Letterpress

If you’ve ever run your fingers across a greeting card or invitation printed on thick, cotton paper, it’s likely that the texture from these words or images was created by letterpress printing. The alluring tactile quality associated with letterpress attracts many to this unique printing method.

Subtle variations in ink coverage, impression and/or registration are revealed in this hand-printed process. These unmistakable characteristics lend charm and authenticity to each piece of stationery. But most importantly, the careful approach to letterpress printing allows for inspection of each finished product to ensure that quality standards are met.

Missive is home to three vintage platen presses dating from the 1950’s – a 10x15 Heidelberg Windmill, a Pilot tabletop model as well as a 10x15 Kluge platen press. The Pilot is used for smaller print runs and is completely hand-inked and human-powered. The large floor model presses, while quite imposing machines in contrast, are the studio’s workhorses, and are capable of greater versatility with larger quantities, die cutting of custom shapes and careful registration of multiple ink colors.