Hello! We are Janelle & Shane, a husband and wife team that love to create things together. Not only are we best friends, we're business partners and along with our son Lincoln and dog Lily, a small team of family, friends, and staff we are Paisley Dog Press. Our craftsmen (and women) are putting a new spin on the centuries old art of letterpress printing. Our work combines newfangled ideas with century old equipment and a 550-year-old printing process to tell new stories through unique, inspired paper goods.
How We Started Paisley Dog Press.
With backgrounds in graphic design and marketing, we were researching hand-rendered typography for a client project which, in a roundabout way, introduced us to the world of letterpress printing. After much research we decided to follow our hearts, instead of our heads, and drove to Brooklyn, NY to buy our first press. Armed with ink, an oil can, and ton of paper we dove head first into all things letterpress. Over the next few years we experimented with countless papers, materials, inks, and techniques determined to break the rules thought to be the boundaries of the letterpress technique. Combining the skills from our tests with knowledge from formal instruction and some really old dusty books we developed our own unique style, then the orders began pouring in and our hobby became a business.
Our first press, a Chandler & Price circa 1892, is still in use and has lovingly been named Franklin. Frank holds a special place in our hearts for taking so much abuse and for getting us to where we are today. He no longer has to shoulder the workload alone as our print studio has grown into a “family” of antique equipment and presses. Since our start in 2008, the print studio has relocated to the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, to accommodate our growing company and family of antique equipment. GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, the country’s largest, most comprehensive interactive arts center is a historic factory building that houses galleries; classrooms; dance and music studios; a darkroom; a glass blowing facility; a woodshop; ceramics and jewelry studios; a 131-seat film theatre; 34 artist studios and a premier wedding and event rental facility.
Why We Letterpress.
Going against the grain is nothing new to us and is a large reason we have totally fallen in love with letterpress. Paisley Dog Press began because we believe this so-called dying art is still very much alive and the need to unplug from the world and make something from scratch, something human is crucial. Each piece we press, we touch at least 6 times and use the finest inks and 100% recycled paper to create something with warmth and life. Running a growing company can get a little crazy, but when you're having so much fun – work doesn't always seem so much like, well...work:)
Please visit our Shop Policies page for information on shipping, custom and wholesale orders, and policies.
Website/BLOG - http://www.paisleydogpress.com
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