Sarah Whorf

My Conrad Story-

"I first became familiar with the Combination press, while a graduate student and subsequently when I taught printmaking, at California State University, Northridge. When I inherited money from my Grandmother Whorf, I was able to purchase one for myself in 2000. I like to think that she would have approved of my capital investment!

The thing that I like the most about the Combination press is not the ease of changing out the top roller to use it for stone lithography, and I never really expected to do this. As it turns out I have not ever used this feature, as soon after I received the press I began doing waterless plate lithography, which I could print just fine with the upper roller in place. What was and is the best feature of the press is the fact that the press has the functionality of a free moving press bed, like a lithography press. The bed can be released and pulled back quickly after printing. As a relief printmaker, and one who is printing a lot of editions, I find it excellently suited for fast printing and I love the ease and speed of the electric motor. In the last year I have begun to print letterpress on the Combination press. I have had excellent results using a large hand-made chase to lock-up type, and have printed broadsides and included letterpress into my relief prints. The upper roller can easily be raised high enough to accommodate the type, as it would need to do this for stone lithography. I have found that etching presses do not necessarily have this capability.

We moved from Los Angeles in 2005 to Humboldt County in Northern California. Once I explained how the press was THE most important single item that they were moving for us, the movers were great, and easily loaded it up on dollies and got it safely to my new studio. Since I have been teaching at Humboldt State University, we were able to use California Lottery Money to purchase a Conrad Combination press for our printmaking program, and, as I fully expected, it has been an excellent addition to our studio. We use it daily for all intaglio, relief, monotype and plate lithography processes.

The "lithographic" features of the press have become the most important to me. I am passionate about this press and find that it is eminently suited to the kind of printmaking that I do, as well as being a reliable workhorse in a university studio setting. Conrad Machine Company takes an obvious pride and care in their product line, and I appreciate that. They attend the printmaking conferences and are interested in and welcome our feedback and ideas about their presses and products. As my press is part of my home studio and integral to my art making, I like knowing that I have a press that was made by such dedicated and caring manufacturer. "