The floor-standing, full-size platen press was the workhorse of the printing job shop for most of the twentieth century. Originally developed shortly before the Civil War, these presses were powered by a foot-operated treadle, creating a "clamshell" action while the operator hand-fed the paper. With the demise of commercial letterpress in the second half of the twentieth century, thousands of these presses were scrapped. Often available today from old print shops depending on size, condition, location, and whether or not they are motorized the biggest challenge and expense is moving these bulky, heavy machines. Nevertheless, they serve as the mainstay for hobbyists who do mostly longer runs {hundreds to thousands} of smaller-size jobs, as well as a few commercial printers who use them for scoring, perforating and die-cutting.

{Price: up to $750}

{examples: Chandler & Price, Golding Jobber, Pearl, Damon & Peets}