12 September 2011

British Engraved Stationery Association Meet Print Designers At St. Brides Library

A reception was held last month in the beautiful and spacious conference hall at the St Brides Library, Fleet Street, to introduce print buyers and designers in London and beyond, to engraved stationery and diestamping. In conjunction with GF Smith, the specialist paper merchants, the British Engraved Stationery Association (BESA) welcomed well over one hundred guests to this evening event.

After an introduction from GF Smith, Tim Honnor of Piccolo Press, and Chairman of BESA gave a presentation on the art of engraving and diestamping. With suitable videos and slides, shown to good advantage on a large screen above the heads of the audience, he was able to describe this beautiful printing process in more detail. Guests saw movie clips of the large die presses and associated machinery, as Tim said "without a microchip in sight". He was also able to display some stunning pictures of multi coloured diestamping that were received by the audience with great interest – and some awe. He emphasised the skill required to produce engraved stationery, both from the engraver and the pressman. Such was the interest that he had to show his presentation three times!!

Guests mingled with members of BESA to chat and network. They were able to see a live demonstration of copperplate engraving and buy a specialist book "Images of Engraving", specially produced by BESA for the education of print buyers and designers.

Fortified with wine and canapés, and laden down with samples of papers from G F Smith, guests eventually left, all saying that they had had a very enjoyable evening that had furthered their education about print. It is hoped (and expected) that many more designers will now consider the opportunities afforded by diestamping and engraved stationery when considering a print process.

The success of the evening could not have been achieved with out the organisational help from the British Printing Industries Federation, the involvement of GF Smith, and the co-operation of the staff at St Brides Library.