Press A Card II

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with Press A Card for an informal interview. Khun Nirut, owner, designer, and printer of Press A Card gave me the tour.

Trained as a Graphic Designer at Pratt, Nirut has worked for various design firms, including CNN. Alongside his work at Press A Card, Nirut teaches visual communication at Rangsit University in Bangkok. His wife, Khun Aum, is the managing director.

Press A Card is located off of Sukhumvit Soi 71. The building has two letterpress shops side by side; one belongs to his aunt's family, the second to his family. The family businesses continue to print receipt paper, invoices, and business cards; which is the largest market for letterpress printing in Thailand.

The Thai built press that started the shop is seated on the right. The press seated on the left is a Chinese model.

Nirut's family shop as seen from the 2nd floor

Left over jobs in movable type. Nirut jokes that each shelf is a computer folder containing various jobs for a business.

Like many people who grew up in family printshops, Nirut learned about movable type from redistributing spacing material before moving on to letter forms. After studying and working in the States, Nirut now turns to the press operators in his family's shops to learn how to use the machinery. Some of these men have been employed here for 20 years or more. 

Along with Thai type, there is also some Chinese type.

An employee of his aunt's business readies the Heidelberg.

The original cases from Charoen Aksorn Type foundry.

Two Thai founderies were RAS and Charoen Aksorn Type Foundry. Both of these foundries have since closed.

Most of the plates that are currently used zinc plates. There are several family run shops in Bangkok and around Thailand that produce these plates.