My fascination with letterpress is blossoming; and at the same time I am realizing how much of an ancient art it really is. It seems so archaic to be using these giant pieces of machinery to produce these small and delicate pieces of typographical art. There is something so beautiful about the process that I just can’t get over. This video is amazing, I have watched it several times over.
Visit Rise and Shine Paper to see what they are capable of. WHO IS THEIR DESIGNER?!
I must schedule a lunch with this creative mind.
I REALLY want you to figure out a way to make this a business beacuse it is just so unique and you’re right, beautiful. This is just so right up your alley.
I started to really appreciate the art of letterpress when I was doing my wedding invitations. They sent me samples of letterpress along with others that were just not quite as special. I became obsessed with having my invitations be letterpress, but it was SO expensive. So I let it go. THEN, they ended up messing up the ink on the invitations! When they got to me, they were all a blur! So they asked me what they could do to make it up to me, and I said letterpress!! So I lucked out and got it for the price of regular printing! It was one of those wedding mishaps that ended up being a miracle, because I ended up being in love with my invitations. Letterpress just has that special handmade feel to it. I compare it to a photo print from film vs. digital. There is just something a little more honest about it. I truly think you could be on to something here! Everything about this direction for you feels genuine and organic. You should pursue it! Maybe when you get out here you could start as an apprentice at a cute print shop to get your feet wet and learn the letterpress, and then take it from there? You have such a great eye for design . . maybe your niche could be that you also make REALLY cute personalized care packages for birthdays, holidays, sick days, etc and you design them and package them so cute like you did for my birthday!? Now I’m really excited for you.
I was also in love with your invites! I had no idea thats how it all went down! That is so so lucky!! Funny you say that about being an apprentice! Thats been my next step! I have been searching for the perfect letterpress studio in southern California that I could apprentice for. It would be a DREAM! This is something I am way exciting about right now… and as I see it now, wouldn’t mind doing this 9-5.
❤
This is something that will never go out of style. It’s the elite of printing, and a great way to express your originality. My first thought was to apprentice somewhere also.
Thank you for mentioning us on your blog. A lot of the work (such as the honey bear cards) is designed by Leslie Graham at Rise and Shine. Other projects are created by designers around the country, who work with us to bring their work alive in the letterpress medium. Letterpress fascinates us for similar reasons – it is amazing that you can get such delicate work from machines that are as dirty and oily as a Mac truck!