How To Press

A good press does all the really hard work for you. Here’s how it works. You start ... at the bottom. Leave a layer of cardboard and felt plus a layer of paper. Set the other layers and the top aside but not too far as you’ll be needing them soon.  This is where your specimens to dried go. Now head outside and find some fresh flowers, leaves and greens that you might like to press. Place them flat on the paper (don’t forget there should be a piece of felt and a piece of cardboard under the paper) but don’t let them touch. When the first layer is full cover them with the other piece of paper, then a piece of felt followed by a piece of cardboard. Then the pattern begins again. Felt ... paper ... flowers ... paper ... felt ... cardboard ... and so on. The felt, paper and cardboard are the heart of the Flowers By Friends multi-layered drying system. They work together to draw the moisture from the flower while the press holds it flat. The more efficiently you can dry your flowers the better your chances of getting good color retention. That really is the benchmark of a good flower press.
 All Flowers By Friends presses use the same multi-layered drying system. It’s a simple system, it’s an efficient system ... and it works with large presses or small. At this point you continue to fill your press (and remember all your layers) until it is full or until your flowers run out. If your press is only partially full mark your spot with the card provided.
Once your press is back together it’s time to do the squeezing ... one simple rule. MORE IS NOT BETTER—a little pressure is good—MORE IS NOT BETTER A small amount of pressure is all that is necessary. The idea is for the press to hold the flower flat while allowing air to flow around the flower to help dry it. By applying too much pressure you can actually slow the drying process down. Always remember—the longer it takes your flowers to dry the more chance there is that something bad might happen to them. In extreme cases moisture is totally trapped in the press around the flower. A moldy specimen will result. The key is for the pressure to be consistent and firm yet gentle. So you press is full and back together. Your flowers flatten right away and the rest of the time they spend drying. How much time? Two weeks is a good choice ... and we’re from the Northwest where the humidity is high. Two weeks ... that seems to be the best
Let’s do a step-by-step review. Start by squeezing your press slightly and removing the wooden dowel stays. Remove the top and all layers except the last piece of cardboard, felt and paper. Lay your freshly cut flowers, leaves or green on the paper. Once the layer is full cover it with another paper, then a felt, then cardboard. Add a layer of felt and paper and you are ready for some more flowers. So it continues ... felt, paper, flowers,paper,felt, cardboard ... and again. Continue until your press is full or your specimens to be pressed are gone. Now replace the top and any remaining layers, squeeze the press gently and replace the dowel stays. That’s it! Except for the two week waiting part.
A pair of scissors and a small basket work best for cutting and gathering your flowers. A dry, sunny day is great but if your flowers are ready to pick don’t wait. Choose the best flowers you can and don’t be afraid to experiment. That’s a big part of the fun. Flowers and greens should be free of moisture and be pressed as soon as possible after cutting. Try to pick flowers early in their lifespan. This helps them retain color and limits pest damage. Fall leaves should be pressed while they are still pliable and, of course, most colorful. One of the most important and misunderstood aspects of flower pressing is the amount of pressure applied to your flower press. As I have said ... a little pressure is good a lot is not ... Too much pressure traps moisture in the press and can cause color loss and molding. When in doubt choose less pressure rather than more.