Printing Ace: A Look at Albertine Press

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Cathy

Shelley Barandes, the printer behind Albertine Press, is inspired by architecture and fine custom letterpress printing. It’s no surprise as both trades support the meticulous nature of crafting complex and carefully devised works through attentive planning and design. And like architecture’s founding core values: beauty, durability, and utility—Shelley’s letterpress printing has it in aces.

THINK INK Professionally, I am a trained printmaker who spent five years post college working in architecture in Paris and New York before coming back to printmaking, and then letterpress, where I stayed for the past nine years. I’m also a mom to two apprentice printers (4-year-old and 9-month-old girls), both of whom have grown up in the studio. I take the little one with me every day to the studio where she serves as mascot and favorite distraction.

FIT TO PRINT I have a printmaking background but was turned on to the Center for Book Arts in New York City where I took my first class in hand typesetting. That was the beginning of the end of my architecture career as I started printing more and more, taking on custom jobs and started Albertine Press.

BEAUTY IN THE BAY STATE Our studio is located in an industrial building in Somerville, Massachusetts which also houses two (yes, two) chocolate companies. Our neighbors down the hall (EH Chocolatier) routinely bring us over trays (yes, trays) of “mistakes” which we happily consume.

THE PRINTING PROCESS I design our wholesale line of greeting cards and note sets as well as much of our custom printing. Drawing from my architecture background, many of our designs feature cityscapes, which I’m particularly drawn towards. For a new city sketch I’ll do a lot of research to pinpoint iconic scenes, buildings and elements of a particular place and start sketching from there. My style of line drawing translates well to letterpress, so aside from cleaning up the images a bit, they’re ready to use for printing.

FULL TIME FUN The studio is a full time business, which was always the goal. In addition to me (and I’m behind the desk more often than behind the press these days) Albertine Press has four full time production folks who oversee the custom printing and the greeting card line, as well as two interns.

PRINTING FEATS I’m proud that our work has been recognized both locally and nationally in the press as well as for some awards. I’m also really excited to see that several of my former interns and employees have gone on to start letterpress companies of their own.

PRESS HISTORY A Kelsey 5″x8″ that I found at a flea market. The Vandercook arrived not too long thereafter so it was really just used for letterpress classes. I’m waiting for my daughter to be old enough to start using it.

BOXCAR’S ROLE All of our plates are Boxcar plates and I have printed exclusively with the Boxcar base / plate system from the beginning. The fast turnaround and super customer service and attention to detail have made it a real joy to have Boxcar as our partner. At times I look at the volume of plates we create and think about getting a platemaker, but then I think about how well you guys do it and I am just so happy to let you do what you do best, and you really do.

WHAT’S NEXT I could fill a book with my future plans, many of which I have to put on hold while I juggle the business and the girls. That said, I’m excited about the new designs planned for release in the new year – more city sketches, of course, but also some more organic designs, like fruits and vegetables.

Big round of thanks out to Shelley for letting us take a sneak peek around Albertine Press!

Printing Powers of Presse Dufour

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Rebecca Miller

To come full circle as a letterpress printer is a feat that is by no means easy, but it satisfies that creative itch deep down. Karen Dufour, of Presse Dufour, is a printing maven who has connected and entwined progress, adaptability, and design consciousness as showcased in her astounding command over the letterpress art. We sat down with Karen in between ink runs to find that over the years, letterpress will find a way.

CRESCENT CITY CREATIVE I am from New Orleans, Louisiana and I have a degree in Visual Art and Graphic Design from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA. I consider myself a very happy wife, mom, and artist. During my career I’ve worked in Hammond and New Orleans, and in London, England for many years. My husband and I eventually settled back here in New Orleans, only to be forced to relocate a few days after Hurricane Katrina. And after seven years in Austin, we’re back home again! Presse Dufour is run within Bayou St. John, one of my favorite neighborhoods in the Crescent City. We are thrilled to be back home and watch the progress our city has made in so many positive ways since the flood.

IN LOVE WITH LETTERPRESS I’m a graphic designer by trade. My career has come full circle, really. In college, my first design job was working in a 2-color print shop. I loved burning film, collating, designing and taking in the smell of ink and the sounds of the presses. Over the years, I designed wedding invitations and other paper goods for friends and family. I always loved working with my hands best.

A serendipitous introduction to letterpress happened when I was looking to print our daughter’s birth announcement, which was letterpress printed. I researched the art of letterpress for nearly a year, took a workshop, and found my press. From then on, I’m self-taught, like most other letterpress printers I would imagine.

DOWN ON THE BAYOU My shop is inside our 110-year-old “shotgun” style Victorian home…in the living room! When you walk through our front door, my press is the first thing you see. I have an amazing drafting desk, which was custom made from reclaimed wood, and a table to mix my ink. It’s very pared down, as I don’t have a lot of room. I love printing from my home though, in the neighborhood which gives me so much inspiration.

