Block Makers
Nylon or Metal
If you are new to this area, you will definitely need advice from your supplier regarding the preparation — and suitability for blockmaking — of ‘artwork’ (i.e. the original you have to hand). The original you want to reproduce has to fall within certain limits for the supplied block to produce anything like a satisfactory result. This particularly applies to fine cross-hatching on drawings to become line blocks, and to the ‘contrast’ of photographs, intended to become half-tone blocks.
For nylons (polymer), the man we always use is a tiny one man band, with very reasonable prices, he supplies mounted or un-mounted as required.
E.T. Sparrow, Esq.,
19, Salcombe Road
Lipson
Plymouth
Devon
PL4 7NE
e.sparrow@tiscali.co.uk
A more commercial outfit is:
Peacock Blockmaking Ltd (Mr Guy)
6, William Street
Berkhamsted
Herts
HP4 2EL
Tel: 01442 872956
And finally there's at least one larger scale commercial blockmaking business left, supplying the full range of nylon, and metal (zinc and magnesium at different prices) line and half-tone blocks. No longer in Manchester, see new address below:
The Block Shop
Photocast Products Ltd
78, Venture Point West
Speke
Liverpool
L24 9TB
Tel: 0151 486 2821
photocastproducts@btinternet.com
There are others, often involved mostly with making dies for gold foil blocking.
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