One simple birthday card. That’s all it took for Ryan Howell and Leslie Graham, founders of
Rise and Shine Letterpress, to fall head over heels for letterpress printing. From there, a craigslist ad, a road trip and $400 made them the proud owners of a 1913 Chandler & Price letterpress—the first of many presses (and road trips) to come. It wasn’t long before they took a leap of faith and started Rise and Shine Letterpress.

Ryan and Leslie aren’t the only ones to take a fancy to letterpress printing. Over the last few decades, letterpress printing has experienced a steady resurgence. It’s used to create everything from birthday cards and wedding invitations to book covers, business cards and clothing tags.

Ryan has his own theory of why so many people are drawn to letterpress printing: “As we get further and further away from physical craft as a job, more careers are computer-based. You’re sitting at a desk and your entire connection to the world is through a keyboard and mouse. Everything is digital. People yearn for that connection to the handcrafted arts.”

Designing for Letterpress

When designing for letterpress, simplicity is key. The best designs embrace the strengths and limitations of letterpress printing. Large floods of color and small type are better saved for digital or offset printing. But for a line art design with just two or three colors, letterpress
can make an extraordinary impact.

Paper Choice

Different types of paper take impressions differently. 100% cotton paper is a common choice because it is soft, causes less wear on the press and easily takes an impression. The end result is smooth and luxurious. But Rise and Shine Letterpress also uses paper like Cougar®to deliver an entirely different look. Using heavy 160 lb. Double Thick Cover allows them to print
on both sides. And with the harder paper, the deep impressions are crisper, creating an edgier look.

As letterpress printing has gained traction as an art form in its own right, it has become yet another tool designers can draw upon to bring their artistic vision to life. And for letterpress printers like Ryan and Leslie, it means many more years spent in close connection to the handcrafted arts.

To hear more advice from Rise and Shine Letterpress, be sure check out the video above.

This post is an excerpt from the Winter 2016 Edition of The Blueline Magazine. Curious about the entire article? Sign up for a complimentary subscription!