Hans Gremmen of Amsterdam procured this great set of Lucha Libre posters from a letterpress print shop in Mexico City in 2009. I find the following account from Hans truly amazing:
The frequency of these fights is high, which means that new posters are made nonstop. The process of making these posters is therefore very efficient. The technique (letterpress) can provide this efficiency. There is no digital process, no plates, no pre-press. All the fonts, illustrations, sponsor logo’s, lines are already available in the workshop; they only have to be placed in the right order. The printer compiles the posters on the press himself, using these prefab materials. The colours (mostly rainbow-print) are also mixed on the press.
Hard to believe that an outdated printing technique can trump the efficiency of digital production in the 21st century. Here’s the proof:
The posters:
The setup:
The metal pieces are placed in position on the press.
A large selection of luchador masks ready to be placed in the composition on the press.
The ink is mixed and printing is a go!
Done. Maravilloso!