress Machine

Practical advice for getting the best results from your press plates.

9 Tips, Tricks and Insights for Spellbinders BetterPress Letter Press Machine System.

Hello! I am so excited about my new BetterPress Letter Press machine! I had a very crafty Christmas and received a BetterPress Letter Press System , Wax Seal Starter Kit and a new Platinum 6 die cutting machine. Today I want to share two cards I made with the BetterPress. I feel like I am gushing, but I LOVE the look and results I achieved with my new toy. I adore the lovely elegant high-end stationary look. You get an engraved like impression combined with ink stamping.

This post is part of my Press Plate Series where I share BetterPress, Glimmer Hot Foil, and press plate techniques for creating elegant handmade cards.

9 Tips, Tricks and Insights for BetterPress Printing

I started by using Best Ever Craft Tape to attach my BetterPress card panel to the top plate.
I tried several types of paper (BetterPress, Watercolor and Cardstock) and they all worked with the BetterPress. I liked cottony paper the best. My preferred paper would be the BetterPress cotton paper or a watercolor paper.
The magnetic lower plate works really well to hold the BetterPress impressing plate in place.
I was careful to ink the impressing plate really well. I did a “Tap and Twist” technique where I tapped the ink on the plate and then twisted the ink pad a few degrees. Don’t smash and smoosh or you will wind up with little pieces of ink pad on your plate and project. I ink well because I only like to roll through the press once for each panel.
For smaller sentiment plates, I tapped but didn’t twist. When I twisted smaller plates they tended to move out of alignment. If the plate moves it is easy to reposition with a pair of tweezers.
Roll your sandwich slowly through the die cutting machine. I think “Super Slo-Mo” while doing this to help me remember to go VERY slowly.
You will want a good stamp cleaner for the BetterPress and plates. I’ve used Hero Arts Ultra Clean for years and it worked great.
Waterproof or Hybrid inks well. I used the specially formulated BetterPress Inks. Pigment ink is not recommended. You want a faster drying ink.
I found that my guillotine paper trimmer worked better than my Fiskar’s SureCut on cotton paper.