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Above are some photos of a few thank you cards that went with a custom wedding order that we printed last week (photos of the full suite to follow). The bride wanted a nice yellow that wasn't too mustard-like, or too pastel, so this was the happy medium. The cards and envelopes are from Crane's Lettra in Pearl.
Speaking of Crane paper, I am once again at a loss for what to do with this supplier. They certainly seem to want to burn the people that buy their products. We are located in Canada, which means that there are not a ton of fellow letterpress printers up here buying Crane Lettra products. This means that when I phone the supposed "distributors" of Crane Lettra in Canada, I am repeatedly told that they don't carry the Lettra line because of lack of demand. These are the same companies that are listed by the Crane rep as being distributors, and are also listed on their website (oh, and I've tried the Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto distributors and none of them carry Lettra).
So for a long time, we ordered directly from Crane because there was no alternative. This stunk - plain and simple. I had three orders in a row get screwed up - items were left out of orders, customs paperwork was incorrect so I was charged double the duties upon import (two cases were never resolved), you can't order online if you are Canadian, packages would arrive damaged because they were not properly packaged, etc. So after much research and trouble we FINALLY managed to find a wholesale distributor in the US that was willing to sell and ship to us. We were so happy!!! Life was good! We also finally no longer had to pay retail pricing and orders arrived undamaged with all the items inside!
But, it was not to last. A few weeks ago we tried to order a large amount of Crane Lettra from our new distributor and they told us they were out of stock because Crane would no longer be selling Pearl Lettra in the size we use to them (the distributor). What the devil?
So now we have no choice but to buy in a larger size (which is a true pain, and results in higher shipping costs), or buy direct from Crane again. I am so frustrated with this whole situation I may have to abandon Crane products entirely because it shouldn't be this hard to get supplies in. I realize many letterpress printers are not HUGE consumers of paper like some other printing sectors are, but c'mon. Why make paper specifically for letterpress printers, and then make it so gosh darned difficult to order that we get frustrated and give up? I know we're in Canada, but don't punish us for that!!! At the risk of sounding like John Stossel - give me a break!
Happy letterpressing!
Above is a photo of a limited edition series of prints that we recently printed for Vancouver artist Scott Malin for his upcoming show "Sketchbooks and New Drawings" at RedIron Studio & Gallery here in Vancouver from June 5-14, 2009 (opening reception June 5th at 6PM). This was a limited edition of 33 prints on Crane Lettra Pearl stock with a blood red ink.
We wish Scott the best of luck with his opening!
Happy letterpressing!
Leftover letterpress prints for sale in our Etsy shop - set includes eight A7 (5" x 7") flat cards and eight 4-Bar (3.5" x 5") flat cards. Envelopes are NOT included.
Write your own message and use the cards as greetings, notecards, informal invitations to a dinner party, etc.
Light blue floral print on 100% cotton, 110 lb. Crane Lettra cardstock.
Only one set of remnants available. See listing here: REMNANTSHappy letterpressing!
I am so far behind in posting photos of recent work...so here is an attempt to keep up. The above invitations were designed by local graphic designer Jocelyn for her own wedding. We printed them up for her on Pearl White Crane Lettra stock (100% cotton, tree-free) in black and mustard inks. The reply card is actually a postcard, as opposed to a reply card and reply envelope combo (reply postcards are a great way to save money on paper and printing costs!).
I really enjoyed printing Jocelyn's design because the filigree on the invitation (in yellow) contained all sorts of fun little objects (birds, grasses, branches, etc.) and I'm sure each object had a special meaning to her and her husband-to-be. I do love designing invitations myself, but it is always fun to see what other designers come up with as well.
If you are a designer planning to design your own invitations and have us print them for you, we do require that your files be submitted according to our specifications. All designs must be reviewed prior to printing, as not all designs will print well with letterpress (i.e. large solids are strongly discouraged, etc.). If you would like to learn more about designing for letterpress, feel free to contact the studio for advice.Happy letterpressing!
I just heard that the invitations that we printed last summer for local Vancouver designer Flora Gordon were featured on the Food Network's "100 Mile Challenge" show. The episode - "100 Mile Menu" - was all about the food chosen by bride Jeanine and groom Earl (Flora's brother). The invitations are only shown for a brief couple of seconds at the beginning - but hey, I'm still proud!
It is also fun to be able to see the bride and groom and how they looked on their big day - it's something that as a designer and letterpress printer, you don't get to see very often, because our work takes place before the big day (unlike photographers and planners that are involved on the day itself).
As a side note, I'm noticing that many of my local clients are hiring caterers that specialize in local and/or organic foods, so I guess this is an option that more brides and grooms are considering.
Thank you Food Network for including the snippet of the invitations in your show, thank you Flora for being a wonderful client, and thank you to Jeanine and Earl for including Sunlit Letterpress in your wedding plans!
Happy letterpressing!
