Custom Letterpress Stationery On My Printing Press
Say hello to my handsome little friend!
Introducing my 6.5" x 10" Chandler & Price Pilot Old-Style press. This antique table-top baby is from the late 1800s/early 1900s and is fully restored and beautifully functional!
I got him over 4 years ago after several years printing during college and at the Center for Book Arts here in Manhattan. Being a graphic designer with a passion for paper, understanding the printing process (even though letterpress is only one of many types of printing) greatly helps my ability to help my clients. I am better able to conceptualize creating work by knowing the limitations and ways to push the boundaries of the production side.
That said, I use this lil guy specifically for personal projects and the occasional fun client piece. Things like greeting cards, birth announcements, business cards, wedding invitation inserts and personalized stationery. The printable area is really quite small so with this machine I'm limited to card-sized work, but it does create a beautiful, even impression on the paper. Yum!
For larger projects that I print on my own (full sized wedding invitations, posters, prints, etc.) I've used the Vandercook printing presses at the Center for Book Arts, and of course for most client work and large scale projects I collaborate with local commercial printers to get things made. My guy Chandler-Price here—I haven't come up with a good name for him all these years!—is more for short run projects and personal needs. I even printed my own wedding invitation inserts on him recently! That said, I'm always up to use him for fun things so feel free to reach out if you've got something in mind!
Here are some examples of pieces I've printed on this guy, that I'd happily do for others (some pics below too!):
Business cards
Monogrammed stationery
Return addressing
Greeting cards
Personalized note cards
