Letterpress printing is a technique in which the design is actually pressed into the paper, resulting in an embossed or raised finish. Because of the time it takes to create and produce a letterpressed design, it’s not common to see it done on a large scale – instead, it’s the smaller, very high quality design shops that are the ones who may choose the technique instead.
Letterpressed designs introduce a new feel and finish to a design – a slightly different texture and shading that sets it apart from other prints. However, it can also be very challenging – letterpress equipment tends to only be able to print in one colour at a time, which means that it needs a very skilled operator indeed if they are to produce art in more than one colour (something that isn’t an issue for those more used to regular printing processes).
Despite the quirks and intricacies involved with learning how to use letterpress equipment, the results can be – when done perfectly – visually stunning. We’ve selected a showcase of some beautiful letterpress designs to hopefully inspire you and perhaps get you thinking about adding letterpress designing to your list of skills.
underconsideration.com
benjennings.com.au
designspiration.net
mattsoncreative.com
flickr.com/photos/crankypressman
thefinderskeepers.com
ilovedust.com
dribbble.com
eighthourday.com
graphic-exchange.com
letterpressed.blogspot.com
lovelystationery.com
designspiration.net
etsy.com
jigscafe.blogspot.com
Are there any beautiful letterpress designs that you’ve found that deserve a mention? Let us know in the comments.
Alex Black
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Creative Director Reply:
April 15th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
Yea I just did my business cards.
[Reply]