I used to be part of a letterpress printing forum, which shall remain unnamed, and the old-timers in there raged about the term "letterpress artist." "It's not art! It's printing!!" They also loathed that we new age letterpress printers actually TRIED to create that impression in the paper. "It's hideous! And you're killing your metal type!" It's okay, I use disposable plates, please don't worry about my metal type. In fact, do you want it?
Anyway, seeing that term just brought me back to the heated arguments that would occur on that forum (there were some pretty mean guys on there!), and I had to laugh. However, I can see how the term "artist" would get wrapped up in what Alan Kitching is doing here. He is creating the art THROUGH printing, vs. creating the art and then printing it. Much unlike when I print things - even an illustration or my calligraphy - it's just printing at that point. Nothing glamorous. Nothing romantic. Just more ink under the fingernails.
But, ooh... that impression combined with calligraphy... maybe I'll post a photo.