PRINTING MENTORS My first introduction to letterpress was through Bethany with Thistleberry Press, who printed our birth announcements. Meredith with Punch Press runs workshops in Austin, Texas, where I was able to create my first print. There are many printers who have offered me countless advice, like Casey with Inky Lips, and Barbara with Lunada Bay. Thank you so much!

Oh, and recently I was fortunate enough to have Paul Moxon pay a visit to my studio to instruct me on how to keep my press in top shape and how to make a few repairs.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS I am both a designer & printer, and I find that most of my final designs start out as my first idea. I’ll have an idea, and then have a long think about it over days, weeks, or months. I think about my design ideas almost all day…when I’m walking around the bayou, driving, etc. Once I feel strong enough about the design I move forward. Some designs are hand drawn with ink, and some start out digitally. I prefer to hand draw my designs.

FULL TIME FUN It seems that I run Presse Dufour full time, but realistically it’s a part-time business. My first priority is raising our daughter and making our home a happy place. I’ve managed to balance my day pretty well at this point. Presse Dufour has been official since 2010.

LETTERPRESS VIBES In the short time that I’ve been printing I feel proud to have such positive feedback from my customers. Making my customers happy is most important to me. Whether or not my goods sell, I am most happy during the process of creating artwork, using my hands, or printing on my press. When my goods are selling well, it makes my job even more fun.

PRESS HISTORY The one and only press I have is my 1965 Vandercoook SP15 proof press.

BOXCAR’S ROLE I have used Boxcar exclusively for platemaking. You all make it easy and efficient, and your customer service always exceeds my expectations.

PRINTING FEATS I have a few. I laser print some designs on transparencies to help guide my plates with tight registration and multi-colors. I lay these on top of my base and slip the plates underneath. Also, I discovered that baby wipes clean ink off my inking surface better than any rag. I use them constantly to keep my hands ink-free while printing.

LETTERPRESS COMMUNITY I’ve been blessed to be a part of a very exciting creative project that I’ve been working on diligently for the past month. I’ve partnered with MESA Production Company, here in New Orleans, to design and sell note cards and limited-edition prints related to 33 VARIATIONS, a 5-time Tony Award Nominated play written by Moisés Kaufman. The story is about a modern-day music scholar driven to solve one of classical music’s enduring riddles – the mystery behind Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. A story about familial love, romantic desire, and artistic obsession, this extraordinary play examines what it means to lose the things that define us, and what we end up gaining in their stead. The play will run here in New Orleans September 11-29 at The Contemporary Arts Center.

My Etsy shop will carry the note cards and prints throughout the month of September and proceeds from those sales will go to benefit The ALS Association Louisiana-Mississippi Chapter and Team Gleason in helping to create a world without ALS! Details and tickets for 33 VARIATIONS can be found here.

WHAT’S NEXT I have many designs in the works that express my love of the Gulf South. Watch this space!

A heaping round of thanks out to Karen Dufour for letting us get the skinny on Presse Dufour!

Carimbo Press: Innovating Letterpress in Brazil

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Rebecca Miller

Up until recently, Marcelo of Carimbo Letterpress & Design was known mostly for his prowess in the letterpress circles of Brazil and South America. Now he’s becoming a name to those outside of Brazil, gaining attention for Carimbo Press and spreading the modern letterpress love. Marcelo sat down with us between press runs to talk about the tactile appeal of letterpress and expanding his line of printed goods.

MODERN LETTERPRESS Carimbo Letterpress is the sum of the enthusiasm and efforts from Érico and Marcelo, two graphic designers with a passion for typography, printing and old stuff. We went to college together but had been working on separate jobs for several years. In the beginning of 2009 we began to notice some great letterpress work featured on the web and wondered how people were doing those beautiful things nowadays. Then we came to understand the use of modern letterpress with photopolymer, thick paper, cotton paper, edge painting and all that tactile appeal. At the time there weren’t any printshops in Brazil really doing this kind of work, so we went looking for our first press and began making plans for our letterpress studio. Besides that, we thought it was great that we could do things ourselves and be our own bosses.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS Despite being graphic designers, we had no experience being actual printers. So in the beginning, after some printing for ourselves, we decided to offer letterpress printing to friends. Soon we felt confident with the results we were getting and decided that we could do it professionally and thus began offering our services in our area.

FULL TIME FUN For some time Érico still kept his job working at an agency but now we operate as a full time letterpress printshop. Our current goal is to have a nice balance between commissioned work and our own. We have a lot of custom orders (and that’s the priority), but we are always looking for ways to improve our processes and have more time to print our own designs and projects as well.

