Prelo

ABOUT

Prelo Prints is a project by Jorge Lar, born from the love for letterpress and all forms of early print, its techniques, and history. Since 2020, Prelo Prints has been a hub of creativity, producing beautifully crafted books, broadsides, and woodcut illustrations, inspired by works from the late medieval and early renaissance periods.

On the side, I've been involved in historical re-enactment since 2003, working mainly within the 15th century. Since 2012 I focused on miniature (book illustration) painting and illuminures, calligraphy, pigments... and the list goes on. It's a hobby, but it's a big and serious part of my life.


I always had a fascination for old-school style printing, and when I say always, I mean as far as I remember, and no, I don't know where or why I got this interest. Eventually, the interest became more than just that, and it grew into something real. And so here we are. I'm not an expert though, I learn as I work, as I discover more and more of this fascinating and complex craft. I'm always happy to share my knowledge and to learn from others who know better than me.

By the way, this project is based in Denmark, and I'm Portuguese. Thank you for reading! : )


Pressing Forward 

British Printing Society logo

Many people have asked me where did I get my interest for old prints, calligraphy, old paintings, pigments... in general, things that belong in museums or libraries and are not much of a concern for modern people. I don't have the right answer to that question, rather than asking, where do people find interest in sports, cars, or any other "modern" subject? 

Now, when someone asks me why I work with these things, the answer is simpler: First, I want to preserve the crafts and the memory of those who worked on it before me; Second, I have an endless need to work with my hands and to create something new; And finally, because "the past is a foreign country", I love to explore it, and to immerse myself on every little detail of old crafts and art.


In my daily life, I work with graphic design and marketing, and in the past, I also worked with state-of-the-art digital large-format printing.

Jorge Lar from Prelo Prints

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