IPOH: Century-old printing presses still stand proudly inside a modest shophouse in Ipoh, where C. Veeramani has spent nearly four decades holding on to a craft that is slowly fading into history.
Operating from premises that have remained largely unchanged since 1933, the 66-year-old believes his shop is the oldest surviving traditional letterpress printing business in town.
“I think mine is also among the few in Malaysia still using authentic letterpress techniques.
“It was founded by a man named Mahalingam,” he added.
Veeramani, who took over the business in 1987, said his family has a long history in the printing industry, dating back to the late 1930s.
“My grandparents set up a press not far from here, and my father inherited the business later,” he said at his shop.
“Growing up in the family business, I learnt the trade from an early age.”
Today, the business focuses mainly on bill books, wedding invitation cards and name cards.
Although it has embraced newer technologies, several historic presses remain in the workshop, including an Alexandra letterpress machine believed to be more than 120 years old.
Veeramani said the manually operated machine was manufactured in the United Kingdom.
“Other antique presses from the United States and Germany are also part of the collection, although they are rarely used now.
“In the past, every letter had to be picked up individually and arranged by hand to form words and sentences. It was a slow and painstaking process,” he said.
He recalled relying heavily on the old letterpress machines when he first took over, before gradually introducing Japanese offset presses as technology evolved.
The term “printing press” originally came from physically pressing type onto paper.
Veeramani explained that modern printing relies mainly on offset and digital technology.
Offset refers to transferring images from a plate onto a rubber blanket before applying it to paper.
He said as most printing shops have long since shifted to offset or digital systems, his place has become an informal learning space for students researching traditional printing techniques.
“Students from local polytechnics and universities, as well as from Singapore, have visited to document its history and observe the process,” he said.
Beyond preserving machines, Veeramani has also maintained the century-old premises with minimal alterations.
Like many traditional trades, however, the business has struggled with changing technology, declining demand and rising costs, he said.
“Although collectors have offered a substantial amount for the antique presses, I have repeatedly turned them down.
“I hope these machines will one day be housed in an antique printing museum, where future generations can continue learning about traditional printing craftsmanship,” he added.
For now, he remains uncertain about what will happen after he retires.
“For as long as I can, I will continue. Thereafter, I don’t know what will happen.
“I don’t want these machines to leave the country. They are part of our printing history,” said Veeramani.
