Let's talk details
Paper, Ink and Foil
Got an idea but don't really know where to begin? Knowing what your options are can really help guide your decision making process. We can help by suggesting paper, ink and foil options for your project. That said, if you know exactly what you want shoot us a message and we'll check the availability of your preferences with our suppliers!
Let's get technical
We love a good challenge, however there are a few things that should be avoided when it comes to letterpress printing. Once you've thought of an idea, take a look at the dos and don'ts list to see if your project needs any adjustments or if it's good to go for production. If you're unsure of anything or have any technical questions we're only a click away!
Paper
Your print surface
This might arguably be the most important step when brainstorming a project because however you choose to proceed from this point onward this will be the surface that will hold it all together.
When it comes to letterpress we like to use 100% recycled thick cotton paper since it is earth friendly and takes a beautiful debossed impression. If you have something specific in mind or need help deciding which paper might be best for your project reach out and we can chat about all the beautiful options available!
Ink
Let's get inky
You might find that your design works best with no ink at all (blind emboss/deboss) which is a beautiful subtle effect, however some designs just come to life differently when printed using ink.
To
If have a certain color in mind or direction of palette we can suggest a couple of pantone colors. And if you know the exact color that you want, we can mix PMS colors from the Pantone Uncoated guide book and get you a match!
*Please note that although a micro scale is used for color mixing, letterpress machines are more than 50 years old, so a slight variance of a shade lighter or darker may occur
Foil
Shine on
So you don't want a blind print and ink still isn't cutting it for you, don't worry you've come to the right place.
Foil stamping is a great way to take things to the next level. One of the nicer features about foil is its ability to change color based on how the light is hitting it causing a beautiful effect incomparable to ink. If you have a specific color in mind let us know and we can check with our reliable suppliers and get back to you!
Edge Coloring, Die Cutting and Split Fountain
You're not basic
The moment someone holds your print, examines it, remarks about how interesting it is or even asks how it was made, that's when you know you've grabbed their attention making all the hard work worthwhile.
To
Coloring the edges, having a special die cut or having two colors mix on press instead of one (split fountain) will definitely make your project stand out!
*Keep in mind that split fountain isn't an exact science and some variance in colors may occur between prints making each one a unique piece, which is kind of the point
Letterpress Artwork Guidelines
Do
- Send your artwork as .pdf with embedded fonts or .eps with type outlined
- Add crop marks on all sides of the artwork (at least 1/8" long)
- Add bleed on all the sides that are bleeding out/extending out of the final trimmed area (at least 1/8" of bleed)
- Use single pantone uncoated solid spot colors for multiple colors. If your artwork is one color then use 100% black in CMYK mode (we will mix your specific requested color later in the print process)
- Die cuts should be indicated with a 1 point 100% magenta line
- Scoring shoud be indicated with a 1 point 100% cyan line
- Send images as a vector artwork or .tif for best high quality results
- Embed all linked images if you are using illustrator
Don't
- Do not send files as .JPEG as they are of low quality and are unusable for letterpress
- If your file is more than one color do not use process, RGB, CMYK, LAB, or Indexed colors. Only use uncoated solid spot colors
- Do not reverse/mirror your artwork, send it as you intend to see it on the print
- Do not go below 0.30pt line stroke