dedicated to the proposition that a woman's place is in the print shop

All Blog Posts (141)

The Tenth Annual Starshaped Press Open House

We are so pleased and humbled to announce our 10th annual open house, the 5th open house at our current Ravenswood location. We can’t pretend that this would have been possible without the incredible support of our friends, family and faithful clients and supporters. In honor of those that have made this milestone happen, we’re throwing the open house to end all open houses, including giveaways (extra special for the first 20 guests!), recession era pricing on all of our prints (yes, all!) and s… Continue

Added by Jen Starshaped on December 2, 2009 at 10:28pm — No Comments

NEW Letterpress Print

I don't normally share my work here but I am so pleased about how this art print turned out. This is only my second art print and my first figurative piece that I have done in letterpress. I have been working mostly on c… Continue

Added by Brandi Powell on November 24, 2009 at 2:19am — 3 Comments

Vandercook Models for LofL

Pacific Center for the Book Arts (PCBA) is happy to offer the Ladies of Letterpress community a special holiday promotion for its new Vandercook paper model. The model, produced in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Vandercook Universal I Proofing Press, arrives flat in a manila envelope with instructions for assembly. The paper pieces pop out… Continue

Added by Lars K on November 19, 2009 at 6:10pm — No Comments

Reported occupations, 1850-2000

Via the Photopolymer Listserv, a visual representation of various occupations, male vs. female , from 1850-1900:

I typed in "Typesetter"--why the female peak around 1900? Check it out… Continue

Added by kseniya on November 19, 2009 at 9:01am — 2 Comments

hello there: 3-pk flat letterpress cards

A simple and sweet… Continue

Added by SeeSaw Designs on November 18, 2009 at 7:28pm — 1 Comment

Is nothing sacred anymore?

OK, folks, there are some things I just can't keep my mouth shut about. The Home Letterpress Machine is one of them. All I can say is shame on you, Paper Source. THIS IS NOT LETTERPRESS. This maybe can create letterpress-looking, or letterpress-ish, or letterpress wanna-be things, but to call this Letterpress - without any note of "not really but you can pretend" is an… Continue

Added by Maggie Roberts on November 18, 2009 at 2:06pm — 14 Comments

Ladies of Letterpress at the National Stationery Show

Next May, Ladies of Letterpress will have a booth at the National Stationery Show! This is great, of course, but we (for I'll be there too) wouldn't have been exhibiting there as a group without the great organization that is Ladies of Letterpress, which is now made up of over 300 printers worldwide (yay!). The Stationery Show is a great opportunity to promote LofL and bring it to a wider audience and public forum, and we want to make sure that the members are also well-represented. We're discus… Continue

Added by kseniya on November 17, 2009 at 8:18pm — 6 Comments

HOW Magazine is looking for wedding invites!

Hi Ladies! Just got an email from HOW magazine...they're looking for beautiful wedding invites to feature in an upcoming issue of the magazine...get all the details here: http://blog.howdesign.com/2009/11/11/LookingForGreatWeddingInvites.aspx --Kristina Continue

Added by Kristina Hopkins on November 16, 2009 at 10:51am — 1 Comment

Great article for all the type lovers out there!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/arts/16iht-design16.html?_r=3 I just read this article on nytimes.com and thought I'd share, it's quite amusing. Even though I'm definitely not a type expert per say, I can relate on some level, recalling all of the times I've shuddered at the glance of an ill-chosen use of Comic Sans... : ) Enjoy! Continue

Added by Olivia Samson on November 15, 2009 at 11:38pm — 1 Comment

Chicago's very own DIY Trunkshow

This Saturday, November 21st, join the craftiest folks in Chicago at the DIY Trunkshow. It runs from 10-5 at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse on the west side, and will feature many talented midwesterners, many of whom I believe are on this site here! We at Starshaped will be there with a *lot* of cards, prints and posters, so if you are in the city of big shoulders, be sure to stop by and say hi.

… Continue

Added by Jen Starshaped on November 15, 2009 at 11:33pm — No Comments

Questions from someone starting a letterpress business

Hi all, I’m starting a new letterpress business in Oakland, California and I have a few questions about the industry. I would really appreciate some feedback from those who have been in the business for a while. And of course, if you have any other advise or feedback, I’d really appreciate that as well. I’ve created a survey with just 9 questions. Here is the link to it: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=D3_2b… Continue

Added by Rebecca Peters on November 13, 2009 at 1:49pm — 2 Comments

a. favorite design open house!

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Added by a. favorite on November 11, 2009 at 11:50pm — 3 Comments

Opportunity for shared Studio Space!

I'm wondering if any other ladies(or fellows) of letterpress are in the Chicago area and looking for a shared printing space. I may have an opportunity for a very affordable co-operative space of between 600 and 800 square feet. I also have the equipment to set up a well-furnished shop, but alas, not the budget to rent a space on my own. I have one other friend, a designer who likes printing as well who is very interested in a combined space of shared resources and cost. If there's any one out… Continue

Added by J. Elizabeth on November 9, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Help save a letterpress collection!

This shop, located in Chicago, has been idle for years, and I've been trying to get it into the hands of fellow printers for the last few years. The owner is elderly, his wife is in a rest home and the bills are mounting. He is moving out of his space, and selling the whole collection. Here's a very short list of what we have to sell:

… Continue

Added by J. Elizabeth on November 5, 2009 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

The Riverside Press: 1917

How sweet is this baby-faced printer-in-training? Note the wedge quoins in the chases, the row of platens, the pressman remarking on something, the sleeve garters. The caption reads: "New York, February 1917. "Horace Lindfors, 14-year-old printer's helper, sizing up leads for the Riverside Press, First Avenue… Continue

Added by kseniya on November 5, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

Tin Eye for the I-Spy

This past weekend, a friend told me about Tin Eye--a search engine that lets you search by image, rather than by words. From the site, tineye.com: "TinEye is a reverse image search engine. You can submit an image to TinEye to find out where it came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the imag… Continue

Added by kseniya on November 4, 2009 at 7:30am — No Comments

frank lloyd wright letterpress print.

A new 5x7" letterpres… Continue

Added by SeeSaw Designs on November 3, 2009 at 1:31pm — No Comments

Mrs Eaves finally has her Mr

The perpetual type favorite Mrs Eaves, designed by Zuzana Licko for Emigre, has a new companion type, Mr Eaves Sans!

It's gorgeous, of course, and reminds me a lot of Johnston Sans, the famous type used in the London underground:… Continue

Added by kseniya on November 3, 2009 at 7:30am — No Comments

Giveaway of new Rodeo themed print at Sycamore Street Press

To enter the giveaway, click on over to my blog. I'll choose a winner at random next Monday, November 2nd. Thanks! Eva

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Added by eva - Sycamore Street Press on October 27, 2009 at 3:07pm — No Comments

Printing in Tibet

Printeresting has posted this great video of printers working in the Derge Parkhang, the "last remaining Tibetan printing temple of its kind". Not exactly letterpress printing, but I'm immersed in Asian printing and bookbinding history, and consider block printing an ancient precursor to letterpress. I just love the fluidity of their motions - obvious… Continue

Added by Jessica C. White on October 27, 2009 at 10:10am — No Comments