Love of Letterpress
With backgrounds in graphic design and marketing, we were researching hand-rendered typography for a client project which, in a roundabout way, introduced us to the world of letterpress printing. After much research, we decided to follow our hearts, instead of our heads, and drove to Brooklyn, NY to buy our first press. Armed with ink, an oil can, and a ton of paper we dove headfirst into all things letterpress. Over the next few years, we experimented with countless papers, materials, inks, and techniques determined to break the rules thought to be the boundaries of the letterpress technique. Combining the skills from our tests with knowledge from formal instruction and some really old dusty books we developed our own unique style, then the orders began pouring in and our hobby became a business.
WHY WE LETTERPRESS
Going against the grain is nothing new to us and is a large reason we have totally fallen in love with letterpress. Paisley Dog Press began because we believe this so-called dying art is still very much alive and the need to unplug from the world and make something from scratch, something human is crucial. Each piece we press, we touch at least 6 times and use the finest inks and 100% recycled paper to create something with warmth and life.
We won’t call ourselves hippies but we are a company that practices environmental responsibility by using recycled, tree-free papers and inks with petroleum-free bases.
OUR FIRST PRESS
A Chandler & Price circa 1892, is still in use and has lovingly been named Franklin. Frank holds a special place in our hearts for taking so much abuse and for getting us to where we are today. He no longer has to shoulder the workload alone as our print studio has grown into a “family” of antique equipment and presses.