There is a Swiss Proof 40 listed for sale in Pasadena CA. I also listed it in the Equipment for sale category.

There is a Control 800 listed on I-O-Auctions.com for sale in Tielt, Belgium. I also listed it in the Equipment for sale category.

Yes, we did it! 
Our little community has now grown to a hundred members. Olé!

I would like to say thank you to all the printmakers who registered their presses, sent me photos and provided all the information of their studios! This is great! 
And I would also like to say thank you to FAG Lausanne and especially Mr. Orville, who is always helpful with providing us with tons of informations, great support and also spare parts. Without the help of Mr. Orville, www.proofpress.ch would have never been possible to realize. Thank you. 

We're still keeping our eyes and arms open to welcome some more registrations. Next goal would be 150 members... haha.  If you know any other printmakers or museums who still have/operate a FAG letterpress proof press, let me know and I'll contact them!

Some of our latest registrations are: 
FAG Control 405 at Rainbow Studio, Sachsen, Germany
3 FAG presses at HKB Druckatelier, Bern, Switzerland 
FAG Standard AP-510 Type&Press, Gent, Belgium
FAG Control 900 at Fotoclub, Gränichen, Switzerland
FAG Control 525 at Le Solitaire,  Alizay, France
3 FAG presses at Museum für Druckkunst, Leipzig, Germany

Xavier Michel from «Au Chiffon d'Encre» (in Meslin-l'Evêque, Belgium) recently posted a video of him printing on his very rare FAG Control 800.  See the registration of his press here.

There is a Standard CP-550 for sale in Germany, near Mannheim. It needs to go very soon! I listed it in the Equipment for sale category.

A warm welcome to: 

FAG Standard AP 550 from Slowprint, Hellmond, Netherlands

FAG Control 800 from Au Chiffon d'encre, Meslin-l'Evêque, Belgium

FAG Swiss Proof 52 from Atelier Dugrip-Picard-Jacomet, Sète, France

FAG Control 405 from Graficki Atelje Mrakuzic, Samobor, Croatia

FAG Control 525 from Grafička radionica ABAco, Nova Gradiska, Croatia

Welcome to the club!

FAG Control 405 from Strong Arm Press in Brisbane, Australia

FAG Swiss Proof 52 from Taller Experimental de Gráfica, La Habana, Cuba

FAG Control 405 from The Print Faculty, Cheltenham, United Kingdom

FAG Standard AP-550 and Standard TP-510 from P98a, Berlin, Germany

The proofpress webpage just underwent some major updates this week. The registration part was just growing too big for the initial page, so we had to restructure some sections. The guys from SUPERNOVÆ (Berlin) did a fantastic job implementing all the new features. Thanks alot!
The navigation is now structured a bit different and has different names – but basically you still find all the same information on the webpage. All the images now have a lightbox. By clicking on the [+] you can browse and click through the images in bigger size. The whole printing press still in use part of the webpage has been restructured in the «Shop / Studio» section. All the studios are now sorted alphabetically which helps alot to browse through.

Right now, the proofpress.ch webpage has 79 registrations from 17 countries. Great! If you still know any more printmakers working with FAG proof presses – please let me know and I contact them to register their presses. Feedback is always welcome!

Proofpress.ch is growing! The since the platform has been released in 2012 I have now 75 press registrations from a total of 17 countries. I really hope I can push it still a little more. But also the webpage needs major updates to still fit these 75+ registrations. I am cleaning up the layout right now and discussing to my programmer to get and see if I can bring up the budget for these updates.

I still have a list of over 20 contacts of printmakers that are still working with FAG proof presses. But with some of them it is really hard to reach and talk to them... So if anyone might still know printmakers working with FAG presses or anyone want to help me out with contacting printmakers! You are very welcome to do so!

I found this image of the FAG Record in my digital archive of files. It was a very small contact print from the 1950ies. Still I wanted to use it, since this is probably one of the last image left from that press. It is very hard to get information about the FAG RECORD. Probably it was built in the late 1940ies until the mid 1950ies in Singen. I could not find any more information about this machine in the archives at FAG Lausanne or even at former Haas & Kellhofer in Singen, Germany.

Even Former Chief Engineer at FAG Manufactury Avenches) only saw this model once while he needed to repair one in Sweden (probably around the early 1970ies). He never saw any FAG Record ever since. He also mentioned that repairing it was very complicated because of the central driven cylinder carriage. 

