Letterpress lives on

Sir, – As a retired printer I was intrigued by the article about Dominique Lieb doing Gutenberg-era printing in Co Kerry (Lorna Siggins, Books, August 31st). The machine pictured is a Heidelberg platen with a top speed of 5,000 impressions per hour. This is fast even today. As for reviving letterpress printing, up until the mid-1980s The Irish Times was printed letterpress with movable type. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN DERMODY,

Glenview Court,

Blessington,

Co Wicklow.