PRINTING FEATS We are proud of learning how to print by ourselves and overcoming all the difficulties to start this kind of operation here in Brazil. It was – and still is – hard in so many ways, but we feel that we’re always improving. We never had a mentor of any kind, so to understand how to operate all these machines and also to do maintenance is kind of a big deal for us. We think that we helped develop a Brazilian market as well. At first we noticed we needed to have an educational role too, explaining why letterpress printing was so exciting and how it was different from current and modern printing techniques. We had several clients that were looking for something unusual but did not know exactly what letterpress printing was. After some time, we started to get a lot of requests specifically because we were doing letterpress and people had started to ask for it.

PRESS HISTORY We have a small tabletop press from Japan (still on maintenance work), a Heidelberg Windmill (1974), a Vandercook SP-15 (1968), and a Catu (which is a platen press made in Brazil). We have a working Linotype Model 8 (1929), but it still needs to be plugged in. We also have a manual Krause paper cutter, one corner rounding machine and one stapler machine. Our first press was the Windmill and it still gets most of the jobs. When we were looking for presses I remember asking what would happen if by any chance my hand got stuck on the platen. A mechanic that was showing us the machines answered that my fingers would be like a sheet of paper – and so we decided to go with the automatic feeding on the Heidelberg. Now that we have more experience we are confident with our hand fed Catu. We try to equip ourselves with different presses for different types of jobs. We mix our inks by hand according to the Pantone formulas / guide and we are always improving our edge painting technique.

BOXCAR’S ROLE Boxcar helps us in so many ways. First, by providing the press manual for our Windmill (later we would find an original and physical copy in Portuguese, but at the beginning we were always reading the Boxcar PDF). We find a lot of information on the site very useful too, like the instructional videos by Harold. It is hard to find good supplies here in Brazil, so things like the Boxcar Base, swing away lay gauge, roller setting gauge, gauge pins, etc. are excellent additions to our printing gear.

SHOP TIPS Always try to go by the book: adjust the press thoroughly and try to learn and understand all of its moves. Then it’s easier to figure what isn’t working properly and to think on ways to solve the problems. We also find that baby powder is useful in so many ways as it helps cleaning the rails, preventing the plates from over sticking to the base, drying the printed tympan after a missed sheet, etc, etc.

WHAT’S NEXT This year we are trying to get everything in place around here: we are improving our shop and presses so things can be done more efficiently. We also have a lot of ideas that we want to put out and we expect to finally make it through with our line of printed goodies. Our website is in a desperate need of a revamp and we are trying to tie this loose end, too. We have some other nice projects coming along as well.

Big round of thanks out to Marcelo of Carimbo Letterpress & Design for giving us a closer look at the shop!

Hot Off the Press: Spark Letterpress

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Cathy

Letterpress doing good! It’s happening everywhere, especially in the acclaimed shop of Spark Letterpress. James Watne, the printing buff behind Spark, shares with us how he’s growing his business and eco-friendly custom wedding line. We talked shop with James about Heidelbergs (his favorite subject), bringing letterpress to a wider audience, and of course, the alluring “green” nature of the press itself.

TWIN CITIES CHAMP I was born and raised in the Twin Cities and pursued a BFA in Design at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

SWEET BEGINNINGS My wife and I wanted to pursue our own stationery line back in 2004 and decided it would be prudent to be able to produce our own work. After a lot of research into what print options would be a possibility for our business, we chose letterpress for all of the reasons people love it. The tactile quality of the impression, the vintage nature of the presses, the eco-friendly aspects of letterpress and more.

PRESS SHOP GOODIES Three Heidelberg 10×15 windmill platens, Heidelberg KS and KSBA cylinders, C&P10x15 New Series, C&P 12×18 Craftsman with Rice feeder, C&P Pilot new style, Challenge 305 cutter, and a bunch of other miscellaneous equipment and tools that help us to get the job done.

DESIGNED FOR SUCESS My background is in design; however, with the growth of our business, I am finding less and less time to design. I primarily print on a daily basis on all of our presses, along with all of the maintenance and repair that is needed.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS Since I do print full time, I have to admit that I can picture a time in the future where I am not printing full time. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself since growing the business is the stage we are in now. I think long-term I would like to get back to designing more along with helping others set up their presses and repairing/restoring them.

PRINTING FEATS Teaching myself what I needed to know to consistently deliver high-quality work and to keep our machines in top condition for the future.

PRESS HISTORY A Chandler & Price 10×15 new series which we are hoping to dust off and bring back from temporary retirement.

BOXCAR’S ROLE We use Boxcar bases on all of our presses and feel that they make modern letterpress printing a lot more attainable for more people.

SHOP TIPS Those around me will confirm that I can go on forever about Heidelbergs, but one core thing is to master the ink fountain. In addition to adding ink as needed for heavier coverage, it can also take ink away. If the fountain roller has less ink at a given point than the ductor roller, it will pull ink back to the fountain side. Set correctly, this can regulate the ink flow for long runs so it stays consistent end to end.

WHAT’S NEXT We released our new line of custom wedding designs on June 1, and we will be working on our next release right after we get the new line out there.

Huge round of applause out to James of Spark Letterpress for letting us get the full scoop!

