Because we love our blog readers so much, it's (finally!) time for our first letterpress giveaway!
For the taking is a 4 card set of our limited edition "Leaf" print greeting cards in warm fall colors (a perfect card for your Thanksgiving dinner host[ess]!). Each card is printed in two inks on Crane 100% cotton Lettra paper and comes with 100% recycled kraft envelopes.
To be entered to win, simply tell us (by submitting your comments below) WHY YOU LOVE LETTERPRESS! Is it the texture? The fact that letterpress printed pieces are unique? The idea that someone used a 100-year old pile of cast iron to make something purty? Tell us!
We will draw a name on October 31st to determine the winner! Don't miss out!
Happy letterpressing!
No comments yet? Wow! Everyone is missing a great opportunity :).
ReplyDeleteIn a time where the iPhone and Facebook are primary methods of communication, letterpress brings the world a much needed dose of serenity. Time stops when the mail includes a hand-addressed envelope. Inside, we find a scrumptious Lettra card, an antidote to our frenzied pace. We sense both the care of the sender and the passion of the artisan. What other type of correspondence delivers such grace?
I haven't purchased a lot of letterpress in the past, but I did get 2 sets of your Christmas cards last year, and they were beautiful! I think what I love about them is the solidity of the design - it seems so much more permanent and defined. I love to run my fingers over the surface and actually "feel" the design. Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Erin. I discovered your blog (and your business) a couple of weeks ago and now follow your updates with Google Reader. I love the distinctive look/feel of letterpress work for business cards and stationary -- it really stands out, in part because it is so uncommon now. In the future I hope I have the chance to ask you to do some work for me, as we will eventually need more/updated cards and stationary. The fact that we are both in Canada makes things convenient.
ReplyDeleteI have been interested in typography and design for many years now, especially since reading Robert Bringhurst's book (which I bet you are familiar with). I also learned a lot from Edward Tufte's books, which are more about information design than typography and graphic design per se. If you are not familiar with his work already, you might want to check him out.
While I am somewhat knowledgeable about typography and design, I am not at all an artist, so I enjoy seeing the work and reading the comments by artists like yourself. I would love to see some more examples of your letterhead and business cards, if you have more.
Thanks for sharing your work and comments.
- Derek
I love letterpress since it represents an artisan style. One definitely gets the sense of craftsman ship with letterpress.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm surprised there haven't been many comments here. Letterpress takes the common medium of paper and printing and makes it into an art form all its own. Unlike just an image on the page it adds a tactile form that gives the piece a uniquely warm feel. As Andrea mentioned, in this day of fast digital communication its nice to slow down and feel a nice piece of paper with a pressed image. I love taking the time to write a client or friend a nice handwritten letter.
ReplyDeleteI love any design that has a tactile quality, especially these days where computers seem to run the world.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the textures of the paper, and the different dimensions of the pieces. I know nothing about the letterpress process, so I'm completely intrigued by the artwork it produces.
ReplyDeletei love the individuality of letterpress. it's so unique and one of a kind. you know it's a special occasion when you receive a letterpressed card.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved that crisp emboss that letterpress leaves. The tactile nature of it.
ReplyDeleteNow that i have experienced printing, I look at piece and think of the the sound of the platen moving, the roller picking up ink, the rhythmic movement of the printer (my grandfather for one) picking up a piece of paper, feeding it in, pulling it out. The smell of the ink.
always brings a smile to my face, and reminds me of my family's past in the printing industry.
There is so much that I really love about letterpress. I think that one really cool aspect is that despite that it's created with equipment that far outdates any computer, it's truly not a lost art form as I have had someone once tell me. When you pick up a piece that has been letterpressed, you can't help but love the craftmanship of the artisan that created it. It's beautiful in not only the way it looks but also the way it feels. It also tells me that someone felt passionately about the piece to create it with letterpress. It also makes me feel more honored as a recipient of such a piece.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because the people who put so much time and effort into their pieces are so creative and thoughtful. AHHH I drool over this set. Loves it!
