Rollaco Presses Reviews

John Pears thank you for my new Kudos 40cm press and thank you for such a cheerful and helpful delivery and set-up. It is a beautiful thing in itself and simple and solid and smooth to use. I look forward to all the time I have ahead with it in my studio.

Lovely Piccalo Press , prints as good as any press that you find out there, including the old cast iron half a ton "Rochat" I have to admit this supprised me, it es easy to set up, well made Any strong Adult who works out could use this as a portable press, but bear in mind your own body limitations, as it weighs 35kg. The bed comes off and the spokes for easier storage or carry. I recommend you buy a trolley if you plan taking it far. I have only printed etching plates so cannot comment on how it prints lino, or colleograph. Very satisfying experience meeting John and over all pleased with the Piccalo Press.

Bought a reconditioned Classic Press. The condition and quality of the engineering is outstanding. John came to install the press and explained the process to us. We are now in production and the ease and quality of the printing makes us happy customers. If you are looking for the best quality press then there is no need to look further. There are none better in our opinion and we looked around for ages.

I love my Rollaco Boxer. I wanted a good modern etching press, preferably British, for intaglio and relief, so I phoned John and I was impressed and encouraged by his huge enthusiasm and knowledge. I am really delighted with my beautiful press - so easy and fun and gives my printing new confidence and energy I am very glad I made the decision and can definitely recommend Rollaco.

After many years sharing a community studio press I finally bought my own Rollaco Kudos press. It is fantastic, very easy to adjust and smooth to run. It's a beautiful, sturdy piece of equipment, and it was lovely to buy it from John who makes and delivers them himself. I was used to the community Rollaco press, which is many years old, but still works perfectly so I didn't even look around at other brands, but I would highly recommend Rollaco. LG, Lewes

Love my Rollaco Gem press. It's beautifully smooth and a pleasure to use. I went up to the workshop to collect it out of hours as I was desperate with a deadline looming and John went out of his way to be there for me. Very happy printmaker!

My portable rollaco press bought over 15 years ago still works beautifully and I print with hundreds of children each year, transporting the press all over the South West. We've recently purchased another and I couldn't recommend John Pears and Rollaco highly enough. They are absolutely brilliant presses.

I wanted to buy a press that could print both intaglio and relief prints. After many months research, I came across Rollaco Presses and gave them a call to discuss my requirements. I spoke to John, who is a one man band - Not only does he design, make, and install the presses, he is also a fountain of press knowledge and a genuinely lovely man 😊 I decided on the boxer press as I wanted to be able to make larger prints, my work ranges from 5cm x 5cm to A3 so versatility is crucial. However, I've never used a geared press before so this feature wasn't a deciding factor. The price was also very competitive especially for a handmade press. John managed to deliver the press well before his initial timeframe, and we spent a very enjoyable afternoon chatting away while he constructed the press in my studio. I am so delighted with my Boxer, not only does it print like a dream, it truly is a thing of great beauty. The press moves from lino prints through to copper plate etchings with ease. I've been printing since December and changing the pressure is a doddle. It's hard to explain but you just get a FEEL for it. The press is super sturdy but elegant, the craftsmanship is just superb. It's only now that I appreciate the value of having a geared press. You can literally fly through editioning without breaking into a sweat and doing your back in! Everyone who comes into my studio/gallery admires the press. I even incorporated the wheel as part of my shop logo design ❤️ I am hoping to run some workshops during the summer, and know that the press will not let me down.