The construction was probably pretty compareable to the central driven Vandercook 219 P that was built in the 1950ies. It is also possible that the size was compareable. See image number 5 to see the Vandercook 219 P.

I personally doubt that there is any of these presses left – but you never know! At least I am happy to now have these 2 images of the FAG Record. Still keeping my eyes open for more! 

Our big brothers from 'Big Fag Press' in Sydney need to move their 4 ton FAG flatbed offset proofpress again. They set up a crowfunding project called the 'The Big Fag Dance' here.  Please check out the family tree print that Zoe Sadokierski did for the crowdfunding project! I think this is definitely something that is also interesting for us letterpress proofress geeks. Support them if you can!

There is a FAG Swiss Proof 40 listed on Ebay Germany! I also listed it in the Equipment for sale category.

Thanks Gianluca Graca from Stamperia 74b and Elizabeth Fraser from Cambridge School of Art for these two interesting registrations this week! Great, we have now 64 press registrations! Still looking for more...

Jules Maeght and Vincent Schmitt from ‹Arte Maeght Editeurs› Paris, France sent me the documentation of their restoration process of their FAG Control 900.

The 05.04.001 was bought in 1968 by Adrien Maeght bought this press as the first owner from FAG Paris. Acording to Jules Maeght they used the printing press mostly to print linoleum. But they also made a modification to print from zinc offset plates. They added a cooling system beneath the pressbed to control the temperature and condensation on the plate.

The press has been in storage and partly disassembled since 1980ies. In 2011 Jules Maeght and Vincent Schmitt started the restoration process. (See the images). The press had some rust and there were some electrical issues. But mostly everything was there. They removed the cooling system and painted the press in a Bugatti blue. Since early 2012 they work with alot of different artists to print mostly linocuts on their FAG Control 900.

See some samples of their artist's work here.

See the registration of their FAG Control 900 here.

Thanks to Jules and Vincent for sharing your process! Well done!

There is a FAG Standard 550 (with adjustable bed) listed on Ebay Germany! I also listed it in the Equipment for sale category.

Rose Thomas from the Graphic Design Print Area of University for the Creative Arts, Epsom just registered the second Swiss Proof 52 ever built. Thanks for your registration!

See the registration here.

The serial number is: 06.01.002

The first two digits (06) stand for the model «Swiss Proof». 

The second two digits (01) stand for the model version. So 01 is the first version. After every model revision they would change this number.

The third three digits (002) stand for the machine number. So this is the second machine of the first edition. Since the Swiss Proof 52 has been developped for Drupa 1972 as a cheaper andsimpler alternative to the Control 525-MRS, this machine here was probably built in 1971 or 1972.

Here is a list of the machines and their machine-codes (first two digits):

02 = Control 405
03 = Control 525
04 = Swiss Proof 40
05 = Control 900
06 = Swiss Proof 52

Some earlier models like FAG Standard, Control 800, 835 & 839 and even some very early models of Control 405 and Control 525 didn't have these structured serial numbers, but just a four or five digit number.

Thanks for these two interesting registrations this week! Great, we have now 50 press registrations!

We just got 4 new registrations from 4 different countries this week!

+ «Museum of Work» from Hamburg, Germany registered their FAG Standard CP-510. Thanks to Helmut Bohlmann!

+ «Escola Massana» from Barcelona, Spain registered their FAG Control 405. Thanks to Iñaki Granell!

+ «Edition Eupalinos» from Schaan, Liechtenstein registered their FAG Control 900. Thanks to Hansjörg Quaderer!

+ «Museum für Druckgrafik» from Rankweil, Austria registered their FAG Control 835 and FAG Swiss Proof 40. Thanks to Markus Gell!

The communitiy is growing... Great to see!

I am still looking for more FAG users. Give me a shout if you know someone!

Today Mr. Orville of FAG Lausanne visited me at my studio! He also delivered my new rollers for the FAG Control 900. What a service!

The old rollers had some injured spots so I had to replace them at some time. I am very happy to ink the new ones for the first time soon. Since these rollers are very large (almost 1m wide) and heavy I decided to wait until I would go and pick them up in Lausanne myself or Mr. Orville would find time to visit me at my studio. Of course I was very happy to give him the tour!

Thanks for that very interesting registration of the three FAG proof presses at «edition carpe plumbum»! Thomas Siemon did a great job on documenting his Control 839, Control 525 and Standard TP-510. It looks like a very nice printing studio!

