Our newest press is a
2008 LED, full colour digital.
Craft and technology combined.
The key to your success!
We want to help you. Please phone!
Mark & Graham Pressman
Home to Roost
Crowden Road
Eccles-on Sea
Norfolk NR12 0SJ
Telephone 01692 582 292
Mobile:- 07990 731 058
email graham.pressman at catseyepress.co.uk
Box-making, Wide format, Embossing, Folding, Perforating, Book-Binding, Padding,
Laminating, Screen Printing for fabrics and high density spot colour etc.
Original Catseye Press proprietor, A. A. Slaney worked out of Meadow Studios in Hertfordshire, where a number of artists had set up from the 1880's as part of the Sir Hubert von Herrkomer Art School, from the time that he inherited everything at Number Two, Meadow Studios from, artist, Frank Goulding, in 1962. By that time he had been printing, using his Imperial Iron Hand Press for quite some years, following de-mob from National Service. We still have this press, dated 1858, to this day and it is a regular work-horse in our arsenal of ancient and modern equipment. It was not until 1968 that Graham first began to learn his trade as a printer under A. A. Slaney, at the age of 14 years. At the time, Catseye Press commonly employed a Columbian iron hand press (which went, eventually, to an enthusiast in The Americas), a Golding Jobber treadle platen, and an electric Victoria parallel approach platen, for it's day to day work, printing from lead type, wood and linoleum blocks, which were engraved or cut by hand, as appropriate. Also available was a Lithographic press, which was used to print from sandstone, upon which aquaphobic images had been drawn by hand.
Having achieved a first grade, Credit, qualification in Bookcraft, aged 16, Graham served as apprentice, first in the composing department, the finishing room and finally, the press room over a five year period, during which time he also studied at Watford Colledge of Technology and Art, where he qualified to City & Guilds Advanced 'Credit' Standard as a Letterpress and Photogravure Printer, Graham then served two further years as an "improver". By that time he was aged 23 years and had established himself as a master printer, in his own right.
A. A. Slaney never did retire from Catseye Press Press, and died in hospital in June 2004 aged 84, following a succesful routine operation. It was then that Graham inherited Catseye Press, after 36 years of close and continuous association. At that time, Catseye Press had one Albion iron hand press (built 1863 and acquired from Stevenson Blake in the early 70's), the orignial Imperial iron hand press (built 1858) and a Cropper platen as well as fully operational composing and finishing departments. In all those years, Catseye Press had never advertised.
Graham has invested in an up to date, brand new, full colour digital printing press, thermo-die-sublimation and thermo-vinyl, fabric printing equipment, state-of-the-art computers, pneumatic hot-foiling presses (which only serve to temporarily substitute for the gas-fired Imperial foiling press, which Graham has now acquired and of which his is impatiently awaiting delivery), engraving and mechanical platemaking machinery and photopolymer plate-making equipment, to supliment the iron hand presses, and a great deal of other modern finishing equipment (paper drilling, laminating, book-binding and even a fairly modern electrically powered paper guillotine). Despite the new machinery, the old iron hand presses are still in daily use. Mark now works with Graham, learning the trade and the traditional methods, as well as engaging in the most modern of the processes involved, aboslutely including computer, scanners and the softare involved. Whilst Mark & Graham are both thoroughly experienced with these modern technologies, the centuries-old skills are not being lost!
In this year's infamously difficult economic climate, Catseye Press is gently expanding in several specialist markets. The keys being very personal levels of service and a life-time of skills aquisition and practice.
Since writing this brief history, up to date toner-foiling, two cold digital presses, a 6 colour, 4 station screen press and a 19th century blocking press have been acquired.
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