Here at the Blockshop within Photocast, we produce, high quality, fine detailed plates for the letterpress printing and hot foiling industries.

The process of chemical etching using our specialised equipment has enabled us to achieve a well-deserved reputation for crisp platemaking, with a quick turnaround, at a good price. We can provide plates in Magnesium or Zinc. We can help you decide which thickness of plate is suitable for your project.

Magnesium comes in five gauges (or thicknesses): 16 gauge 1.6mm, 12 gauge 3mm, 8 gauge 4mm, 5 gauge 5mm and 3 gauge 6.3mm. Zinc plates, if preferred, are made in 16 gauge. 16 gauge plates have a depth of etch of 0.75mm, which is fine for printing, debossing or foiling onto any flat material such as paper or smooth flat card. 5 gauge plates have a depth of etch of 2mm, which is more suitable for thicker, softer material, or material with a texture. We can etch slightly more than 2mm on request.

Our clients include artists, universities, bookbinders and restorers, fine letterpress printers, packaging printers using Braille embossing, pottery companies, tinplate printers/makers, leather goods manufacturers, wheelie bin producers and many others.

For letterpress printing it may be necessary for us to mount each block to achieve ‘type height’. We offer two options. For ‘type high’ blocks of 0.918” (23.3mm) we can mount either 16 gauge on a pre-ground MDF board or the deeper etched 5 gauge onto 18mm MDF. Some adjustment in the ‘make ready’ is usual. Zinc plates can also be mounted.

Our 3 gauge plates can be used for debossing onto a lot of materials including leather. They can also be used to print and deboss onto wheelie bins produced by waste management companies.

If you want to make an impression on something – look no further and give us a call or send us a message. For our latest price list, please click here.