ReplyDeleteHi Erin!! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's all about the simplicity and the texture. I love running my fingers over a letterpress piece. So soft, so graphic. It's rare to see an over-designed letterpress piece.
What better way to convey the grace of the written word then letterpress? The perfect marriage of design and craftsmanship - letterpress elevates the printer from merely applying ink to paper to an artisan of texture and beauty.
ReplyDeleteI love letter press because it transforms a seemingly simple piece of paper into an artful and sensual object.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because it has such a tactile quality. It begs to be touched, when so much of communication is digital. It has a permanent special quality that makes you want to display it (even when the design is very simple) and keep it always. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI love the look of letterpress for many reasons. I think that the hand-made aspect and the old-fashioned print method make this medium so special. Letterpress has an elegance that can't be achieved in many other ways! These cards are beautiful! I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed ;)
ReplyDeleteI've done plenty of flat and offset printing, but nothing is as elegant and classy as letterpress. There's something about being able to not only see the aesthetics, but 'feel' it as well. Letterpress will always be the most exquisite way to print invitations.
ReplyDeleteI love the patience, time and attention that letterpress requires and the beautiful, unique result...I believe it's a great analogy for the work required of any good relationship.
ReplyDeleteThere is a personal, emotional connection with Letterpress that electronic printer generated work just doesn't touch. Letterpress projects engage me to touch, hold, turn over, run my fingers across, and view from different angles. And it also invites me to behold and admire the simplicity of sumptuous modern and elegant design that is innate with Letterpress. These qualities, I think, are what attracts and makes people fall in love with this medium. They are why I fell in love and will always be smitten with Letterpress.
ReplyDeleteI love the way letterpress recaptures the 'lost art' of handmade... I love the texture and thickness of cotton paper... I love the way the image sinks into the paper... I love that it is more rare and more difficult (and thus more valuable) than using a inkjet printer... I just love it! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the handmade, old fashion feel that letterpress has. It's always unique, and I think giving letterpress cards and gifts just lets people know you care because you found a piece you love to give them. It makes sending cards that much more special.
ReplyDeleteYipes! Am I too late!!! I love letterpress because it's so handcrafted. Every single piece is given a personal touch and it's just a beautiful artform.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because it gives me an opportunity to step back in time and use my graphic design skills to create something, tactile and pleasing to the touch. A piece of work that has a human element to it. I get to create work, start to finish, concept to the customer's hand. Every hour I get to stand and work at my wee press is one less hour spent in front of my computer - a good thing. Let's get Canada on the map for great letterpress work!
ReplyDeleteI just love the smell of ink. It makes me warm all over and reminds me of visiting my Dad's print shop when I was very small. And the smell of solvent on his hands when he came home. Letterpress and printmaking are in my blood.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because you know that someone who loves the craft very much has poured their heart and soul into every piece.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin!
ReplyDeleteWriting heartfelt letters has become a lost art, and for many, giving cards is usually reduced to the tedious chore of sifting for a generic message in the middle of a supermarket or drug shop, thereby diminishing the pleasure and significance of expressing your good will towards another person.
Your cards are different. They are the perfect medium for sending a message to a loved one, and range from clean and simple to ornate and decorative, always unique, and have never yet failed to bring a smile to the face of any of my recipients. They indulge their senses and rub the card gently whilst reading it to feel the texture and quality of the card stock, and linger over the embossed prints. There are few moments that are sweeter than holding a perfect card or letter with beautiful sentiments as well as graphics that enhance the reading experience, rather than distract from it.
While commercials show people flipping a card over to look for a Hallmark crown, my friends and family look to see where something so wonderful was created.
I love Sunlit Letterpress because of the expression on people's faces when they open envelopes and find the stationary or card inside. It's somewhere in between gratitude and nostalgia. Opening a letterpress envelope invokes the feeling of something special and decadent, just for you, like finding a trunk of your grandmother's accessories in an attic and trying on a dainty glove, or biting into a cupcake. It makes people pause, sometimes even close their eyes, as if to hold onto this comforting, whimsical thought for as long as they can.
