The machines in the workshop

Discover the different machines that have served for printing and producing prints, some of which are still being used today.

During your visit to the printing workshop – Imagerie, you can discover different machines that have served or are still being used in the production of prints.

The biggest machines that make up the workshops are:

  • 2 Aquatypes which are machines invented, created and manufactured in France. They make possible the production of big series of drawings with bright colours using 9 stencils. It is possible to replace hand stencils in order to reduce the difficult working conditions and to increase productivity. These machines were presented at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1901 and were acquired around 1902 by the printing workshop –Imagerie d’Épinal. Today, there are two of them in the workshop which are classified as immovable monuments of Historic Interest. One belongs to the Town of Épinal and the other to the County Council.
  • 1 Heidelberg (or printing press), which consists of printing texts or illustrations on paper by exerting strong pressure for all the characters to be inked onto the print.
  • 2 Linotype. It was the first machine that allowed for composition work, previously done manually, to be performed using an alphanumeric keyboard. It is a method of type setting and aims to write entire lines of texts which can then be assembled in pages, inked and printed.
  • Screw-type lithographic presses are machines that are used to exert great pressure on a wood or wood-marble printing surface, thanks to the manual tightening by screws.
  • Cutters, which are machines used to cut surfaces such as paper to prepare sheets and shape them for printing.
  • Stencils called "pedalboards", are used to cut stencils in a precise way, without the person having to do it by hand. You have to be very skilful and precise.

You can also discover other machines on site, some of them more modern...