about us

WHY? WHY? WHY SELL CARDS?

When Mark, the owner, and Carlita, his wife, got engaged they decided to save money on their wedding invitations by designing them on their own. They also wanted to have them letterpressed - not a good way to save money on invites. But they happened to have a friend who's uncle ran a press. While designing their invitations Mark realized he was using the same skills he used with his hobby - desktop publishing - and enjoyed the work and final product so much that he decided to turn it into a business. Exactly two months after his wedding day Letter Pressed was born. This site is the first step in what we hope will be a very long journey. New designs will be added throughout the year so check back often. We hope you enjoyed your visit, and that, if nothing else, it inspired you to send a card (hopefully one of ours!) to a friend or relative.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

The name Letter Pressed describes both the printing process and the product we create. And like the philosophy behind our designs, it is simple and modern. What is the process exactly? To put it as simply as possible, ink or foil is literally pressed into paper as it is run through huge, old printing machines. There is no way to mimic the process by any other means. This "pressing" leaves the characteristic texture of letterpress, an indentation filled with ink just below the surface of the paper. The impression can be made from wooden, linoleum, or metal plates, and can be hand-pressed, or pulled through mechanically. This is how the first books were printed, and we are proud to be using the same techniques for our cards.

ABOUT OUR CARDS

At Letter Pressed we love paper and printing, and strive to find the best stock and employ the finest techniques possible. All of our paper, smooth or laid, is 80 lb. cover stock. Our envelopes are durable, and quite stunning. We especially like our vibrant V-fold European-style envelopes, which add a touch of elegance to each set they accompany. All our cards are blank inside, and for good reason. Because of our past publishing experience, Letter Pressed likes to think of these cards as miniature books. We supply the cover and a title, and you supply a unique story for someone special to read.

Our cards are printed on old Heidelberg Windmill letterpresses in the foothills of Central California under the shadow of Yosemite (how's that for imagery?). Like craft beers they are produced in small batches to insure quality control, and, well, simply to make them a little more special. Letter Pressed is a small business and our cards are not mass produced, there may be slight imperfections or minor differences between cards in a set, we feel this is what gives them part of their character! (see terms)

All the cards in our current catalog are A2 size (4.25" x 5.5", with slightly larger envelopes). We think they are the perfect size for gift enclosures (especially gift bags), quick correspondence, and greetings. We will offer cards in larger sizes in the future, and offer them now for personalized stationery orders. Most of our cards are folded, but some are flat (called "note cards" in their descriptions). All are blank inside.