Thank you, Erin, for helping us to share and connect with others.
I adore letterpress because it adds a texture to make something look so different and intricate! You can have one line on a blank sheet of white paper and it could make a statement because it is "carved" out of the paper.
ReplyDeleteI love the texture. The images/words pop, which draws your attention. It's unique.
ReplyDeleteLove everything...the texture and thickness is wonderful!!!!
ReplyDeletei've recently become interested in letter press, embossing and debossing - they are beautiful things. it's an art that is overlooked and could be forgotten, like blacksmithing or butter churning. a letter press card in the mail means someone really cares for you.
ReplyDeleteI love the texture of the paper used for letterpress to begin with, and then the addition of firm but subtle pressed designs makes everything twice as nice!
ReplyDeleteurchiken at gmail dot com
I love letterpress because of the slow, quiet growth of the craft in artistic communities. Living in Portland, Oregon, I have seen more and more beautifully handcrafted letterpress items in circulation. My desire to touch, purchase, pour over these items led to my decision to buy my own press, which I am currently restoring!
ReplyDeleteI love the texture, the colors, the design...very sensual. Makes you appreciate the note as a true gift of time and thought.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress b/c of the 'uniqueness' of the style since I don't see it to often. Most invitation I receive are raised printing and since I love to be different, letterpress is the way to go. Machines are available to use and I love the mechanics how it picks up the ink, slightly rotates the ink board and inks the letters to be pressed firmly on the paper.
ReplyDeletehello. i haven't read any of the other comments yet b/c i want to write something that's purely of my feeling, and if someone's already written this, then i'll have to meet him/her b/c we think so similarly!
ReplyDeletei love letterpress b/c it's an impression on something - to me it's a tangible representation of the fact that we're constantly being impressed upon or impressing ourselves upon the world or lives of others. it's a good reminder to impress something beautiful on the world - we need all the beauty we can get.
It is fantastic that you use letterpress. I wish I could visit and see how it all works.
ReplyDeleteLove the cards. Want them.
for me it's all about the depression it leaves in the luxurious paper. i HAVE to touch it. i feel every letterpressed card at my favorite paper store.
ReplyDeleteI love that there is a beautiful, handmade, affordable alternative to your regular mile of ho-hum Hallmark you'll find in most stores. And letterpress looks so elegant!
ReplyDeleteI love the handmade aspect of letterpress, and the craftsmanship that goes into it. Whenever I see letterpress, I think of the process - that someone spent hours setting type and mixing the ink by hand... You can truly see and feel the passion of the designer with letterpress, and you don't get that with flat printing. Keep up the great work!!
ReplyDeleteI too love the handcraftured, textural feel and look of letterpress. It is so pretty!
ReplyDelete...because they are beautiful enough to frame with their unique textures and color overlap.
ReplyDeleteI am a very tactile person. I love to touch everything, feel it against my fingers. The texture created from letterpress is so caressable and elegant. Such a classy effect.
ReplyDeletei love it's simplistic beauty! enough said. :)
ReplyDeleteI love thinking about the artists and crafters who printed so long ago, and how you can feel a connection to their past through letterpress.
ReplyDeleteI do love the way that letterpress is done and that is a lot of it. But, the ultimate is the texture - the indentations on thick paper. How it feels to run your hands over it. If it is done on thin paper it isn't quite as good.
ReplyDeleteI love the way letterpress printed things feel when you run your fingers over them. The way the lead type leaves a perfect little impression in the paper. ahhh...
ReplyDeleteHow can you not love Letterpress? You can see and feel the texture of it, it's absolutely luxurious, and so special. They should really ensure all printed material is letterpressed. The world would be much happier place. I'm not sure who I mean "they" are. I guess the printers of the world! Great, now i'm babbling. Ok, I'll stop now.
ReplyDeleteoh how I love letterpress...I guess I love it so because of the whole process. You have to plan and go through the whole process and in the end you have this beautiful piece of work. It takes time and patience, but the result is so much better than a laser print-out.
ReplyDeleteHi! Beautiful cards..I definitely love the way the cards feel but I have always been intrigued by how they are made.
