Keeping Tradition Alive in Print

From stationery to art prints, Prelogram‘s selection of colourful printings can decorate a room or add a touch of professionalism to your business card.

But what makes their work special is the process used to create their products.

Back in 2011, Prelogram rescued a considerable amount of historic printing machinery from being destroyed and sold for scrap. These old machines have been part of the printing industry for more than a century. But with the arrival of the digital platform, they were soon abandoned and quickly replaced by faster digital printers.

But now, Prelogram have resuscitated these heavy pieces of machinery and given them a new lease of life. During the Clerkenwell Design Week, a fully operational Linotype linecasting machine has been set up at the “Look Mum No Hands” café. For the price of £10, you could print a personalised text onto a smart looking Prelogram notebook. You are not only buying a good product but having the pleasure of seeing it being prepared and printed through an ancient machine.

After a few loud bangs coming from within the machine and a few fiddly manipulations, the operator then enters the text with the help of a large metal keyboard – similar to one you would find on a computer, but with a few more years of existence. If you thought operating a keyboard and a mouse was tricky enough, don’t even attempt to give this kind of machinery a go.

Prelogram are one of the few companies still operating mechanical Linotype printing machines, and their expertise and sense of design is shown in their work. This process not only gives character to their product, but makes it more interesting when you know the amount of work involved and the means used to produce it.