The Bearford Press

We are local printers with a lifetime of experience within the printing industry.

Our printshop is situated in the East Lothian countryside, just a few miles east of Haddington (see map). We offer quality printwork using the folowing methods ...

• Lithography
• Letterpress
• Foil Blocking

Using these techniques we can give you that traditional look so hard to achieve on modern printing presses these days.

Lithography (litho-printing) is used for our day to day single colour and 2-colour work. You will find litho-presses in most small printshops. This method would be used for most standard stationery and business forms.

Letterpress printing is making a come-back, especially in the US, but increasingly here in the UK. It is idealy suited for official invitations on heavy card and you will notice the difference when you feel the print, pressed into the paper, something that can only be achieved with letterpress. All letterpress printing is carried out on our original Heidelberg Platen press (see picture above and left).

Foil Blocking is also done on our Heidelberg. This is achieved with the aid of a specially made die, which prints a thin layer of metallic foil onto the underlying paper or card. The design (crest, logo, text etc.) now stands out in metallic gold, silver or any other foil colours available. This technique can also be combined with embossing, where the design is raised.

We also supply high quality full colour print, both digital or traditional 4-colour, at good prices and a quick turn-around.

How to get something printed ...

a.) Your Printing Needs

On the right hand side is a list of typical printing needs for business, clubs and organisations and private stationery. These are just examples, so feel free to contact us regards any printing work you need done. If we cannot do the work ourselves, we may be able to help you find what you're looking for.

b.) Printing Brief

If you have any print requirements, small or large, please contact us by email or phone (see contact page). In general we prefer to have an informal chat here at Bearford or, if you prefer, we could come and see you at your home or business address. During the brief, we will discuss what it is you require and the means by which this can be achieved. At this point we would need any skeches, scribbles, logos, images or text relevant to the job. We can show you paper samples and you can select the colours. It would also be helpful if you can give us a rough idea of the quantities you require.

Of course we may also be able to take any artwork prepared for you or material you have prepared yourself. Please note that in some cases we may have to redo or transfer material if it is in a format we cannot use directly (e.g. MSPublisher, MSWord files).

c.) Design

We also offer a full graphic design and layout service to help you develop your initial ideas or to build new ideas from scratch. Our designer has worked with us for many years and he can usually produce a proof for your approval within a few days. Proofs will be presented to you as a pdf file by e-mail or, if you wish, as a printed copy. Please note that colours may differ slightly beween proofs and final print. If colour matching is important we suggest you visit the printshop and select your colours from a Pantone colour guide. Design and typesetting work is charged separately and will be invoiced out even if you do not go to print.

d.) Final Proof and going to print

Once you have approved the design, we may ask you to sign off the final proof. This is also a good time to decide on the printing method, paper stock and quantities, if this hasn't already been discussed during the briefing. Once the job is approved it will go to print, so please make sure that you have properly proof-read and checked everything before you sign off, because this is what will be printed and you will be committed.

If you have any further question, please feel free to contact us.