ReplyDeleteIt makes your heart skip a beat and takes your breathe away.
ReplyDeleteI love how the subtlest of letterpress effects can add multitudes of depth and interest to a piece. There's a sense of thought and permanence to a design which takes advantage of letterpress as an element.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it brings back those times when getting mail was fun, letters from family or friends, postcards, etc., and invokes the same excitement in mail as receiving a package.
I love the texture of letterpress. And it is always a special occasion when you receive a letterpress card. SO I guess it immediately envokes warm feelings.
ReplyDeleteFor me its the texture and the imprint it makes on the paper. I love to run my fingertips over the type or letterpressed shapes. It's a good break from all the digital stuff.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because I can FEEL it and it's a fun mystery that someone who you don't even know took the time to make that message especially and individually for YOU!
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the shadows! Whenever a letterpressed card or letterhead is in my hands, I don't just hold it, I lovingly cradle it – then I "run towards the light" and tilt it ever so slowly to see just how deep the impression is and to watch the cotton sparkle, strand by strand at the edges of the strike. I like to see the contrast of the dull [preferably] black ink, down there in its own shadow begging me to dive in.
ReplyDeleteYeah, letterpress is okay i guess...
I love letterpress because of its tactile qualities – so beautiful to the eyes and on the fingertips!! I think its a perfect marriage of design & craft.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
I love Letterpress because there is something for everyone. Choosing a Letterpress piece is wonderful for me because I feel like I'm selecting something really special.
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because I'm a writer with a passion for sending cards, letters, and postcards to the people I love. The art of the written is quickly being lost. Letterpress' beautiful, serene creations are helping to keep it alive. Thanks Letterpress.
ReplyDeleteFor me it is all about the texture - I can't help but run my fingers over it!
ReplyDeleteLetterpress takes me back to another time when paper and ink were appreciated and a prized part of daily life.I breathe a little deeper and calmer when I gaze at and touch such beautiful work.We all need beautiful objects in times like this to slow down and remember what is really important.
ReplyDeleteletterpress is letterpress is letterpress...
ReplyDeletea rose is a rose is a rose...
all the best from germany !
I love the fact that letter press is just so inherently classy. The crispness, the presentation -- I adore the fact that it's out of our ordinary. In our day when we can print out stuff on our computers, letterpress shows an attention to detail and care that we don't usually get to see.
ReplyDeleteI like it as it's one of the few mechanisms left that is able to make a slightly 3D & tactile kind of design. I also like that unlike any other letter designs, it allows the visually handicapped to visualise the design by tracing the imprint of the design. This i find is really thoughtful & unique.
ReplyDeleteMelody
mel_88_88@hotmail.com
I love the texture, of course, and the fact that a real human being made it.
ReplyDeleteThe cards are beautiful.
I love letterpress because it's real. The shadows are there because of the way the light is hitting the indentations in the paper...not because of some digital graphic design program effect. LIGHT!
ReplyDeleteIt's obvious that Letterpress is a high quality product - beautifully artistic. What's not to love?
ReplyDeleteI love letterpress because it embodies the most beautiful marriage of timeless tradition, and bold, tactile graphics to create a unique aesthetic all its own.
ReplyDeleteIt's the subtle shadows I love.
ReplyDeleteI am posting this for Reid from NY (who had a problem logging in to post):
ReplyDelete"I love letterpress because of the texture, individuality and handmade quality of the print. It has a cleanness that a designer's got to love."
I am fortunate to have experienced printing with letterpress first hand so from a printer's perspective, what's not to love.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about using a giant beast of an antique machine along with my computer to update a process that has been around for centuries. Yet no matter how integrated the technology is into the process, you can't help but still get ink under your fingernails from time to time. There is something in the history of it that is very romantic and the feel of letterpress that is, dare I say... sexy. It is something everyone should experience for themselves as some point.
The yummy, cozy, down-home feel of a letterpress card is why I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this beautiful print style. It speaks of elegance and richness and I can't get enough of it!
ReplyDelete