Bridging the Gap: The Aesthetic Union

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Rebecca Miller

Just shy of three years ago, James Tucker created The Aesthetic Union, a San Francisco press shop that is built to fill the gap between designers & production — and his career has only mushroomed since. With the blossoming business, Tucker has found that he’ll now have more time to enjoy sailing in addition to teaching & printing the finer details of letterpress.

LETTERPRESS LINKS The Aesthetic Union was created about 3 years ago as a need to fill a gap I saw between designers and production. Usually designers would be designing for web or digitally printing and wanted to explore letterpress and more traditional ways of printing. Their designs weren’t translating well with traditional methods and the final product showed a lack thereof. Through a direct collaboration with a team and making sure designers know how the method of printing is done and what the limitations are of letterpress and how to better to push the boundaries, I immediately saw an improvement in the finished products.

HOOKED BY HATCH My first exposure to letterpress was back in college. I was studying printmaking at Maryland Institute College of Art when I saw some work by Jim Sheridan at Hatch Show Print. I was immediately hooked and found myself there that summer as an intern to study with him and Brad Vetter. I continued to work as a pressman after I graduated and moved to San Francisco.

I was first introduced to Heidelberg Windmills and Boxcar plates at a five year stint working as the lead pressman for Hello Lucky and fell in love with those machines and the simplicity of the process of platemaking.

SAN FRAN FUN I’m currently looking for a new space in San Francisco to house my shop, as for now I’m carrying the venerable torch of a tramp printer. I print for many places in San Francisco and in exchange I use their shops as my own. I also teach a number of classes at SF Center for the Book, which just moved into a new space and obtained some great equipment.

FULL TIME FUN Up until recently I was printing full time, but since I started my own business I have had more time to pursue my love of sailing and working on tall ships. So when I’m not in the pressroom, I’m out on the San Francisco Bay chartering large schooners.

PRESS HISTORY My first press was a 10×15 Old Style C&P. I pulled it out of a woman’s basement in upstate NJ in pieces and rebuilt it. I’m currently selling it to pay for my new investment, a late Heidelberg Windmill with lock ups and a rare Asbern proof press.

BOXCAR’S ROLE Boxcar has made registration extremely efficient with the help of the gridded base and transparent photopolymer plates. This decreases makeready and saves time and money.

SHOP TIPS If I could pass along some advice to my fellow printers I want to convey that working smart, clean and efficiently will save time and your sanity.

WHAT’S NEXT The rest of 2013 will be eventful for The Aesthetic Union. We are on the search for the perfect space and once we have it, we’d like to ramp up production and tackle some in house projects I’ve had on the plate for a while. We will also be teaching more at SF Center for the Book, The Arm in Brooklyn, at Skill Exchange and will be giving some more lectures.

Big round of thanks to James Tucker at The Aesthetic Union for letting us catch up with him!

Flying High With Two Crow Press

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Beneath the expanse of the blue skies and huddled next to the wheat & sunflower patches of Kansas, holds Two Crow Press. A Kansas born and raised Ashley Flinn meticulously threads her unique triple-play passions of bookmaking, papermaking and letterpress within Two Crow Press’s shop space. Ever one to experiment with the boundaries of printing & the love of paper, Ashley spent some time catching us up on the whimsical new “unromantic” Valentine’s Day cards and being featured into the finals for Kansas State University’s “Next Big Thing” Contest (to which she’s taken the Gold).

BIG PRESS ON THE PRAIRIE I’ve lived in Kansas for 25 years. I was raised in Manhattan, KS, attended classes at K-State, and got my BFA in Printmaking from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. In 2010, after graduating, I moved back to Manhattan and married my long-time boyfriend at a kick-ass wedding on the prairie. I’ve been taking graphic design and business classes at K-State and I started my own letterpress and graphic design studio last March. My first job was printing wedding invitations for friends from New Jersey.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT At K-State there was a very talented book artist, Rachel Melis, and I had her for 2D Design. She was a great teacher, so I kept taking her classes. The next class I had with her was a summer class in book arts and letterpress. Before then, I had just been a photographer, but when I saw what letterpress could do and that you could make books by hand I was floored. It was amazing. Luckily, when I transferred to KU another teacher, Linda Sampson-Talleur, offered classes in those subjects AND papermaking. Basically if it involves paper, is process oriented, and needs a ton of paraphernalia, I’m into it. KU has a great letterpress studio and type collection, including 3 Vandercooks! I miss the shop there a lot. So much space.

SPECTACULAR IN THE SUNFLOWER STATE My print shop is in my basement studio. On one wall, I have a drying rack next to my press. I keep all my inks and supplies under the press table. Next to that is my binding and folding station on a low table in the corner. The rest of the studio is drawers of supplies and paper.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS My designs can start in a number of ways. Usually it’s an idea or theme I want to work with like “un-romantic” Valentine’s cards, neurotransmitters, or evolution calling cards (for when you really don’t want to explain for the nth time why monkeys don’t give birth to humans or “gaps” in the fossil record). Other times it’s just playing with type. One of the best things about designing on a computer is the amazing variety of forms we have access to. Though as a printmaker, I do love working within the limitations of a craft (I’m thinking about you, intaglio…), if I had room for physical type, I’d love playing with that just as much.

