Raised by mothers who taught us the value of handwriting and having three children of our own, my husband and I believe there has never been a more important time to slow down and relish the power in handwriting. Our belief in the handwritten word and our desire to inspire others to write was the reason to create our blog, Brown Ink. In 2013, the site expanded to include Brown Ink Paper Goods, an online boutique featuring my favorite stationery, journals, and writing related goods, as well as my own line of letterpress stationery.
My personal line, Brown Ink Paper Goods, is a collaboration with a dear friend and letterpress printer, Jean Glenn of Pomegranate Press.
Jean and I recently sat down to design a Father’s Day card together. Our goal was to create a card to be used when celebrating the Dad in one’s life, but not exclusively for Father’s Day. Jean suggested we create a multi-colored plaid to represent a traditional father’s flannel shirt. I also had in mind the phrase Best Dad Ever. Combining the two ideas, we felt these complemented each other, a classic style with a sentimental modern twist.
Using Jean’s letterpress style and borders dating back to the turn of the century, we selected a traditional type style, Wedding Gothic from 1901. With a variety of colors to select from, we chose three colors which complement each other; stone, amazon, and ocean.
Once we decided the color, typeset and layout of the piece, Jean went to work on her Chandler & Price Platen Press which she purchased in 2002. I adore spending time in Jean’s basement filled with stacks of letterpress samples from over the years, cans of colored ink and wooden boxes filled with a few thousand metal typesets, borders and icons.
Jean first established the placement of the type for proper alignment. She also set pins in the tympan paper which holds the cards to be printed. Next, without ink, she printed a blind impression so we could proof the layout. Not completely satisfied, Jean adjusted the space between the borders to allow enough room for the written note, always checking the print was not crooked.
Finally, Jean inked up the press and printed samples to establish consistency in the ink. Having selected three colors, using vertical and horizontal lines, and then adding the text, each card passed through the printer 5 times! After printing, Jean cleans the press and type, then re-sorts the type back into their cases.
It’s an absolute gift to collaborate with my talented friend Jean who, aside from the love of printing, is passionate about both hand-touched paper goods and writing! This belief is what makes the Brown Ink Paper Goods true to its mission, the power of the written word.
Photos by Louisa Podlich
PS: Visit Brown Ink for a one-time use of 20% off with the code BH&G20
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