Tecnificio (maker facility in Milan) and Lino's Type (hand-made letterpress in Verona) present Stampomatica: a couple of analogic micro-machines conceived to print business cards and postcards. The project is a powerful expression of digital manufacturing joining the memory of movable type printing with the DIY attitude. Stampomatica fits the purpose to experiment analogic letterpress printing with your own desktop 3D-printer: it's a meeting point between past and future, tradition and innovation. This self-commissioned project allows anyone approach the traditional printing techniques to rediscover their charme and potential.

There are two distinct tendencies in the development of manufacturing that, even in the fervid and innovative context we're at nowadays, don't seam to properly communicate and interact. We have in one side a brunch of craftsmanship trying to conjugate the culture of making in a contemporary fashion trough vintage and on another side, the makers, bringing design and production to the private sphere thanks to innovative technologies. Stampomatica intends to combine this two tendencies in a solution fostering printmaking culture trough 3D Printing and laser cutting technologies. The project is open source by definition.

This project comes from makers' spirit: the know-how and skills of the people combining cutting-age technology and artisan practice. Lino's Type letterpress and Tecnificio design: the results is a clean and linear object, essential in form and mechanics invested with new meaning.

We believe that a personal approach to making will give new perspectives to manufacturing in a context no longer based on the economy of scale, a contest where finance won't prevail on economy and design can't leave aside production and technique. The intimate relationship between designer and consumer creates a new way to approach design problems and consequentially new solutions and new products. Stampomatica begins with this shared vision.

The process started combining the two approaches to production. Lino's Type craftsmanship and Technificio's cutting age technology starting a vivid dialogue to fill the gap that usually divides the two models. Several meeting were held in the letterpress workshop to study the production evaluating risks and opportunities, comparing designers, artisans and consultants point of view. The Lean thinking model was key to the process. Development and design process taked at least one month. Then two months followed: first of all, a series of protoypes were presented and tested during the Maker Faire in Rome (October 2013). After one week, we hold a workshop in Milan for Etsy Italia Team, with some lead users (such craftmen, illustrators and graphic designers). We took part at The Others Art Fair during Turin Art Fair (Artissima) in November. Finally, we decided to start a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, just in time for Christmas.

Production materials:
- CO2 Laser Cut to cut the 8mm HDF boards into the micro-printing press kits.
- VOLTA 3D-printer (producer: Kentstrapper, design: Tecnificio, 2013) to make our first series of clichés (printing plates). We are planning to activate an on-line service to print custom plates on-demand, using several 3D-printer machines (FDM technology).

Material:
Micro-printing press kit: laser cut HDF + metal components.
Printing plates: ABS or PLA.

To print you need also small-format paper sheets (like business card and A6 postcards), water based colors for letterpress-printing and a little felt cutting.

Tecnificio designed two different models for Stampomatica: one can print business cards and the other one is postcard size, designed to print invitations, announcements, coasters, etc. Stampomatica will be available trough web channels also as an open-source project.

Stampomatica combines two makers technologies: laser cut and 3D-printer. The press bodies are designed as a DIY kit, made by a special HDF (high-density wooden fiberboard mixed with natural colored resins). That means strength, flexibility, convenience and appearance, allowing simple and fast wood joinery. The clichès are 3D-printed, using common desktop 3D-printer mounting FDM technology.

This allows to use Stampomatica on several contests. A first approach can take advantage of the straight forward mechanics to get familiar with the basic printing techniques on a try-as-you-go basis. Further practice leads to essential workshops suitable for printmaking teachers, designers, illustrators and typographer. Stampomatica offers a clean and easy way to bring printing projects and making experience to public places, faires and events.

Stampomatica is an open project. Ready to assemble kit and accessories (paper, ink, 3D plates) are available to purchase, hardware and software are free to access to everyone and the presses are free to produce for anyone with FabLab tools and technology at hand. Stampomatica offers three services: a DIY kit to start printing, a 3D plate service for custom design and an open project for makers.