PENDULUM STAMPING
The heart and pride of our ateliers.
Pendulum stamping is a printing technique that uses a balance-beam press, in which the swinging arm is rotated to generate intense, localized pressure from the engraved die onto the support, striking it (whether it is thick paper, cardboard, or leather) to imprint a sharp, precise design.
Here, relief and color work in harmony to create a unique result, like a small, colorful bas-relief sculpture on your paper.
It is even possible to create multi-color prints.
Ideal for printing medals, seals, official letterheads, and luxury stationery, this artisanal process guarantees a crisp print, valued for its elegant finish and authentic character.
If you’re considering a career as a president or a pope, this is the process for you.
Balance-beam stamping was on the verge of disappearing in Europe with the retirement of its last practitioner, Éric Lejeune.
Fortunately, when we took over his company, he trained our master printer, Benoist Dallay, who in turn trained about a dozen apprentices in order to perpetuate the survival of this precious and inimitable Parisian technique.
You have to see it to believe it, so ask to see and admire under a magnifying glass our specimen sheets of monograms created using the pendulum technique.
It is the most beautiful way to personalize your business cards or letterhead thanks to our vast collection of monograms.
We have a pendulum at the boutique for quick orders, and two at our workshop for larger runs.
LETTERPRESS PRINTING
Originating in China and popularized in Europe by Gutenberg work in the 15th century, letterpress profoundly transformed the transmission of knowledge and the written word.
In this meticulous art, every letter, number, or punctuation mark first exists as a small, independent metal block—like pieces of a puzzle that are assembled to bring a text to life. These raised characters, carefully inked, are then pressed onto the paper by a printing press.
Manual typesetting has an almost mysterious quality: the typesetter picks up the characters one by one in his composing stick, reading backward, from right to left, as if in a mirror. The lines thus formed were placed in a rigid frame—the type case—ready to meet the paper.
While the principle of printing remained the same, industrialization brought advances that facilitated typesetting: the Linotype (1886) cast entire lines in a single block of metal, while the Monotype (1887) produced each character separately, offering valuable flexibility for corrections. In both cases, the resulting typographic form constituted a true relief image, inked and carefully pressed onto the support.
For five centuries, this technique dominated the world of printing, before gradually giving way to offset and digital printing.
However, it continues to appeal to those who appreciate beauty, feel nostalgic, or are simply drawn to the tactile and unique character it offers. Technical advances, such as the production of polymer printing plates, have helped speed up the preparation process.
At the Papier Royal print shop, two Heidelberg presses—the famous model nicknamed “Red Ball” or “The Windmill””—are used for letterpress printing.
It is thanks to these presses that all the notebooks, cards, and labels available in our shop have been printed.
They can also print all your special orders for cards, letterheads, or even limited-edition books.
HOT STAMPING
Your words written in gold.
This decorative finishing technique involves applying a metal foil to the support using a heated metal die (made of magnesium, brass, or copper) under pressure.
It is this heat that activates the adhesive on the gold, silver, or holographic foil, fixing the design with precision and brilliance.
Used in bookbinding, high-end packaging, and stationery, it lends a luxurious and sophisticated look to the items it adorns.
It can be combined with embossing for a striking metallic relief effect.
This is how the Papier Royal crest is applied to the back of our notebooks.
Request hot stamping for your business cards or special projects such as book covers and gift boxes.
EMBOSSING
Embossing is a mechanical process in which pressure shapes the material: the substrate (paper, cardboard, or leather) is placed between two complementary dies to create a raised or recessed pattern.
It can be simple (without ink or color), and becomes truly sumptuous when combined with hot foil stamping.
A descendant of the very earliest forms of human communication, embossing invites the sense of touch to engage with the eye. It transcends traditional printing to offer something more intimate, more sensual.
Depending on the angle, the edges of the pattern catch the light differently and cast a subtle shadow on your material.
Highly prized in high-end packaging, stationery, and bookbinding, it adds a distinctive tactile and visual dimension to printed materials.
