Inspiration Friday: Beautiful Examples of Letterpress Printing

Posted on: July 24, 2009 - 6:37am

It's Friday, another week has gone by and people everywhere are waiting for 5:00 to roll around. To help speed up the arrival of the weekend, every Friday we'll be posting some of the neatest things from around the web as a way to inspire you in your creative pursuits. We here at Two Trees Media believe inspiration is everywhere, and we love to share it with others. This week's feature is Letterpress Printing.

What is Letterpress?

Letterpress printing is a way of making printed materials where a raised surface is inked and a piece of paper is pressed into the type. This is the way of printed invented by Gutenberg in the mid-15th century. The act of pressing into the paper creates a very crisp image that is excellent for showcasing beautiful typography and simple illustrations.

Today, letterpress printing is considered a craft done by hobbyists or small stationary shops specializing in printed wedding invitations or business cards. In the 1990s, letterpress got loads of attention from Martha Stewart Weddings as an alternative to traditional engraved wedding invitations. A wide range of paper can be used in letterpress printing that you normally wouldn't see in offset printing, such as handmade, high-cotton content, very thick, or tree-free paper.