Conrad Machine Co. is the oldest manufacturer of fine art printmaking presses in North America. We have been designing and manufacturing printmaking presses since 1956. Over the past 50 plus years, we have built many lines of printmaking presses and we are proud to manufacture 6 different lines of printmaking presses, today, including Conrad Machine Co. presses, American French Tool presses, Brand New presses, and Rembrandt presses. We do not, by and large, sell peripheral materials like other companies. Instead, we concentrate our time, energy, and engineering abilities on manufacturing the world's finest printmaking presses. We offer more lines of presses than any other press company. Our selection allows you, the printmaker, to pick the press that best fits your wants, needs, and price range.
Our Conrad Machine Co. press line offers many different styles of printmaking presses. This printmaking press line includes etching presses, combination presses, monotype presses, and lithography presses.
The Conrad Machine Co. etching press line consists of seven different etching press models. This line of etching presses offers small to large tabletop etching presses as well as small to large floor model etching presses. All of the Conrad Machine Co. etching presses can be customized to better fit the printmaker. Our Conrad Machine Co. etching presses include the E-12 Etching Press, E-15 Etching Press, E-18 Etching Press, E-24 Etching Press, E-31 Etching Press, E-37 Etching Press, and the Conrad Floor Model Etching Presses.
The Conrad Machine Co. E-12 etching press is our 12" x 24" tabletop etching press. This extremely durable etching press has found favor because of its ease of portability and professional quality. Artists, like Dan Weldon, have traveled the world with their E-12 etching presses. The E-12 etching press design provides durability, performance, and professional quality that are not found in any other etching presses of its size. The E-12 etching press bedplate measures 12" x 24" and is offered in ½" benelex, steel, or aluminum. As with all Conrad Machine tabletop etching presses, the E-12 etching press can be equipped with high-end, barrel thimble micro-gauges. Please visit our E-12 etching press page for more information about our E-12 etching press.
The Conrad Machine Co. E-15 etching press is our 15" x 30" tabletop etching press. The E-15 etching press' design is based on our popular E-12 etching press. The E-15 etching press features a 15" x 30" bedplate offered in ½" benelex, steel, or aluminum. Many printmakers desire lighter etching presses, so we offer aluminum rolls. For printmakers looking for more roll surface area, we also offer oversized rolls. Both the E-12 and E-15 etching presses are offered with optional gear drives and star wheels. Please visit our E-15 etching press page for more information about our E-15 etching press.
The Conrad Machine Co. E-18 etching press is our 18" x 36" tabletop etching press. The E-18 etching press allows printmakers to print on the 18" x 36" bedplate with ease. The E-18 etching press is offered with a Conrad S-1 series geared reduction drive. This drive can be paired with our 10" hand crank or a 34" star wheel. If more printable area is desired, we offer an extended bedplate for our E-18 etching press. As with all Conrad Machine Co. printmaking presses, the E-18 can be ordered with many accessories including custom cut printmaking blankets. Please visit our E-18 etching press page for more information about our E-18 etching press.
The Conrad Machine Co. E-24 etching press is our 24" x 48" tabletop etching press. Our E-24 etching press is offer with your choice of the Conrad S-2 series gear reduction drive or the Conrad Machine Twin Torque drive. The E-24 etching press can also be motorized for those printmakers looking for the consistency and ease of operation of a motorized etching press. The E-24 etching press' bedplate measures 24" x 48" and can be ordered in 1" benelex, ¾" steel, or ¾" aluminum. As with all Conrad Machine Co. tabletop printmaking presses, the E-24 etching press can be ordered with a workbench/ stand. The workbench/ stand can be ordered with or without caster wheels. Please visit our E-24 etching press page for more information about our E-24 etching press.
The Conrad Machine Co. E-31 and E-37 etching presses are our largest tabletop etching presses. These etching presses' bedplates measure 31" x 54" and 37" x 54". Both etching presses come standard with a Conrad S-2 geared reduction drive. The E-31 and E-37 also come standard with an open-spoked star wheel. The combination of the Conrad S-2 geared reduction drive and the star wheel allow printmakers to pull prints effortlessly even under the heaviest of pressures. Many printmakers prefer to order the E-31 and E-37 tabletop etching presses with a workbench/ stand and casters. These options allow the printmaker wheel their workbench and press around his or her studio. Please visit our E-31 and E-37 page for more information about our E-31 and E-37 etching presses.
The Conrad Machine Floor Model Etching presses are offered in many different sizes from 24" x 48" to 52" x 80". These etching presses are designed to be some of the most durable and rugged etching presses on the market. We have so much confidence in our quality and craftsmanship in our etching presses that we offer a full warranty on our floor model etching presses as well as all Conrad Machine Co. presses. The floor model etching presses are fully customizable with your choice of a Conrad S-3 gear reduction drive, commercial drive, or motorized drive. All Conrad Machine Co. floor model etching presses can be customized with casters, shelves, and an enclosed star wheel. Please visit our Floor Model Etching Press page for more information about our Floor Model Etching presses.
