Blogging this here Letterpress work
June 3, 2005
I think because I’m going to such ridiculous lengths to make my own wedding invitations and stationery that I should record my process for posterity. See last post, but I should be bringing my camera with me to the printing shop so I can capture images of what I’m doing. I never learn.
I started doing letterpress printing a few months ago and found the hobby irresistable. I engage in printing in a lovely Portland non-profit, the Independent Publishers Resource Center. It’s cramped and rustic quarters in an old office building downtown across from Powell’s Books. I work my magic on four, century-old, table-mounted, cast-iron presses.
For my previous projects, I set type, a wonderful if meticulous process of individual piece of type that leaves your fingers lead-smudged and your patience flattened over. I’m working on a set of booklets that take an immense amount of time, for example.
For the wedding invites, though, I engaged in the somewhat condescended-upon practice of ordering plates from which to print. Not as artisan as setting type, perhaps, but infinitely more flexible. I can set out what I want in a vector graphics program (Illustrator in my case) and end up with plates of exactly what I want.
I ordered my (magnesium, mounted on nice cherry wood of all things) plates from local Beaver Engraving and picked them up during the Epic Lunch Errand Run 2005 From Hell and Beyond yesterday. Traffic back to Hillsboro was punishing.
After work, I hit the IPRC, deciding to print the actual invitations themselves first (as opposed to the response cards, envelope return addresses, booklet work, map, etc.).
They’re a two-color piece, so it took me two presses, calmness, several hours and the faithful help of one of the IPRC elite (the latter sped me along greatly, as she ran the second-color run as I was doing the first). I have invitations!
Of course, I’m nowhere near done with the project and the print shop will own my ass for a week or so more.
6 Comments
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September 8, 2008
I think this is a beautiful idea.
I made my invitations but I did it with stamps and embossing.
I went to your flickr account.
Very interesting work. I like it
and I love the g.h.
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This is a great place to find wedding go to http://www.weddinginvitations4u.com and see what they have I was very happy.wedding
Hey, I like your blog. It seems like I spend so much time looking for information about personalized christmas cards, and other holiday related stuff. personalized christmas cards is my passion, I love anything to do with personalized christmas cards.
David @ http://www.personalizedgreetingcards.com
Hey, I like your blog. It seems like I spend so much time looking for information about personalized christmas cards, and other holiday related stuff. personalized christmas cards is my passion, I love anything to do with personalized christmas cards.
David @ http://www.personalizedgreetingcards.com