Press ratings

Press ratings are based upon

1. The ability to do top quality prints both intaglio and relief.
2. The ability to do intaglio easily, time after time without the strain being on you.
3. The ability of the press to endure overloading and other abuse over long periods.This is load rating.
4. The ability to adjust and re-adjust simply and quickly for all types of printing.
5. The ability of the press to be maintenance free.
6. The ability of the press to have a level of portability without compromising on the presses integrity (materials & construction).
7. The ability of the press needing repair, using standard parts .

These are the aspects that make a press a good etching/relief press and I consider the benchmark rating to be 7.

Boxer 50cm –	10.5
Boxer 45cm –	11.0
Kudos 40cm –	9.0
Kudos 45cm –	8.5
Gem 40cm –	8.5
Gem 45cm –	8.0
Pequeno 30cm –	8.0
Piccolo 30cm –	7.8

Other Press Information

Press ratings are Higher for narrower beds, why. This assumes they are using the full width of the bed on the wider presses. It’s a correlation between gear ration and bed width. The narrower the press for a given design is stronger and has greater rigidity. Many press manufacurers seem to be unaware of this . They keep the same side frames from their smaller presses and just add wider rollers. This is amateur and will be fatal. The integrity of the press must be upgraded. This is the ability of the structure to withstand the stress for wider rollers . Rollers and side frames need to be upgraded .

These ratings are based on my many years in engineering and in press manufacture. I believe I am one of the longest manufacturers of presses in the UK.

I hope this helps choosing an etching press .