The corner of Washington and W. Tupper is a busy one- from this point, downtown traffic bottlenecks before splitting at the entrance to the 33 or turning down Oak St. to get on the 190. At peak hours, but indeed throughout the work day, hundreds of cars pass the the old, brick building on the NW corner, the offices and presses of Printing Prep Inc., and the former fire station containing their division, Leader All-Surface Printing on the opposite corner. But how many of these commuters know the incredible story of the business contained in these two buildings? I got a first-rate tour from Betty Leader, and came away astounded by Leader's history, diversity and capability.
The biggest factor in Leader's success is their connection to local printing history. Hal Leader began the company in 1968, having studied under Emil Georg Sahlin who was one of the original Roycrofters (with Elbert Hubbard), and one of the last of the old-school printers who worked with actual movable type his entire career. This solid foundation in traditional typesetting and layout has been the basis of Leader's quality and service ever since, even as printing technology has evolved.
As a result of this long history, their building contains an astounding collection of old printing devices, from wood engravings, inked metal type and presses to vintage late 1800's typewriters, some of which had variable type (font) capability long before the well-known IBM Selectric golfball. But Paradise Press (as it's known) is no stodgy museum- these presses are still rolling. Locals with expertise in traditional typesetting still drop by from time to time to set and print, employing technology and processes descended directly from Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg. The front windows along Tupper also display some of the no longer in-service presses and an old flatbed scanner.
Bill Watson is shown working on one of his keepsake flyers.
With respect to the current printing scene, a part of the secret to Leader's flexibility is their exceptionally high-tech printer, a Leggett & Platt 2500 UV printer. With this technology, Leader can print on anything rigid up to about 4' x 8' and up to 2.5" thick. The printer works like an ink-jet printer in an eco-friendly way, without solvents. As the print heads cross the printing surface, an ultraviolet light follows behind, instantly setting the ink. Betty told me that when they first got the machine, the employees went a little nuts, printing on everything they could get their hands on- which explains the Sistine-chapel ceiling-tiles (see slideshow) and artistic vents (slideshow, again).
According to Betty, "The creativity of our customers drives innovation," which is well-exemplified by a recent project for a company producing faux-hardwood tables. The Company's art director (in conjunction with Leader's own personnel) designed the surface graphic, which is printed upon a thick, adhesive-backed paper and then applied to the tabletop surface, resulting an a rich, polished real-wood look and feel. Other projects Leader has undertaken have been printing custom/reproduction wallpaper, printing for local artists, and printing on translucent vinyls and plastics for backlit signs, and 6' close-up portraits of Buffalo Sabres players printed on sheet metal for HSBC Arena.
When next you consider your need to print just about anything on just about anything (how about: bricks!), or are simply waiting for the light to change at Washington & Tupper, think about the history and capability of Buffalo's Printing Prep Inc. and Leader All-Surface Printing (and yes, they also printed the "stained glass" on the fire station door!)