Pressing Broadcloth in a Screw Press — Hot and Cold Finishing for Lustre

Pressing is the final step in the medieval broadcloth finishing sequence that gives the cloth its characteristic smooth, dense surface and subtle lustre. After the long cycles of fulling, tentering, napping, and shearing, the finished cloth is folded in layers with sheets of pasteboard or glazed linen between each fold, then placed in a massive wooden screw press and clamped under tremendous pressure for hours or overnight. Cold pressing flattens the sheared nap and gives a clean finish; hot pressing — where heated iron plates are inserted between the folds — adds a glaze and almost waxy sheen to the surface. The pressed cloth emerges with a body and hand that immediately distinguishes it from unfinished fabric. In medieval England, the quality of pressing was one of the marks inspected by guild aulnagers before cloth could be stamped and sold. This blueprint covers both cold pressing and hot pressing techniques using a traditional wooden screw press.