Letterpress is printing with movable type and metal plates, in which the raised surface of the type or plate is inked and then pressed into the paper to obtain an image in reverse. The process is very tactile and mechanical, yet requires an astonishing amount of craftsmanship and talent to perfect.
Unlike more modern printing processes, letterpress requires high quality materials and a talented craftsman. The iron and the ink, the mechanics of the press and the spirit of the pressman suffuse each printed piece with character and qualities which are immediately evident whether or not the reader has ever heard of letterpress. The result is stationery with a distinct, tactile quality unsurpassed by other printing methods; the words on paper are felt, as well as read.
Letterpress fell out of favor and common use by the mid-20th century with the rise of cheaper, super high-volume printing processes. For several decades letterpress stationery products were still available, but were simply uninspired, if still high quality. (It was a process offered solely by printers, not by designers or artists.) During the last several years, designers like delphine have adopted the medium of letterpress to create beautiful invitations, stationery and prints. This is expanding the interest in and demand for letterpress products.
At delphine, an understanding of and passion for the materials, the process and the (antiquated) technology allows us to create invitations and stationery of the highest quality, and that is striking and beautiful. delphine is at the forefront of the evolution of letterpress.
Letterpress, relative to the rest of the printing world, is an eco-friendly process. We use soy-based inks (soy is a renewable resource), cotton/tree-free paper, and we use recycled and high post-consumer waste content paper whenever possible. Many of our papers come from mills run by hydro/wind power.