PART TIME PRINTING I don’t print full-time. My day job is being a computer lab aide at the local high school. My days are literally non-stop troubleshooting. My ultimate goal is to open a maker space with my husband that will have letterpress, screenprinting, intaglio and relief presses, papermaking, bookbinding, metalsmithing, and all kinds of tech things he’s involved in like 3D printing, a laser cutter, a CNC router, etc. with a shop and gallery attached. I’m really into educating people about various art forms and technology, but I also love creating objects (be it stationery, copper vessels, or limited edition prints). Also my husband wants to experiment with integrating letterpress with the things he knows, and try things like making wood type with a CNC router, etc. and we’re starting to form a sister brand to Two Crow Press for our collaborative work that will be a little edgier and darker (death metal Easter cards, etc.).

PRINTING FEATS Hand watercoloring autumn leaves for 100 wedding invitations for my friends. I felt like a badass. I never push my paper farther than it can go. I understand the desire for a deep impression, but I refuse to punch the paper to the point there’s a big indentation on the other side. If someone wants a deep impression, I use thick paper. I always print my paper damp as well (thank you Linda!) As for material accomplishments, I’m pretty new to the game, so no killer accolades yet. I have been doing pretty well with Etsy sales though, so things are shaping up nicely.

PRESS HISTORY My first (and currently only) press is a New Style Chandler and Price Pilot. I’ve had the pleasure of working on a Vandercook Universal I, but at the moment don’t have the space for a big press like that.

BOXCAR’S ROLE Without Boxcar Press, I don’t think my business would be sustainable. The ease and affordability of ordering plates through you guys is unrivaled. That less than 90 sq. in. equals 2 Day Free Shipping deal is AWESOME. Your website is also very nicely designed. Not to mention the recycling of plates gives me one more green selling/bragging point (and it’s just the right thing to do).

SHOP TIPS Try printing with damp paper at least once. Also try printing on many different papers. I started printing on printmaking papers (Somerset Velvet and Rives BFK) because that was what I was most familiar with, and then branched out to other papers. They all have very different qualities, and it’s good to experiment to find the ones you like best for certain projects.

WHAT’S NEXT This year, I’m hoping to have more time to dedicate to printing. I’m planning on increasing the amount and variety of things I print, and adding a part-time intern to my payroll. I’m really hoping to collaborate with a few local artists to produce limited-edition letterpress art prints. Maybe 3 color and 7” x 10” prints (that’s about the max my press can handle). I’m also going to try letterpress printing paper that has been chine-colléd, some delicate washi attached to Lettra might be really awesome.

Big heaps of thanks out to Ashley for letting us take a look at Two Crow Press!

The Triumphs Behind The Victory Special Press

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Cathy

The Victory Special Press is run by Emily Harris: Nebraska born, Boston raised, and Alaskan forever. Her Anchorage-based press finds its creativity from passions that combine paper-making, letterpress, vintage finds, and of course, the incurable itch to create more. We caught up with Emily to catch the secrets behind The Victory Special Press.

NORTH AMERICAN PRINTING TREK The Victory Special Press is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We moved up here in the summer of 2012, and it’s been an amazing experience for me personally and for my design aesthetic.

I’m originally from Nebraska, spent about eight years living in Boston, and lived abroad a couple of times. I’m definitely eclectic and enjoy exploring different places and cultures (hence all the moving around). We came up to Alaska on holiday last winter, totally loved it, and decided we wanted to make Alaska our new home. Within a few months we had crated the presses, packed up the car and headed north. The drive lasted about six weeks, spanning the continent from Boston to Anchorage: about 9,000 miles. We took a circuitous route and visited many friends and family along the way. I also emailed letterpress printers in some of the towns we stopped in, so we got to meet some amazing people and see some cool shops throughout the US and Canada (thanks to all for opening your print shop doors!). It was really great to continue the letterpress dialogue as we traveled. The highlight was meeting Fritz Klinke and finding the original card of sale for my Vandercook 3 (thanks, Fritz!).

FOR THE LOVE OF LETTERPRESS When I was living in Boston, I woke up one morning with a strong desire to make my own paper. I took a really great week-long intensive class, then ended up with a bunch of paper that I wasn’t sure what to do with. A community print shop offered letterpress classes, so I enrolled in a beginners series and printed solely on my handmade paper. The class was so fun; I totally fell in love with letterpress printing. From there I became a member of the print shop and printed on their Vandercook 4, honing my skills. About a year after I began printing, I got my own Vandercook 3 and started up my company!