Check out his registration here.

Since I was talking about the OP-104 flatbed offset proof press yesterday I just wanted to give you some images on how this machine looks like, since there is no full overview in yesterday's video.

According to Mr. Orville at FAG Lausanne, the FAG OP-104 would have cost arount 100'000 Swiss Franks back then. They made several updates to that first version seen on the images. Also a hover crafted transportation system for the interchangeable inking units!

Please also notice all the nice and shiny letterpress proof presses in the back of image 2 ! They make my knees trembling.

FAG did not only make letterpress cylinder proof presses but also flatbed offset proof presses. Already in 1972 (the same year they developed the Swiss Proof Presses!) they released their first offset proof press: The ‹FAG Offsetpress 7654›. In 1977 they released the bigger ‹FAG OP-104›, a 4.5 meters long, 3.5 tons heavy flatbed offset proof press in that could fit 70x100cm sheets. The press came with two interchangeable complete inking units including its motors and wash-up units. This inking system made 4 color proofs much easier and faster to handle, since the time consuming washing of there rollers is carried out outside the press. This massive press was a big success and sold to all five continents until the late 80ies.

New quality control tools and the first inkjet proof systems made the use of more expensive offset proofs obsolete and so FAG moved its efforts towards quality control in the aspect of all kinds of densitometers for offset production presses.

The point where this chapter about FAG offset proof presses ends is the point where the story of ‹Big FAG Press› in Sydney begins… In 2004 four artists from Sidney could buy an old FAG OP-104 for the nominal value of $50 at an auction.

They say on their webpage: «In 2004, one unfortunate printer in Sydenham (an inner-Sydney suburb) didn’t see this change coming, and went bust. The liquidation auction was very sad. Nobody wanted his equipment despite the large number of print professionals in the room. Instead, they just picked over the carcasses of his office furniture. Having received a tip off from our local Master Printer, Jens Hausch, Big Fag Press attended the auction and placed the winning (and only) bid on the big beautiful FAG 104 Offset Proof Press. Our bid was fifty dollars.»

You can see in the video that the offset plate is on the right side – laying flat. Then the cylinder (including the watering system and some ink rollers) rolls over the plate to the right side. With this process the rubber blanket on the cylinder picks up the ink. On its way back the rubber blanket applies the ink to the sheet laying flat on the left side. You can also see that the offset plate is not mirrored – of course, it's offset! And even the guy in the video says: «Its magic!»

Until now, the www.proofpress.ch Webpage is limited to registrations of letterpress proof presses – but maybe soon be opened to studios/artists working with FAG flatbed offset proof presses…
 

Please visit the webpage of our brothers in mind in Sydney and read the rest of their story...

Markus Müller about the Buchatelier MM, Bubendorf: «The Bookatelier Markus and Birgit is located in Bubendorf, Switzerland. Here we create exclusive, one of a kind books und special prints and papers. Our products are artistic treasures, which are inspirational and pleasing to the eye.»

Thanks for registering!

See the registration of Buchatelier MM here

John Cornelisse from the Enkidu-Press in The Netherlands contacted me some time ago about ‹The biggest FAG proof press› he has ever seen was in Poland – it should be something like a 85 x 115cm maximum printing form. He also gave me the email address of Pawel Tryzno, the owner of this press.

First I was kind of confused since the biggest model according to FAG Lausanne was the Control 900 – which has a maximum form size of 64 x 90cm. So I contacted Pawel & Jadwiga Tryzno of the ‹Muzeum Ksiazki Artystycznej› in Lodz, Poland. They sent me an image of that very huge press. And to my disbelief it was actually labeled with FAG.

The model didn't look too much like a FAG press – but still the only label found on it was a FAG. So I contacted Mr. Orville (General Manager at FAG Lausanne) and Mr. Grebien (Former Chief Engineer at FAG Manufactury Avenches) and they both confirmed that this was a Korrex press (Max Simmel Werk, Germany). So how come that this press was labeled as a FAG?
 
Mr. Grebien told me that FAG once had a deal with Korrex that if someone would order a press that had to be bigger than the FAG Control 900, they would deliver a Korrex Hamburg Kraft (thats the name of this model) and label it with a FAG plaquette. Ha!

I made this new category ‹FAG under licence› – see the registration of Pawel Tryzno's press here