Frequently Asked Questions

What is debossing?

Debossing is when a die is pressed into material for a sunken impression. This is the opposite of embossing, where a pattern is pressed into the back of a material and raised on the front. Letterpress is a debossing process.

What services does your printshop offer?

  • Design
  • Letterpress printing
  • Edge painting
  • Corner rounding
  • Scoring
  • Envelope lining
  • Limited binding and finishing

Additional services are available through our partners.

Do you do foil stamping?

We do not do foil stamping. We do, however, print with gold and silver metallic ink. This looks different than foiling stamping, but it can have a nice effect. Contact us for samples of metallic printing.

Can you print white ink on black paper?

Yes, but it might not have the effect you are looking for. Letterpress inks are translucent, except for metallic inks. For an effect similar to that of an opaque white ink on dark paper, we might recommend using silver ink.

Do you have business card templates?

We do not have templates, although you’re welcome to come in to look at samples of cards in our portfolio that can be customized for your use. This would still incur a design fee charged at $75 per hour, but would be significantly less expensive than asking us to design from scratch.

How do you match colors?

We custom mix our inks to match Solid Uncoated Pantone colors. If you do not have access to a Solid Uncoated Pantone swatch book, you can either schedule a time to come by our studio and pick out colors, or you can send us a physical sample of your desired color by mail.

Can you match CMYK colors?

No, colors on the screen will look very different from how they look on paper. We only match Pantone Solid Uncoated colors or you can send us a physical sample of the color you would like to match. Because we custom mix our ink by hand for each project, you can be sure of a precise match.

What is a blind impression?

A blind impression is one with no ink. While these can add delicate texture to some designs, we often recommend using a subtle ink instead, offering a slight contrast to the paper while still elegantly minimalist.

Can you print on both sides of a paper?

On thicker papers, we can often print on two sides without any problem. With thinner papers, printing on two sides can be difficult, especially if we want a deep impression on one or both sides.