Chapbooks
Poetry and short fiction, hand-sewn bindings, small editions.
Independent letterpress & print shop
Hold thepresses.
Control the Press is an independent print shop opening in 2027. Zines, chapbooks, gig posters, cards and short-run books, set by hand and pulled one sheet at a time on a cast-iron Chandler & Price.
PLATE No. 01INK · PAPER · PRESSURE
Zines Chapbooks Gig posters Broadsides Business cards Wedding suites Short-run books Bookplates Coasters Tickets
The iron
Meet the Chandler & Price.
The details make the impression. A contemporary engraved illustration inspired by the original iron.
Chandler & Price platen presses were built in Cleveland, Ohio, and became the workhorse of small American job shops for most of the last century. Cast iron, a flywheel the size of a wagon wheel, and a foot treadle. No screens, no toner. Just ink, paper and pressure.
- Type
- Platen (clamshell) press
- Built in
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Made of
- Mostly cast iron
- Power
- One foot on the treadle
- Speed
- One sheet at a time
“Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.”— A. J. Liebling
The type case
What we'll print.
Short runs for people who'd rather own their words. If it's paper and it needs ink, it probably belongs in this drawer.
DRAWER A
Zines & comics
Folded, stapled and slightly dangerous. Covers on the platen, guts however you like.
DRAWER B
DRAWER C
Gig posters
Big wood type, loud colors, made for telephone poles.
DRAWER D
Business cards
Thick cotton stock you can feel the bite in.
DRAWER E
Broadsides
A single poem, manifesto or headline, printed to frame.
DRAWER F
Wedding & event suites
Invitations, menus, place cards and save-the-dates with real impression.
DRAWER G
Short-run books
Covers, title pages and limited editions for indie authors and small presses.
DRAWER H
Ephemera
Bookplates, coasters, tickets, tags, labels and anything else small enough to lose.
Drawers open 2027Custom enquiries welcome
Try the press
Pull a proof.
A little digital ink before the real thing. Type your words, choose an ink, then pull the lever. Your proof stays in this browser.
Blank sheet, ready to print
Control the Press · Proof
THUNK.
How it works
Four steps, no shortcuts.
i.
Set
Each letter is chosen by hand and arranged in a composing stick, ready for the press.
ii.
Lock up
The type is locked into a steel chase with wood furniture and quoins so nothing wiggles.
iii.
Ink
Ink goes on the disc, the rollers spread it thin and carry it across the type.
iv.
Pull
The platen closes, the paper meets the type, and the impression is there for good.
A note to the print shopHave something
Have something
worth printing?
A zine that needs a cover. A poem that deserves a wall. A question about the shop. Tell us what’s on your mind.
We’re preparing for 2027. This is an enquiry, not an order or a confirmed production date.
Coming 2027
Get on the list.
Leave your email for one opening announcement in 2027. The first impression is still to come.