Studio On Fire // Design & Letterpress Blog
Since pretty much everyone needs a paper saw blade, we figured it was time to deliver. These heavy duty paper blades pop out of our latest promo card to fly through the air as a dangerous incarnation of business cards. You can toss them at pets, logs and trees, use them as coasters or keep them on hand to contact us for your next custom letterpress printing project.
(these are an upgrade from our previous ninja version)
Lots of printmakers are sauntering about Minneapolis / St Paul this week for the Mid America Print Council conference. We welcome these attendees to visit our studio during the conference on Friday this week from 5-8 PM. Studio On Fire is one of the largest and most vibrant commercial letterpress shops in the Midwest. We produce custom letterpress work from designers around the world. Join us during these hours to talk shop, see the presses and ask questions. Sorry, our production schedule will not permit other visiting hours.
Our Address:
Studio On Fire, 1621 East Hennepin Avenue Suite B10, Minneapolis MN 55414
phone 612 379 3000
Note: make sure you map us for EAST Hennepin Ave. – We are on the edge of Northeast, at 16th Ave SE and E. Hennepin. It’s about a 10 minute ride from downtown Minneapolis.
These cards designed by Villainy and Associates really make you stop and turn the thing over in your hand. The understated typographic design gives the letterpress production value emphasis. It’s simple and pseudo executive – flashy without being too flashy.
We printed letterpress metallic gold for the information and letterpress varnish on the logotype. We like using a varnish on dark stocks for a tone on tone effect. That gives a slightly better legibility than a totally blind, inkless impression. The stock is a thick 200lb Wausau Eclipse Black with metallic gold edge coloring.
This post is a recap of the fun we had this last weekend leading a press free, hand style letterpress workshop at AIGA Minnesota Design Camp. We were located in the wine cellar at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota. Over 300 designers attend this event annually. We did three sessions of this 1.5 hour long workshop with over 120 total attendees.
The process was about putting down lots of ink quickly, creating textures, layers and happenstance in the layout and printing. No press required, no two prints alike.
Studio On Fire brought in lots of good stuff:
10 large cases of our woodtype collection (about 400lbs of type, mostly Hamilton faces)
Tape and cardboard (served as the bed of the press, tape held type in rough position)
A wadded up paper towel was the “printing press” (used with hands to burnish the back of the sheets)
Several dozen CSA images supplied on photopolymer plates (permission of CSA archives)
Wood grain background textures (blasted with a powerwasher, then relief carved)
Lots of good ol’ French Paper to print on (poptone sweet tooth and many many remnants)
Ink and brayers (oil based inks and soft rubber rollers)
It was a fluid process and a good chance for everyone to step away from the computer. A huge thanks AIGA Minnesota for having us and to the AIGA volunteers that supplied a steady stream of nature wash solvent to clean up and redistribute the wood type and images. And thanks to Phong Tran for his photo contributions.
If you would like Studio On Fire to do a workshop with your group, let’s talk. Please do contact us for more information.
