Frequently Asked Questions

Sure, boiled down, we have four steps.

1. Quote: You request one. We provide one. If the details are perfect, you approve the quote and pay a 50% non-refundable deposit.
2. Proof: We’ll email you a digital proof for your approval.
3. Printing: Approved proofs come to life on our presses.
4. Ship: We’ll inspect and package your project, invoice the final amount, and once payment is received, your order is on its way!

Hi! I wanted to pop in here for an update to this FAQ. COVID has destroyed our turnaround times. We have been having issues with suppliers, shipping, and internal quarantines. As of right now, I would put our turnaround time at closer to 3-4 weeks after proof approval and deposit payment. We are working to streamline this and hopeful we can get back to 10-15 business days (or better) in 2022!

-Joe

Most orders ship 10-15 business days from proof approval. This time depends on current workload in the shop and can vary. Turnaround time does not include shipping transit time. If you have a must have date please inquire about rush services.

Rush fees are a percentage of your total printing cost. Rush fees are determined on a project by project basis.

We use UPS to ship orders within the United States and USPS for orders outside of the United States. International packages are shipped with all customs values properly documented. The recipient is responsible for all local tariffs, duties, and customs fees.

We often print large-scale projects that require LTL shipping. This means bigger than what the UPS guy can handle and smaller than a full semi-truckload. For LTL shipments we will pack and palletize the project, and arrange for pickup – or work with your carrier of choice.

Our friends in the big brown truck do a great job getting projects from our shop out to the rest of the world. Occasionally, situations may arise that are out of our control. Lost packages, damaged boxes, delays, heartbreak. Once a package leaves our hands there is little we can do to control it, but if the worst of the worst happens, give us a call and we’ll do our best to help.

Yes, sure, absolutely. We’re happy to work with anyone with a vision and a budget to do the work. We won’t print your ransom notes though––have to draw a hard line there. All jokes aside, our clients usually fall into a few categories:

• Wedding & Event Planners
• Creative Professionals
• Business Owners & Makers

Yes! We will happily ship orders anywhere in the world, but you should be aware that:

• We mark all international shipments with the appropriate documentation. The customer is responsible for all local taxes and duties beyond the original quoted shipping price.
• Clearing a shipment through customs can sometimes be a slow process, we can not predict any delays that may occur.
• All prices on our site and quotes provided are in US dollars.
• For payment from international customers, we use PayPal. (We think your money is really cool looking, but we can’t spend it at the local pizza shop.)

In an industry that has been around for hundreds of years, relatively little has changed in the way letterpress printing is produced, which is part of what makes it so special. There are no shortcuts, and it can not be replicated without these truths:

• A printing or foil plate must be made for every color of the design, even blind impression.
• A printing press must be set up to print, by a skilled craftsperson. This includes (but is not limited to) inking, registration, and adjusting impressions.
• This press setup process occurs for every plate or process in the project.
• Each piece is printed one at a time, one color at a time – no matter what.

They’re not too exciting, but they are the first step in getting your project moving. Because every project is unique, it’s important to understand what your customized quote is telling you. Think of it as a recipe for your project…quantity and ingredients are important!

Every item in your project becomes a “line item” in your quote. Every line item will contain the details of that specific piece. Here is a basic invitation example.

• A7 Flat, 5” x 7”
  • This is the size. A7, 4bar, and the like are just printing jargon, and will always be followed by the dimensions in inches.
• 110C Lettra, (Pearl White)
  • This will tell you the weight, brand, and color of the paper. If your project is duplexed or triplexed, it will also appear here. 
• 1C Letterpress (PMS 295) + 1C Foil (Gold, MX93) / 0C
  • This is the number of colors, printing method, and specified Pantone or Foil number. 1C means 1 Color. The colors on the front of the piece will be listed first, and the colors on the back will come after the backslash. In this case, 0C, there are no colors on the back.
• Each line item will contain quantity, price per piece, and total price of that item.

Often quotes will contain multiple options for an item. This may be different paper options, number of colors, etc., so make sure to note which options you are looking at. 

The digital proof is your last chance off the ride. Once a proof is approved, any changes will incur additional costs. The proof will include a digital image of your final artwork. This is the artwork that will be used to make your printing plates, and all the specifications on this page are what our printers use to bring your project from computer to press. Make sure to notice the big red words at the bottom of your proof that say Please note that this is a digital proof. Letterpress printing is a handcrafted process, and there may be variations in color and registration from proof to print, and between pieces in the print run. Make sure to take these words to heart. This is also your chance to verify quantity, paper type, ink or foil colors, and size. Lastly, please spel chek. It’s important, and while we try to always double-check, we are only human…and artists, who are notoriously bad at spelling.

Design pricing begins at $100 for up to 2 hours. Each additional hour is billed at $75 an hour.
Typical design times:

• Wedding invitations: 3-4 hours for Invitation card, rsvp card and return address (if applicable). Additional enclosures are billed at one half to one hour each.
• Coasters: 2-3 hours
• Business Cards: 2-3 hours
• Logo creation/business branding: 4 hours minimum

After reviewing your custom artwork form we’ll send you an estimate of the design hours needed. We will include up to 3 major revisions and 3 fine-tuning revisions. Additional revisions are billed accordingly.

The higher the quantity, the less each piece is. This is because plate cost, press set up, etc. is the same for 1 piece as it is 1,000. Especially if you plan to order the same project again in the future, it’s less expensive to order bigger batches at once.

Our invoices include a link to pay online or you may call us with a credit card number. We also accept checks, but shipment may be delayed until payment clears. All invoices must be paid before an order will ship unless prior arrangements have been made.

We use thick, absorbent 60pt pulpboard for our coasters.

No! Our off-white pulp board is made from 40% pre-consumer recycled content and wood pulp from managed forestry.

We offer 10 standard coaster shapes that are roughly 3.75″ in size.

Yes! Additional die fees may apply. Please contact us for a quote.

• Coasters
• Coaster Mailers
• Wine Glass Stem Tags
• Bottle Tags
• Bottle Toppers
• Coaster Box
• Business Cards
• Notecards/Buckslips
• Letterhead
• Gift Card Holders
• Flat Cards
• Greeting Cards
• Wedding Invitations