I purchased GEM press, from Rollaco Presses in December, the press is the best investment I've made in years (my cats are amazed by it as well ;) I made a mistake of buying cheap press from internet for 200£, which was the dumbest thing :), of course it didn't work! I should have do my proper research before I spent any money (and stupidly wanted to save money, which of course i lost, the cheap crap is no usable if you are an artist, it went to the bin). On top of the brilliant press, John, who's an engineer, and designing, and building the presses, was very helpful, very patient with me and my questions, replied on every e-mail and message, John personally came all the way to bring and install the press at my home. Such an amazing person, so lovely to meet! Brilliant mind :) the press he built will definitely outlive me, it's solid press, don't make mistakes I made and think twice before buying something cheap, it's not wort it! I'd highly recommend contacting John Pears, and invest in one of his presses! To add to the review, I purchased refurbished press, there is no sign it was ever used before me! It is in perfect condition and works "like a nife through butter" ! :) Thank you John! Magda Trojanowska

I needed a press that was light enough to lug up three flights of stairs to my attic work space, and rigid enough to print etching plates with sizes up to 150 mm x 225 mm. John's smallest press, the Piccolo 25, fits the bill admirably. It is a fine piece of functional design and precision construction. Dealing with John was a pleasure, and I have no hesitation in recommending Rollaco to anyone considering the purchase of a new press. Longer term review: after over two years of use, the press remains a pleasure to use - solid as ever, with no need for maintenance or adjustments. Thanks again John!

I bought a Kudos press earlier this year and am very happy with it. The ordering process itself was great - very straightforward with great communication. The Kudos is on casters which makes it really simple to move around and is maintenance free. I really like how easy it is to alter the pressure for different kinds of printing too. The press is beautiful and makes fabulous prints - I can't wait to use it more next year. Thank you!

Absolutely brilliant! I love my boxer press. The quality and workmanship is first rate. The gearing makes it incredibly easy to use. John delivered and assembled it so I was able to start printing immediately. Super service and quality from Rollaco.

I purchased a 40cm Gem 4 spoke press in May this year. It was a more than I originally wanted to spend but the Rollaco presses came so highly recommended by other print artists. After speaking to John I decided to purchase the Gem press & blankets. Best to buy the best and what I want rather than smaller and have to go again. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Thank you John

Went up to Spennymoor in the summer to pick up my Gem 40cm from John and I haven't looked back. An excellent piece of engineering which prints effortlessly and will clearly outlive me by a good many years.

I bought a kudos press from Rolloco when I got a bigger studio. I cannot rate the press enough. It’s a total joy to use and my prints are looking so good. The best feature is the way you can adjust the roller pressure, I can adjust the pressure so easily with the aid of a spanner! Also the customer service was exceptional. John Pears knows his stuff, and this bespoke service deserves 10/10. Thankyou 👏

Fantastic company to work with. Very very professional, knowledgeable & understanding. Our College wanted a stand for our printing press, for which I had little knowledge but as soon as I got in contact with John at Rollaco it was plain sailing. They made it so easy. 5 stars not enough. Thank you so much for all your help & understanding.

I purchased a Classic Rollaco press to give it a second life from an art school. The press has been faultless and over the years has become my go-to home press for beautiful results. Beautifully made and still able to get the support if ever needed from Rollaco. Recently I reached out to John for a local printmaking collective about another press. He kindly offered a solution to me and I would highly recommend anyone wishing to purchase a press that will be with them for life to go with Rollaco. A wonderful company and beautiful craftsmanship. Worth very penny of investment.

I love my Rollaco press - they are so well engineered, you get a satisfying feeling when you crank the handle and remove the blanket and paper. You can produce the quality prints you want for your work. I have used mine for a number of years and it is going strong. It's so simple to ease the roller for thicker printing on, say, lino or wood cuts. I cannot recommend Rollaco presses more highly. Oh, and any advice is quickly given when asked - so helpful.

I bought a green tabletop Gem press from John last year. It cost a bit more than I had originally intended to spend, but I have no regrets at all. It sits on an old science bench in my garden studio. It is an absolute dream to use. I have run 3 x series of print workshops since September, monoprint, intaglio and relief and my participants have also remarked on what a delightful piece of equipment it is. So glad I made that phone call!

The Rollaco Pequeno press has been a wonderful addition to my art studio. John Pears built, delivered and set up this beautiful, robust and excellent little press with great care. I am delighted with how well it has printed my collagraphs and drypoint etchings.