noun
letterpress printer; letterpress printing shop
Refers to a person or business that does letterpress printing, a traditional relief printing method. The term is somewhat specialized and may be less common in modern contexts.
祖父は活版屋を営んでいた。
My grandfather ran a letterpress printing shop.
活版屋に名刺の印刷を頼んだ。
I asked a letterpress printer to print my business cards.
Compound of 活版 (letterpress) and 屋 (shop, person). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term follows a common pattern for naming trades and shops.