The Conrad Machine Co. line of combination presses offers many different sizes of combination presses ranging from 16" x 32" to 36" x 54". The combination presses are unique to etching presses and lithography presses because the combination press can print both etchings and stone lithography, as well as other media. The upper roll simply slides out of the scraper bar housing and allows a scraper bar to slide in place for stone lithography. Switching the combination press from an etching press setup to a lithography press setup takes less than five minutes. No other printmaking press offers as much flexibility as the Conrad Machine Co. combination press. The Conrad Machine Co. combination presses include the C-16 Combination Press, C-24 Combination Press, C-25 Combination Press, and the C-36 Combination Press.
The Conrad Machine Co. C-16 combination press has a bedplate that measures 16" x 32". This light weight combination press can easily be transported. The basic design of the Conrad Machine Co. combination press allows the printmaker to easily disassemble the frame and bed supports into three components in just minutes. The benelex bedplate is also light weight, about 1/6 the weight of steel, for easy transportation. Please visit our C-16 combination press page more information about our C-16 combination press.
The Conrad Machine Co. C-24 combination press has a bedplate that measures 24" x 48". This combination press bedplate size is perfect for printing 22" x 30" paper. The C-24 combination press, like all Conrad Machine Co. combination presses, can be ordered with micro-gauges and a workbench/ stand with casters. The C-24 combination press can also be ordered with a chrome plated upper roll and your choice of a standard 4 to 1 reduction drive, a Conrad S-2 6 to 1 gear reduction drive, or a motorized drive. Please visit our C-24 combination press page for more information about our C-24 combination press.
The Conrad Machine Co. C-25 combination press is Conrad Machine Co.’s original combination press. We designed and started manufacturing this combination press over 35 years ago. Throughout the last 35 years we have built many different options into the C-25 combination press design. The standard bedplate size of 27" x 48" can be extended to 27" x 54". Also, the standard benelex bedplate can be upgraded to a ¾" aluminum bedplate. The C-25 combination press can be ordered with your choice of a standard 4 to 1 reduction drive, a Conrad S-2 6 to 1 gear reduction drive, Conrad Twin Torque drive, or a motorized drive. The C-25 combination press, as with all Conrad Machine Co. printmaking presses, is fully customizable. Please visit our C-25 combination press page for more information about our C-25 combination press.
The Conrad Machine Co. C-36 combination press is the largest combination press that we offer. The C-36 combination press allows the printmaker to print large mixed media prints with its bedplate measuring 36" x 54". Also, like our other combination presses, the C-36 combination press disassembles into a few easy to manage components. This C-36 combination press can easily fit through any standard sized doorway. Please visit our catalog for more information about the C-36 combination press.
Conrad Machine Co. has devoted an entire line of printmaking presses to the art of monotype prints because of its popularity among printmakers. We are proud to offer several custom-built monotype presses. The direct drive monotype presses are designed for printing light pressure applications such as monotypes, woodcuts, linocuts, etc. These monotype presses will also print small, light-pressure etchings, but they are not recommended for any large, heavy-pressure work. Without gearing, it becomes difficult to physically pull heavy-pressure prints. For this reason, Conrad Machine Co. also offers a geared version of the monotype presses. The geared monotype presses are recommended for heavier work, but they are not as "heavy duty" as our regular etching presses. The monotype presses comes in bedplate sizes ranging from 18" x 40" to 48" x 72". Like the Conrad Machine Co. combination press, the monotype press also disassembles into three component parts within minutes for easy portability. Please visit our monotype press page for more information about the various monotype presses we offer.
Conrad Machine Co. offers several different sizes of lithography printmaking presses ranging from a 16" x 32" tabletop lithography press to a 36" x 60" floor model lithography press. The Conrad Machine Co. lithography press features our unique pressure system that allows printmakers to print effortlessly. As with all Conrad Machine Co. print making presses, the Conrad Machine Co. lithography press can be customized to fit the specifications of the printmaker. If you prefer working on only one side of the press or would like to be able to pull the bedplate easily back and forth, we offer our disengagement clutch drive. Also, the lithographic printmaking press' rolls, bedplate, bed stops, and drive can be custom ordered. Please visit the lithography press page for more information about the various lithography presses we offer.
The American French Tool Company was started by Andre Beaudoin in the mid-1970's. Mr. Beaudoin, working with many prominent printmakers, designed and built the American French Tool presses for over 30 years. The beauty and elegance of the American French Tool design, the unmatched performance, and the outstanding durability have given the American French Tool presses the reputation of being the world's finest etching press. With its large, oversize bearings and solid steel rolls, the American French Tool press is the heaviest press on the market. Many print publishers and artists will only use the American French Tool press to print their heavy pressure photogravure prints.
In the spring of 1999, Conrad Machine Co. acquired the American French Tool Company from Mr. Beaudoin. Continuing the legacy and craftsmanship of Mr. Beaudoin, Conrad Machine Co. has built the American French Tool floor model etching presses for over ten years and has added several tabletop-etching presses to the American French Tool press line. As with all presses built by Conrad Machine Co., the American French Tool presses are offered with the industry leading 25-year warranty. The world's most elegant and best performing etching presses are designed to last a life time. Please visit our American French Tool etching press website for more information about all the American French Tool etching presses we offer.
Our newest line of etching presses is the "Brand New" line. This line of etching presses is designed after the Charles Brand style of etching presses. If you loved Charles Brand Etching Presses, you will love our Brand New etching press line. Please visit our Brand New etching press page for more information about our new line of Brand New etching presses.