The Desmyter family has been in the printing & publishing business for 6 generations starting with Erik Desmyter’s great-great-grandfather Eduard Desmyter who took over a handpress printshop in 1856.
These Desmyter handpress printing works were later industrialized during the 19th & early 20th century.
Erik Desmyter, who grew up between old presses, letterpress type & litho stones, has saved and collected several unique antique 19th century handpresses and restored several of them back to original, working condition to keep this knowledge and great tradition of fine handpress printing alive.
These iron handpresses are now used again to create fine art relief prints at the Iron Handpress Studio