Letterpress printing dates back to the 14th century with the invention of the Gutenberg printing press. Back then, and even today, people used lead type to create the impressions you can see and feel on a letterpressed print.
FAQ
What is letterpress printing?
Noteworthy uses photopolymer plates (a light-sensitive plastic) to create our designs instead of lead type as it frees us from any font or design limitations, not to mention it requires much less storage space. Once we complete our design and get our photopolymer plate made we attach it to a metal plate and put it into the press. The next step is to mix the ink to create just the right color. The ink is then spread onto a round metal disk at the top of the press. The press is equipped with 2-3 rubber rollers that travel from ink disk to plate to refresh the ink between impressions. The press then presses the inked plate against a piece of paper. Each one of the pieces of paper is hand fed into the moving press. If the design calls for multiple ink colors a different plate has to be created for each color and the paper has to be re-fed into the press for each color.
As you can tell letterpress is a major hands on process and requires a lot of time and attention to detail. The printing process can often be very frustrating, trying to get the plate to ink properly or press with just the right pressure. But however frustrating the process may be at times, nothing is more rewarding than perfecting a print and delivering to the customer.
Does blind printing (no ink) count as a color?
Yes, blind printing is still considered a color when it comes to our pricing break down. The reason is that each color (or none color) requires its own printing plate. Each plate is set up on the press individually and each sheet of paper must be passed through the press another time for each new plate. Therefore, even without ink the time it takes to print is the same.
Do you do guest addressing?
We do not letterpress print guest addresses, due to the fact that each address would need a new printing plate. We do print return address on RSVP and invitation envelopes at no additional charge. If you do not wish to hand write your guests addresses we can create digital address labels that match the entire suite.
What is the timeline for a custom project?
Typically we estimate that a custom project will take about 2 months from start to finish. However, this can be faster or slower depending on how many rounds of edits we go through.
Do you have samples available?
Yes, we do. Please let us know roughly what design type you are looking for and we will try and find some samples that show a good representation of the design. Please contact us with a request and include your address and we will get a sample in the mail right away.
How do I begin working with you?
If you’ve decided you would like to begin working with us we first ask that you review our terms and conditions page to make sure you accept all of the terms. We request a 50% deposit at the start of any job, which can be paid via Paypal or check.
Once you send us a rough outline of the text you would like to use on your project and we’ve had some discussion on what design style you are looking for we will begin to create 3-4 pdf mock-ups. We take your feedback from those and begin tweaking the design to your liking. Typically we go through around 3 rounds of edits before sign off. Once you’ve signed off on the mock-up no changes can be made as we will then order a printing plate for your project. Printing typically takes 2-3 weeks and then your remaining balance is due before we ship out the finished product.
Who will I be working with at Noteworthy?
My husband Jordan and I (Dani) run Noteworthy together out of our garage. Jordan does all of our design work and operates the presses. I will be the person you communicate with most often as I am the person in charge of customer relations and project management.
How should I word my invitation?
We understand there is a lot that goes into the wording of your wedding invitations. The Knot has a wonderful list of invitation samples that we suggest you reference when trying to decide how you would like your wording to read. You can find the samples on The Knot.
I have a design already can you print it?
Yes. While we do mostly custom designs for our clients we still would love to help a fellow designer print their own design. Please contact us for custom printing prices and file specifications.