Printing on Kluge….is it ok?

I’ve talked to a few shops around and when I tell them I want to print on a Kluge I get a pause from everyone like it’s not the best thing to do.

Why doesn’t anyone use Kluges for printing? Why is the Heidelberg the preferred machine for printing?

Log in to reply   14 replies so far

casmit, are you pronouncing it
Klu-ghee o Kluge ryhming with fudge?
Letterpress are letterpress why do you require a Kluge?
Platens are good for certain jobs as cylinders are good for other jobs. It is really the printer who makes the best choice which press to put the job on assuming he has
the machinery to work from. best james

Klu Gee is how I’m pronouncing it. (hard G like girl)

Letterpress are not letterpress is what I’m learning. Different letterpress are preferred for different types of paper, sizes of print, size of job, etc.

Just trying to find the best letterpress for my application. Qty of 300 or less, 2-3 color, 220lb or thicker paper.

I printed on a Kluge for a few years and loved it. Why did the people you asked say “its not the best thing to do”?

A Heidelberg is a great press, however, if the HW is your first press it could get overwhelming if your don’t have instruction first.

The overall sentiment is the Kluge is best left to die cutting and foil stamping. I never get a clear answer as to why so that’s what I opened a discussion here.

I figured I get some additional input. One guy said the setup and registration for each job is just a pain to work with. Specifically since I’m not doing very large volume for each job.

I print every day on a kluge, i think their ink system is better than a windmill. i do my foil stamping on a windmill and most of my printing on the kluge. Dick G.

any problems with setup Dick? How long does the average print job take to get ready?

casmit, There are two kinds of letterpress cylinders and platens, both kinds are letterpress. As I stated above
different press’ different jobs’ the presspersons experience
dictates the best press for the job. Make ready varies
from job to job and experience is key. From my understanding you are learning that performance varies
from press to press but in the end they are all letterpress.
I would like to know which letterpress’ are not letterpress’
and where you learned that. best james

I agree with dickg about the kluge. I have windmills and kluges and use both. If I have a big diecutting job, I sometimes run both at the same time, but prefer not to. If you are familiar with both, the kluge is the easiest to makeready. A line gauge (pica pole for compositors) is imperative in makeready. Learn to think in picas/points — not inches.

The Kluge is a fine press. I had the benefit of learning about them in a shop with several senior pressmen to help juniors ‘learn the trade’. I can see that it may little dificult for a newbe without assistance. I urge you to keep trying and reach out to the kind people on this board, when you have questions.

I went ahead with the Kluge purchase based on all the input from everyone on this board. You all have been very helpful.

I’m looking forward to using it. It only has two rollers on it though….would it help to add two more?

We have a 12 x 18 auto feed Kluge letterpress. Searching for someone to help us learn the fine art of producing quality

Since the early 60s I have printed on C&P, Kluges and Heidelberg, cylinders and platens.

The questions is are you doing mulit-color work?

If you are the Heidelberg cylinders or platens is the answer.

If the sheet size is under 8.5x11 the platen is best.

The Kluge does a great job on one color work. It is it the multi-color work that the Kluge takes more time working with.

A Heidelberg cylinders or platens with a good lock up of the form(s) will print super great multi-color work with less make ready time.

If you are doing hand feed printing on the Kluge, multi-color will do okay. It the auto feeding that will drive a press person crazy on multi-color work.

The heidelberg advantage is accuracy, speed , quick to adjust , a sheer collar to cover your ass , takes five minutes to replace and you carry spare ones for the eventuality of an overload . change from die cutting to print in twenty minutes , quick to wash up colour to colour ,quick to remove rollers if you colour change that way as i do ,the big things like the kluge look to my way of thinking like a machine for the arty types who dont want twenty thousand runs . a heidelberg platen is no different in reality from a kluge except it comes from a different age and there fore has a place for short run work but is suited to multi tasks that the kluge would be bogged down by .an automatic machine gives you time to prepare the next job while running the last !

I usually choose my Kluge for diecutting because it delivers the diecut sheets better than my Windmill.
I have bridge rollers for my Kluge, so with heavy forms it has superior inking to my Windmill.
Other than that I don’t have a strong preference, but I have both. If I had to get by with just one press, I think I would choose the Kluge. The Kluge is not as well engineered as the Heidelberg but they are easy to maintain, spare parts are inexpensive and easy to get, and they are more open and easy to work on when something goes wrong.