I still print on my handmade paper from time to time, but for most jobs I stick strictly to commercial papers. However, there’s something very calming about pulling sheets from water, so I’m hoping at some point to have a section of my studio built out for papermaking.

LETTERPRESS IN THE LAST FRONTIER STATE Since we moved not that long ago, the print shop is currently in the garage. I actually quite like it – when the weather is nice I leave the garage door open so I get lots of fresh air, and the occasional curious moose that walks by! It’s also been a great way to meet the neighbors – everyone seems to have a fascination when the presses are running.

We transformed one of the extra bedrooms in the house into my studio space, so I have plenty of room to spread out. I also like being able to keep finished product far away from the presses – there’s a “clean” room and a “dirty” room.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS I’m both a designer and printer, and have been printing full time for about two years. Because of my Nebraska roots and now living in Alaska, I’m totally fascinated by western, old-timey imagery and images from the Gold Rush in Alaska and the Yukon. I like to flip through books of antique cuts from the 19th century or find vintage photos, postcards, etc. on the internet or at the library. The Anchorage Museum has had some exhibitions recently of etchings from some of the first trappers in Alaska, and photos from the Gold Rush that I spent a lot of time looking at. I use all of that research as inspiration, then sketch ideas out by hand. I then translate the design to the computer by redrawing in Illustrator.

PRINTING FEATS Last year was our first year at the National Stationery Show trade show in New York City. We met some key buyers during the show, and then a large order developed in the weeks after the show, which was during our cross-country trek. We would have to optimize times when we had a WiFi connection (or at least some sort of cell service) so I could read and respond to emails. Because of the store’s deadlines for the holiday season, by the time we got to Anchorage we didn’t have much time to print, package and send off the product. I’m really proud of the fact that, while it was stressful at times, it didn’t stop me from enjoying our trip and experiencing all the beauty our drive had to offer, and that I was able to turn the order around so fast once I got the press uncrated!

BOXCAR’S ROLE Boxcar has helped in a myriad of ways: as a resource for supplies when I got my first press, tips and tricks from the blog, an easy-to-use base with a grid that makes registration much easier. But perhaps most importantly, Boxcar doesn’t care where I live.

When I moved to Alaska, I had to change a lot of my suppliers because the shipping charges were more than the cost of the product. Boxcar has a flat rate for shipping their plates and it’s allowed me to continue to have high quality plates that my product depends on, while not breaking my business’s bank.

SHOP TIPS Don’t forget to keep a playful mind when printing. Since I’m somewhat self-taught, I often think, “What would happen if I do this?” And I try it. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but sometimes it does work, and it can make the print even better than I expected.

WHAT’S NEXT We’ll be going back for our second year at the National Stationery Show in New York this May. If you’re there, swing by Booth #2262 and say hi!

Big round of thanks out to Emily Harris, the clever letterpress printer behind The Victory Special Press!

Thomas & Brown: Covered In Ink

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Rebecca Miller

A final printed letterpress piece or custom made artist’s book is kinetic. Mark Moroney, the printer behind Thomas & Brown, is just that — a kinetic engine full of creativity, intuitive know-how, and ambition. Mark deftly weaves the idea to the rough sketches, to the possible digital manipulation, and to the whirling of the press that produces it. We sat down with the printing aficionado to capture that dynamism.

Letterpress Printer Mark Moroney of Thomas & Brown

All photography courtesy of Amanda Sudimack | Artisan Events

THE INS & OUTS OF PRINTING I am the owner and operator of Thomas & Brown in Oak Park, Illinois. I have been doing that for a little over a year. A couple years before that I worked at Rohner Letterpress in Chicago. Over there, Sam Wilder and Matthew Cordell taught me all the ins and outs of running a Heidelberg windmill. And in the years between I spent time being a dad for two little boys.

IN THE BEGINNING The story kind of starts when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. With a lot of solitude and free time I became obsessed with writing and lettering. Lots of bookmaking and letter writing. Upon returning to the US, I thought I would work my skills into the graphic design thing. After a time of working in front of the computer I found that the translation didn’t always work for me. I sort of have a difficult relationship with technology. What I truly enjoyed was crafting with the hand, touching the material, etc. But fortunately for me, Chicago has the allure of letterpress built right into the city. Heck, I lived in a neighborhood called Printer’s Row. I found myself frequenting places like the Newberry Library and Columbia College Center for Book and Paper Arts. At the time, Bill Drendel was working at CCCBPA and I was always amazed at the work he was bringing in to exhibit. It was exactly what I wanted to be doing as an artist and designer. He, along with Suzanne Cohen-Lange, encouraged me to apply to the program there. So I did and that is where I finally got my hands covered in ink.

PARADISE IN THE PRAIRIE STATE My shop is small but capable. I have a Heidelberg windmill, a Challenge paper cutter, and a platemaker. I have lots of letterpress gadgets and I also have a bunch of drawers of type and cuts. It is not terribly exciting but it gets the job done.

