I adore the BetterPress Letterpress system! You can create beautiful, high-quality cards that blend modern design elements with traditional techniques. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use your BetterPress system to make colorful clean and simple cards that feel sophisticated and timeless. Today, I will be using Spellbinders new Color Mix Collection which is great for just about any celebration!
How to Get The Best BetterPress Letter Press Prints
After Experimenting for the past year, here are my tips for pristine BetterPress prints:
- I started by using Best Ever Craft Tape to attach my BetterPress A2 Porcelain card panel to the BetterPress top plate. I wanted a clean white look, so I used the Porcelain cardstock. In my opinion, BetterPress Cotton Paper or handmade watercolor papers work the best with BetterPress.
- The magnetic lower plate works really well to hold my Bold Color Mix Numbers and Sweeping Celebrations Sentiments impressing plates in place.
- I was careful to ink the impressing plates 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 prefer to roll through the press only once for each plate.
- I liked the sentiment going “uphill” with the “h” and “b” lower than the “y”.
- I rolled my sandwich SLOWLY through my Platinum 6 die cutting machine. I think “Super Slo-Mo” while doing this to help me remember to go VERY slowly.
- The Color Mix Numbers Bundle has coordinating dies that are just beautiful! You can use them with the press plates…or separately.
- You’ll want a good stamp cleaner to clean your BetterPress and press plates. I’ve used Ultra Clean by Hero Arts and it works great!
- I used the specially formulated BetterPress Inks for my pressing. For the “54” card I used Coastal and Clay from the Desert Sun Mini Sampler. For my Happy Anniversary card, I used Wild Berry and French Blue from the Nature Tones Mini Sampler. The black comes in a Full Size and you can find the smaller size in the Regal Tones Mini Ink Set. Waterproof or Hybrid inks as work well. 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.
- My base is Granite cardstock and I used Craft Foam, Bearly Glue and Fashion Jet Enamel Dots to finish my cards.
Spellbinders Color Mix BetterPress Collection
Key Products I Used on My BetterPress LetterPress Prints:
- BetterPress System
- BetterPress Gift Set
- Platinum 6 Die Cutting Machine
- Bold Color Mix Numbers and Dies Bundle (BD-0911)
- Sweeping Celebrations Sentiments (BP-267)
- Bold Color Mix Press Plates (BP-243)
- Bold Numbers Dies (S7-269)
- Porcelain A2 Panels
- BetterPress Inks
- Desert Sun Mini Ink Cube Set
- Nature Tones Mini Ink Cube Set
- Black Better Press Full Size Ink Pad
- Regal Tones Mini Ink Cube Set
- Best Ever Craft Tape
By focusing on clean, minimalist designs with bold colors, you can create cards that feel modern and fresh but have all the charm of traditional letterpress.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Karen
kennyscards.com 