* Special Announcement * Tweedle Press (or more specifically, Nina) is on maternity leave from March 1 - June 15, 2012. We are not scheduling any consultations, major design or print work during this time period, but someone is available to answer your questions and quote requests via email (response times may be somewhat delayed, however).
We are only scheduling work for June 15 and after, including invitation work for weddings and events occurring September 15, 2012 and after. If you want to be sure we can accommodate your wedding, get in touch soon as our schedule is already filling up!
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Tweedle Press is a full-service design and letterpress print shop, specializing in custom eco-friendly paper goods. After over 10 years in the design and print industries, Nina decided to pursue letterpress printing and paper making full time in 2008. Today Tweedle Press is still a small family business, run from our shop in Rogers Park and focused on personal service. If you're looking for unique and stylish prints, Nina's designs and vintage letterpress equipment create rich paper textures ideal for invitations, announcements, stationery, and business cards.
Tweedle Press' commitment to the environment goes beyond using recycled paper and vegetable based ink; we have developed strict eco standards for the shop and a wide selection of beautiful paper, ink, and embellishment options. One of the most unique offerings is the ability for clients to give their junk mail and other scrap papers to us, which we have hand recycled into custom tinted papers for their print projects. Although we are based in Chicago, we design and print projects for people all over the world.
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FAQs
1. What is letterpress printing?
Letterpress Save The DateLetterpress printing has been around since the mid 15th century, when Johannes Gutenberg (among others) began using moveable type and images in this relief style of printing. Reversed and raised surfaces such as individually set letters of type, hand carved cuts, and (today) polymer plates are inked and pressed against paper to create right-reading images. Many types of printing presses were created for this purpose, and they were the primary machines for the industry until they ceased to be made in the second half of the 20th century. When offset and digital printing became popular, many printing presses used for letterpress were thrown away and forgotten, metal type was melted down and wood type was burned.
Perhaps as a sort of reaction to the "perfect" prints produced by the likes of modern laser printers as well as increased public interest in all things handmade, the craft of letterpress printing has experienced a revitalization over the past ten years. Specialty print shops small and large are popping up everywhere, using recovered machinery and vintage type rescued from a fiery death by those of us that are passionate about the art.
Since the presses themselves aren't manufactured anymore, finding them, restoring them, and maintaining them is no small feat. Letterpress printing presses are big, heavy (some weigh several tons), and they require a special amount of patience and coaxing to produce consistent prints. Even final prints are rarely flawless, but it is their imperfections and handmade quality that gives each one its individual charm.
2. What does letterpress printing look like?
Letterpress Business CardsThere are as many styles of letterpress printing as there are printers, and every shop has its own aesthetic. While traditional printers using metal and wood type often aim to create the perfect "kiss impression" flat print, others with hardier modern plates use the force of their presses to create a deep, rich impression into the paper. If you've taken note of letterpress printing in the past, it's likely you've identified the deep impression as its main attribute. Although this is definitely a signature modern letterpress quality, it's a misconception that the presses were originally intended to create this type of effect. However, many printers these days (Tweedle Press included!) make great use of our presses' ability to produce deliciously textured prints.
3. Why is letterpress printing more expensive than other methods?
Can I order just one print?
Letterpress Business CardsAlthough many modern advances have been made since the letterpress printing practices of yore, it is still basically a vintage, handcrafted process. Besides custom design, the major cost in any letterpress job comes from the press setup. This first involves sending out our digital files to have film printed, and from those are produced photopolymer plates for each color involved. Although we keep all of our printing plates on file for reorders (so clients do not have to pay for plates again), the plates are priced per square inch and so bigger prints results in higher plate fees. Also, a separate print plate has to be made for every color and so jobs with more colors end up being more expensive.
Once we have plates for a particular job, we spend a good amount of time hand mixing ink colors to our clients' specifications. We then have to ink up the press and make all the necessary adjustments so the image inking, placement, depth of impression, and other elements are correct - all of which uses ink and paper (known as "makeready"). Then and only then are we ready to produce the first print in the first color! As you can see, most of the work and expense comes before the first print is even run - which is why letterpress printing is not a good choice for very small runs. There is a "per print" price as well, because even after the press is set up we still have to man the press and send each sheet of paper through individually. For every additional color on a particular job, the entire cleaning/inking/makeready process has to be repeated, which is why the number of print colors greatly affects pricing.
Of course, someone could order just one or a few prints, but it never makes economical sense to do so. When ordering in quantities of at least 50 or more, the custom design and press setup costs get spread out over the entire job. Letterpress printing is basically a fine art process, and you pay for our careful attention to each print.
Chicago, IL,