DESIGNED FOR PRINT I am a designer/printer and also a jobber. I will do design for anyone who needs it, but I also think it is great working with designers and other creatives who have such wonderful visions. I enjoy helping designers make good choices, understand the medium, and ultimately realizing the project in a physical form. And I think my background in graphic design makes this a lot easier for me.

ROOM TO GROW At this point we do not have enough work to consider myself full time, however with our design and printing we keep busy but of course there is always room for growth. But yes, that would be a goal for the future. And I am working with that in mind.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS My process can go one of two ways depending on the project. If I am designing for a client with a specific goal and and a clear vision, I usually start with a sketch. From there I park myself in front of the computer and assemble the parts. I work on choosing typefaces, take care of leading and kerning. Also, any imagery or graphic elements that need to be included are positioned and refined on the computer. The other way I work is more intuitive. This involves putting together cuts and type together on my stone. I do any color mixing on press, working from light to dark with lots of trans white. I end up with a lot of make ready. Usually designing this way I get some stationery or business cards for a friend. If I am really ambitious it can lead to the creation of an artist book.

PRINTING FEATS Well, I have exhibited in juried shows and done artist in residence programs but, in all honesty, I am always most proud when I get a phone call or an email from a customer who was so happy with their project. People can fake enthusiasm when they are looking at an open gallery but it doesn’t happen when they have spent their hard earned money.

PRESS HISTORY The first press I worked on was a Vandercook Universal. The press that I own is a Heidelberg windmill. I’m sure it has been passed around Chicago the past few decades. At one point – maybe originally – it belonged to Bloom High School in suburban Chicago Heights, Illinois.

BOXCAR’S ROLE I have a platemaker but I do not have an imagesetter. My biggest problem was finding a local reliable film source. With Boxcar, I can just do the whole process online. And the new online order form makes it really easy. I can instantly transfer files and even hold them there until my project is ready. I know exactly what I am sending and how much it is going to cost me. The time I used to spend making plates is now spent on other parts of the business. Also, I was not particularly great at making plates and with the cost of polymer I was always worried about losing money on that part of the process. I know that Boxcar guarantees their plates and I will have what I need for my jobs.

SHOP TIPS Of course I have tricks, dozens and dozens of them. You can’t do this kind of printing without them. The press does not have a computer with alarms and lights monitoring color and alignment and whatnot. Every job is a different set of challenges with a different set of solutions. My best advice would be to find some salty veterans who are passionate about printing & sit down with them and listen to what they have to say.

WHAT’S NEXT My plan for 2013 is to get the word out there that we are here. I would like to find some more designers who still care about the end product. And maybe if I acquire an additional press I would like to open up the studio to artists and offer a hands on experience for the local community.

A large round of thanks out to Mark Moroney of Thomas & Brown for letting us take a peek at his shop!

The Vintage Energy Behind Volta Press

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Rebecca Miller

The life of Oakland California’s phenom printing duo has changed fast. From solid beginnings under the guidance of Bay Area letterpress great Betsy Davids to teaching letterpress, the pair behind Volta Press still reminisce about the long nights that honed their trade. During a break between print runs, Boxcar caught up with Laureen Mahler and John Peck for a quick chat.

PRINTERS FROM THE GOLDEN COAST Volta Press is Laureen Mahler and John Peck, a husband-and-wife printer team based in Oakland, California.

LATE NIGHT LETTERPRESS LOVE We started printing while Laureen was in graduate school at CCAC, where we spent countless late nights on the print studio’s Vandercooks. Initially, we wanted to create our own literary journal, complete with letterpressed covers and hand-sewn binding. With invaluable guidance from Betsy Davids (a well-known and much-loved influence on the Bay Area book arts community), we launched Beeswax Magazine in 2005. Now on its eighth issue, Beeswax is still letterpressed & hand-sewn — and truly a labor of love! The journal quickly transitioned into letterpressing for our friends, and we printed everything from poetry chapbooks and LP covers to gallery postcards and party invitations.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS We design and print, although we also work with other designers. Our design process is very much about experimenting with our press and its capabilities; we love to play with texture, size, color, and contrast in our designs, and we’ve learned a lot about the press and our own aesthetic over the years.

FULL TIME FUN A tough question! We did print full time for several years, but to make ends meet that meant taking every job that came our way. We found ourselves losing sight of why we’d become printers in the first place, so we started teaching, took a hiatus from custom work, and focused on building a portfolio that truly represented who we are. Now we teach to supplement our printing income and are happy to say that we’ve found a nice balance of custom work and self-made projects.

PRESS HISTORY Volta Press officially started in 2006 in Betsy Davids’ backyard: she has a meticulously restored SP15 tucked away in an old carriage house. It was a wonderful press, but the building had very little insulation: in the (albeit California) winters, we wrapped up in jackets and scarves to print jobs and had a backup supply of fingerless gloves. Since then, we’ve printed on a range of Vandercooks and C&Ps, and ultimately decided to purchase a Vandercook 3.

