How can i fix uneven impressions with a vintage letterpress and thick stock?

[Stephen.W]

I finally got my hands on a vintage press for my letterpress setup, but I’m struggling to get a clean, even impression on thicker cardstock. The type seems to bite in okay on one side of the sheet but comes out faint on the other, even after I’ve spent hours on the makeready. Has anyone else run into this kind of inconsistency with older equipment?

[Brian36]

Yep, that happens with old gear. One side bites nicely, the other fades because the bed or platen isn’t truly flat anymore, or the chase has a tiny twist. I’ve seen a slight dip in the platen throw show up as a weaker impression across the sheet in older letterpress setups. I spent a long afternoon tweaking the bed height with shims and hauled the press out for a straightedge check on the bed. It helped a little, but it’s still not perfectly even.

[Jack.T]

I did a few dry runs on cheap stock and measured the impression depth at all four corners; there were small but real differences. I rebuilt the packing and re-seated the chase, but the variance crept back after a few sheets. It felt endless.

[Justin.S]

Could the real issue be the stock itself rather than the press?

[EvelynQW]

Sometimes I fixate on a squeak or a loose bed screw and chase a phantom problem. Then I step back and notice the ink is carrying differently across the sheet even on the same run—contrast a bit higher on one side, lower on the other. Maybe I just need a break.