When we posted the Save The Date card by designer Nick Brue a couple months back, we were super excited to see what he had in mind for the design of the actual wedding invitation. Finally, here is his design that just recently left the pressroom:
This invitation set is housed within a mini custom die cut pocket folder which neatly organizes the various cards. The folder is printed with a tonal custom woodgrain pattern using a clear varnish ink on letterpress with heavy impression. A belly band is fitted to the exterior of the folder with a Continue reading ‘Woodgrain & Crest Letterpress Wedding’
Published on
May 8, 2009 in
Letterpress and Wedding.
Tags: band, belly band, brown, buckle, crest, custom, Design, die cut, diecut, folder, invitation, invite, Letterpress, letterpress printing, mini, minneapolis, minnesota, monogram, nick brue, pocket folder, printing, shield, stationery, tiny, tone on tone, type, typography, Wedding, wedding invitation, woodgrain, wrap.
We designed this identity with mountaineering in mind. Saying “10 Zing Consulting – Helps you reach the top” would have been really lame. So we wrapped that message into the design with the shape. Show it, don’t say it.
We went lo-fi with the production and used a 55pt coaster board with 2 color letterpress. Then the pieces were steel rule die cut. Coaster board works OK for letterpress printing, but isn’t the best if you are looking for a deep impression. The material core is soft and the surface will tend to crack if you drive the plate to deep. It also sucks up the ink and requires heavy ink lay down.
In addition to our design work, our letterpress room prints projects for designers and agencies all over the country. Contact us for an estimate on your project.
Published on
February 7, 2009 in
Design and Letterpress.
Tags: 10 Zing, 55pt, beer mat, Business Cards, coaster, coaster board, die cut, heavy, Letterpress, letterpress printing, letterpress services, thick.
When our letterpress printing client at Electric Fusion handed out one of his new business cards, almost a year later he saw a project come in because someone remembered his card and held onto it. Here’s a note just in from our client:
“I hope all is well. I wanted to share a story about a new client and project I just landed. My client told me that part of the reason they remembered me (in addition to my sparkling personality) was the business card. So, thanks — I dig having a memorable card!”
At a time when virtually every industry is struggling, letterpress is bringing business in the door. The tactile quality of letterpress is about creating something memorable that literally buys a few extra seconds in the hands of a recipient. Appealing to both sight and touch senses helps create that memory. We thought it was sweet that someone doing web application programming wanted letterpress business cards. What could be more opposite than letterpress? But we know it works, and not just for creatives. As creative professionals, we all have our little bin labeled “cool business card samples” don’t we? It’s important to remember that the “cool business card” reaches beyond us as creatives and has some very practical business realities. So, why haven’t you contacted us to letterpress print your project yet?
Since we get a lot of requests from students, soon-to-be graduates and folks just wanting to give a sweet gift, we decided to run a special price on Business Cards so everyone can experience personalized, letterpress goodness. And, since we generally print Business Cards 2-up on a press sheet, we can run cards for 2 people as easily as for 1.
Continue reading ‘2 Friends Special – Letterpress Business Cards’
One of the most positive design vibes in the Twin Cities comes from Eight Hour Day. This duo produces design with a bold and illustrative style. They just had a nice post over on Grain Edit too.
This invite they sent our studio for printing was a large A10 size card. We letterpress printed gold ink on cotton stock and even did a tone on tone gold envelope. Metallic ink on uncoated stock does not create a mirror-like sheen like foil stamping. It needs a heavy ink coverage to come out as shiny as possible. Many times we recommend a double bump on metallic inks to build up the sheen and opacity. A double coating of ink lets us hold on to the tiny detail and keep the prints crisp.
Kelly English is a Minneapolis designer who worked with us on our Charmed and Sweetheart Seamstress Deskline stationery. Those paper goods are for sale on our Studio Site. We were excited to print her own card design. Her approach to the standard business card takes good advantage of a press sheet. We print them all the same time and trim them down.
A note about halftones – Letterpress can print screens of a color like offset, but the line screen is heavier. Think about it as a black and white newspaper image. We can comfortable hold on to about 80dpi on the typical uncoated papers. You can see the halftone detail in these cards creates an amazing texture. And with the overprinting magenta and yellow duotone – those girls are HOT.
We get asked all the time if we offer both design and print services. The answer is a resounding yes. Here is an example of us doing the design and letterpress production for our client in Palm Beach.
If you are a designer and need a custom letterpress project printed up, talk to us for and estimate. Being designers ourselves, we know how important it is to have a great production partner.
Our friends at Mucca and Darden Studio sent this project our way. Darden typefaces are beautiful in utility with details that aren’t overworked. They are masters at creating a unique typographic voice. And letterpress printing just makes type that much sweeter.