In 2009, we moved to our current studio near Jack London Square, where we now occupy two floors in an old pickle factory overlooking the Port of Oakland.

PRINTING FEATS We’re still pretty proud of purchasing our first Vandercook. It’s also really gratifying to be part of Oakland’s thriving small business community, from establishing relationships with other independent businesses to printing everything from coffee bean packaging to bookstore broadsides. Printing what we love and making the press work on our own terms are big accomplishments, though we’re definitely still learning on a daily basis.

BOXCAR’S ROLE We’ve been ordering plates from Boxcar Press since 2006, and we still remember opening the package that held our first Boxcar base. It was like letterpress Christmas, and we haven’t looked back since.

SHOP TIPS Always have masking tape handy, invest in a complete set of Allen wrenches, love the craft and its history, learn to be a grease monkey, make friends, and remember that making beautiful things isn’t always a beautiful process.

WHAT’S NEXT We’ll be teaching letterpress at the San Francisco Art Institute again in the fall, and we’re also working on expanding our in-studio workshops. We’d love to acquire a second press, and we’ve got a crazy idea to build a mobile Vandercook vehicle (though that’s maybe more of a 2014 project!). We’re also working on a literary poster series and a newspaper project, and we hope to launch both of those this summer.

Big rounds of applause for Laureen and John for letting us get the full story on Volta Press!

The Big Impressions of Cartoules Press

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Rebecca Miller

There’s nothing small about Cartoules Press (Greek for “little cards”) or the printing powerhouse, Julie Karatzis, the fiery printer who masterfully prints, throws epic parties, and discusses the future of letterpress. A jewel of the Californian printing community, Julie has been creating beautiful works of art and has been given nods of appreciation (most recently being recognized by the Greek American Foundation as a member of their “Forty Under 40”). We sat down to find out just what’s next for the Californian printer.

Julie Karatzis of Cartoules Press chatted with Boxcar Press about her letterpress print shop and how she got started

Far Left photograph courtesy of Vangie Ogg Photography. All other photography courtesy of Cartoules Press.

DESIGNER/PRINTER/DANCER I’ve been a long time paper fanatic ever since I could pick up a pair of scissors and make things with my hands. I always appreciated the art of quality made stationery and the craft of letterpress. I’m also a Kefalonitisa. Chronic wanderlust. Design junkie. Bon vivant. Amateur photographer. Graphic designer. Runner. Master instagrammer. Typophile. Flea market frequenter. Beach bum. Epic party thrower. Greek dancer. Crafter. A sane OCD.

INSPIRED BY INVITATIONS When my husband and I got engaged I knew immediately that I wanted letterpress invitations. For fun, I decided to take a few classes at the International Printing Museum in Carson, and when I discussed letterpress wedding invitations with my instructor, she suggested that I print my own with her help.

My husband and I rented press time in her studio, and together, we printed them – I was hooked. Shortly after, I purchased a small table top Kelsey, and started creating cards for myself and for friends. And thus – Cartoules Press was born.

CREATIVE IN CALI My shop is in my home studio detached garage in Long Beach, California. We’re actually planning a major home remodel in the next few months so things will drastically change — for the better. But currently my situation suits me and my printing needs.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS When I’m working on a custom invitation or piece, I love to get inside my client’s head and sort out their thoughts. For example with my brides, I love to get a sense of their wedding, but also about their personality — what kind of clothes they like to wear, where they shop — just to get a sense of their likes and dislikes. Sometimes I print submitted work, but I prefer to print my own designs. Right now I’m printing part time, and it’s been this way since the inception of Cartoules Press. While I’m printing I’m almost always drinking a homemade latte and blasting music. I work best listening to Spanish or Greek rock music with a little dance music thrown in.

PRINTING FEATS Last year I was recognized by the Greek American Foundation as a member of their “Forty Under 40” for my work with Cartoules Press and the unique offering I provide to not only Greeks in the US and abroad, but to the design community as a whole. I’ve also received some great press placements in Marie Claire Greece, for example, and have had some super clients like Mercedes-Benz.

BOXCAR’S ROLE You guys are fantastic! Last minute? Under the minimum? No problem. You guys always take care of me and my plate making needs, and with a smile on your face (at least it sounds that way over the phone).

SHOP TIPS Don’t be afraid to experiment with techniques or styles of printing. There’s definitely a few different ways to accomplish the end result with letterpress, it’s just important to find out which methods, techniques, and tools work best for you.

WHAT’S NEXT Remodeling the studio space is top priority right now, and something that I’m very excited about. The presses have moved with us twice now, so I’m really looking forward to giving them a beautiful permanent home full of light and plenty of new storage.

Big heaping thanks out to Julie Karatzis of Cartoules Press for sharing her story!

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