Just before the holidays, Erin got in touch about business cards for her new business. She thought hand-painted watercolor cards would add the perfect touch of creativity and I couldn’t agree more!
I love that each card is unique while referencing an abstract orange and red pattern that is part of the company’s branding. Want your own set of cards? Check out your options here.
I recently printed up another big batch of my business cards, and it occurred to me that when I rebranded last year I never shared my new cards! So, even though I’m considering another update in the next year or so (the perils of being a designer!), here’s the story of my cards!
Kraft paper was part of the identity package I put together for myself, and I love the look of white and metallic ink on kraft, so I knew I wanted to incorporate those inks in some way. After testing out a few options, I settled on white for the front of my cards as it has the most contrast with the paper, making small text easiest to read.
I also wanted to have a two-sided business card, but didn’t want them to be a difficult project to print—double-sided cards are the most difficult to get a tight registration. The solution? A free form pattern that would show parts of an oversized logo I had randomly printed on the backs of my cards. For the first few runs, I went with silver on the back, but this time I switched to gold (on a slightly lighter card stock)—it felt more festive for fall and the holidays, and more on trend! (Plus, like every other creative person right now, I’m obsessed with all things gold!)
Looking at them now, I’m falling in love with them again, so maybe I’ll hold off on that redesign…. Need some cards for you or your business? Get in touch, I’d love to work with you!
Price Farms’ stationery is the last of my new year projects. I print a lot of business cards, but these were a particular challenge—not only are they a three-color job, but they also feature reversed-out type on a solid color flood background… twice. I printed lots of extras to allow for imperfections and mis-registration and I’m quite pleased with how they turned out!
The letterhead was a completely different story. I ordered the lighter text weight version of my favorite Crane paper and they printed like a dream! I was a little worried I wouldn’t get a good impression into such a light paper, but I was so wrong. I just love how they turned out!
Each January, there seems to be a surge in new business card clients, mostly small business owners or freelancers looking to finally get some professional business cards made. It’s one of my favorite influxes—such a fun way to kick start the year—and this year did not disappoint!
I still have a few projects in the works, but I finished the first two sets last week so I thought I’d share!
Jori beat the rush by getting in touch on New Year’s Eve for her new cards. She wanted a very simple design with just the right typeface, and I loved her attention to the font we used. Most people don’t realize it, but a typeface often sets the mood for the design, so this friendly, modern, clean face works perfectly for her!
Troy got in touch a few days later after purchasing a card from one of my Wisconsin stockists over the holidays. He had done his research, checking out my work on this very website (Hi, Troy!) and knew exactly what he was looking for. The parameters he provided were really inspiring to me, and I came up with a ton of amazing design options for him. I love the one he picked (above)—they just may be my favorite business cards to date!
I also thought I’d share a few of the other initial designs I created for him. I love them so much, I’d hate to never have them see the light of day, so if you’re interested in updating one with your information, get in touch!
Recently, I’ve received several requests for custom projects like business cards and broadsides featuring custom designs or logos with due dates within a few days or a week. Since this is impossible for me (or any other printer without an in-house plate-maker…. and even then!), I thought I’d share a typical timeline for custom letterpress projects to help foster more understanding for the process.
DESIGN: I usually create the first round of design options within a few days of receiving the order, but depending on how specific and descriptive the project parameters are, the time required for design can vary quite a lot. It’s always better to provide too much information rather than too little!
PLATE-MAKING: Once the design is finalized, I create files for the company that makes my printing plates. Letterpress is a physical process, with ink not only being spread across the surface, but the design is actually impressed into the paper, so three-dimensional printing plates are required. The design is etched into magnesium plates (backwards, of course), which are then mounted to a specific height of wood base. Then of course they must be delivered to my little island studio, which usually takes about a week, but can take up to two. I also order any additional supplies during this period.
PRINTING: Most one-color projects can be completed in a day once they’re worked into my printing schedule. If the project has additional colors, I prefer to let the ink cure for at least one week between colors to prevent smudging. If the design is double-sided, I’d rather set aside two weeks between sides.
FINISHING: Many projects end up being trimmed by hand, which takes several hours, or even a couple days, depending on the quantity. I always print more than the number of pieces ordered, so then I spend some time choosing the very best to send to the customer.
SHIPPING: Once the project is packaged and addressed with care, the Bermuda post averages one to two weeks for delivery within the continental U.S. Shipping can be expedited, but two- to three-day shipping starts at $51 for something as small as an envelope!
All told, most completely custom projects will take a minimum of five weeks after the design is finalized and approved. I do love printing custom projects though, so please do get in touch!
622 press | LETTERPRESS GOODS MADE BY HAND 