Letterpress Basics: Time to Print

This is the fourth in a series of posts speaking about the basics of letterpress. I started off with how to use a composure stick, next working with metal type and then on to moving your composition from galley to chase ready for print. There are a lot of visuals taken from my own hands-on experience learning the basics of letterpress in Paris with Thomas Gravemaker some years back. This is an overview and would suggest anyone interested in the craft to take on a workshop for more in-depth knowledge. So without further ado, it’s time to print!

CUTTING PAPER DOWN TO SIZE

Weekend Letterpress Workshop in Italy

Wonderful letterpress workshop over the weekend with the lovely designer and instructor Katarina Czikorovà. She came all the way from Slovakia to Italy to learn a new printing technique and walked away with some business cards too!

We covered a lot of ground in two days... learning the basics, doing practice compositions with the proof press, closing the chase up nice and tight, measuring twice for perfect alignment, mixing color and finally prints on the table top press. She got the last train out of town, but we were able to finish her two sided cards in two colors printed on a variety of cotton and card stock paper (and eat a bowl of pasta)!

If you are interested in a private or tandem letterpress workshop please contact me for details. More details and pictures of other workshops conducted on my website.

A Personal Cook : Letterpress Business Card

LA MANU CHE CUCINA loves to cook and can arrange a nice evening with a northern Italian menu in the comfort of your home with family, friends or other special occasion. Bespoke design & letterpress printed in hot pink and chocolate brown on Neenah Classic Crest cotton paper. 

Off the Vine : Letterpress Business Cards

Great fun printing these cards for "Italianna”. Anna Savino, specializes in food and wine tours in the beautiful Langhe hills of Italy, where the famous Barolo and Barbaresco come from. The cards were meant to be simple but elegant, something I think reflect the wines of the Langhe.

 

Two sided letterpress business cards - deboss | two color eggplant and vine green

hand pressed - vegetable based ink

Letterpress Appointment Cards

Square appointment cards. A follow up to some business cards designed for client. Paper choice this time around was card stock, not cotton. Still this light blue recycled paper (with flecks of dark brown) marries natural cotton paper used for business cards well.

The logo design was inspired by the palmette motif which has a long history that dates back to Ancient Greece and Egypt. This simple symbol has been thought to represent many things like an early version of the halo as well as a connection with the sun’s sunset and sunrise.

Product photography with props

More and more my work focuses on product photography to try and get the best representation of   design I do. I still work with a point and shoot camera, and I like the discipline of learning to use best what I have. It’s a continuous learning process with great hints on the web to take some decent images and improve your skills from the likes of the Biz Ladies section of Design Sponge . It is a part of the process between what you do and getting it out there to the public. Here’s a business card hand printed in two colors on Crane’s Lettra 100lb paper for a painter with prop.

  

More attempts at product photography click here.

Elisa’s business cards :: carta di visita

Custom logo design and letterpress business cards for recent PhD graduate and doctor.

The logo design was inspired by the palmette motif which has a long history that dates back to Ancient Greece and Egypt. This simple symbol has been thought to represent many things like an early version of the halo as well as a connection with the sun’s sunset and sunrise.

Paper :: Italian Fabriano Rosa Spina 200lb cotton paper
Cards printed with vegetable based ink in two colors:: dark chocolate brown and hand mixed aqua