Monthly Archive for April, 2009

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One Card For Three People

The esteemed fellows at Wilderness in Portland sent us an unusually simple business card for letterpress printing. Rather than load up the card with four telephone numbers, an email, a fax, a twitter, etc – they all simply share the same card. A nice solution for keeping cost down too. Wilderness is the new design trailhead of Aaron James Draplin, John Phemister and David Nakamoto. We can’t wait to see what they do next.

Of course, simple design doesn’t always mean simple production. We printed these on 220lb Pearl White Lettra, 100% cotton. Flooding a dark color like this on letterpress is difficult to lay down and keep consistent over the course of the print run – especially on a stock that has some texture to the surface. When we print a solid like this, we generally go to our Paul Bunyan of Heidelberg Windmill presses – the 13 x 18. Even so, there is still a salty, weathered look to how a stock like this will take a solid coverage on letterpress. But we like it that way, it ain’t offset.

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Skin Of The Night By Deuce 7

One of the finest poster shops around is Art Minion in Northeast Minneapolis. We just completed a letterpress poster edition called “Skin Of The Night” they commissioned for artist Deuce 7. His fantastic illustrative style is influenced by train yards and riding the rails.

We completed the edition on a variety of colored stocks with an interesting spread of colors. Posters are one color, but the color of the stock changes and the color of the ink changes, giving the whole edition a wide variety of final combinations. These images show some of the metallic prints we rolled. There is silver, gold and copper ink on brown stock. It’s a good comparison of how metallic ink goes down on dark paper. And word has it that Deuce is hand embellishing some of the edition. You can buy one from Art Minion.

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Fold Only CD Pocket – No Glue Package

This is a CD package we designed and letterpress printed for Erik Brandt with illustrations by Andy DeVore. He put this CD together after spending a year teaching in Hungary. The structure houses both a fold up lyric sheet and a CD. We printed the packaging with two ink colors on 140lb French Poptone. The design keeps cost down because the panels all print on one side only and the fold up design allows for a do-it-yourself assembly. We finished it on our 13 x 18 Windmill with unique shaped die cuts on the flaps.

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Atmosphere Letterpress Poster

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Atmosphere is heading out for their When God Gives You Ugly tour. We just finished a special edition letterpress poster designed by Keith Wiliams. It features a “1950′s Diner Vampire Fight Scene” watercolor painting by Minneapolis native Michael Gaughan. (If you check out Michael’s website, be sure and see the collection of guitar sculptures. But don’t look to long or you might find the Fart Tube Air Matress) Posters will be available from Atmosphere while they tour and also for sale on the Rhymesayers site after the tour, if there are any left. So get out there and support these guys.

From a technical standpoint, this poster was a real challenge to plate and letterpress print. We took the original CMYK image of the watercolor painting and Continue reading ‘Atmosphere Letterpress Poster’

Four Friends Letterpress Business Cards – Pt 1

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This is a big post with lots of images so be sure and see Part 2 as well.

We’ve been an online friend with French designer Fabien Barrel for a while. He’s been kind enough to show our press work on his Graphic Exchange website. His site is a finely curated collection of designers and projects from all over the world. Be sure and see it next time you need some graphic inspiration.

Fabien collected three other friends that also wanted letterpress printed business cards. Fabien Barrel designed his card and the card for So Goods. Fred Dauzat designed his card and the card for Limited Press. We letterpress printed these cards together with Continue reading ‘Four Friends Letterpress Business Cards – Pt 1′

Four Friends Letterpress Business Cards – Pt 2

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This is part two showing the production of business cards on our Heidelberg Windmill. Be sure and see Part 1 showing the finished cards.

We start with a high resolution film negative. The negative is used to expose the plastic plates. The plates are attached to an aluminum base and placed into the press. The press uses air suction to pick up a sheet of paper on the left side and deliver it into the press for printing. The printed sheets are automatically stacked in the delivery pile on the right side of Continue reading ‘Four Friends Letterpress Business Cards – Pt 2′

Mix Tape Letterpress Wedding Invitations

This invite pumps up the jam with an old school boom box and mix tapes. We love it for it’s fun factor and unique departure from most wedding stationery. The horizontal size is different, the illustration is super fun and the couples initials are even in the speakers of the boom box!

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Adam Ramerth at Lark designed this set. He did a fantastic job with the theme. And we must say, this is a demanding letterpress printing job. The registration is TIGHT. The two yellow and blue colors align critically over one another to create the green as they overprint. The large graphics with small type make Continue reading ‘Mix Tape Letterpress Wedding Invitations’

Affordable Letterpress Wedding Invitations – Part 2

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This is a follow up to our post about affordable wedding invites. These invites were designed by the bride and groom Stephanie Mead and Doug Kohnen at Docent Creative. Doug did some beautiful illustrations that turned out stunning on press. We letterpress printed and trimmed the cards for them. They are dense black ink on Crane Lettra 110lb Pearl White, 100% cotton. They sent us some photos of how they assembled everything with a tag and ribbon. They even silk screened their own envelopes. So, how do you get a gorgeous wedding invitation for a reasonable price?

Continue reading ‘Affordable Letterpress Wedding Invitations – Part 2′

Smashing Alphabets Letterpress Poster

Coming soon to an alphabet near you is a typographic mash up. Once again Spunk Design Machine created a simply amazing poster, this time for Chank. Be sure and check him out as he tours the design community.

And getting smashed comes easy for paper on a letterpress. Hot off our big Heidelberg cylinder press, these are some stylin’ letterpress posters. Printed on a lighter weight 65lb Poptone Cover from French paper and letterpressed in two colors. I’d steal it.

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Note To Self

I went to Des Moines to judge the ADAI design exhibition. It was a good time with many good people. I gave a presentation about Studio On Fire to the organization and then we hit the bar for an evening filled with beer and bacon and some guy drinking by himself that talked a lot about cocaine and Jesus.

After the judging of the show, they gave me a tee shirt gift. I’d like to remember in the future what not to do:

Dear Self,

Next time you go and judge an award show, do NOT come back wearing a tee shirt like this. Your wife does not think it is funny, it is not a good April Fools joke.

Sincerely, Your Self On The Couch

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An Advertising Sleeper Cell

In the spirit of the freemasons, there exists a creative group called Levy 7. Not much is known – they describe themselves as, “a collection of like-minded individuals who, through their awesomeness and grace, elevate the larger group in any and every social and professional endeavor, making us simply the most dynamic advertising sleeper cell/social club in the free world.”

The materials were designed by our friends in DesignWorks at BBDO in New York, a group that bleeds pure design talent. There are business cards, coasters and of course, cigar bands. We letterpress printed the materials in two metallic ink colors. The black paper is ultra thick custom duplexed Black Stonehenge. The white is paper is 179lb Crane Cover, 100% cotton. The cigar band stock was a black text weight from French Paper. After the labels were printed, we applied a remoist glue to the back edge and die cut them. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to form my own letterpress sleeper cell fraternity.

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