The Dingbat’s Agenda

  • January17th

    Letterpress & Digital Printing

    Posted in: business cards, Color, Custom, letterpress technique, OFFSET, Wedding

    Tilted Sky is a business by couple Lindsey & Stephen who shoot some pretty awesome wedding filmography for your big day. Lindsey approached us with a seemingly challenging project in that she wanted  the look of a gradient/split-fountain in a very small print area. Easy for flat printing, challenging for letterpress printing. After working long and hard on her files and the concept she was going for, we finally decided to go with the solution to have the gradient sky printed via flat printing on our 110# paper, and then ran it through our presses for the final print run with a light silver ink for their business info.

    Above and below are two pre-press proofs that we pulled for Lindsey so she could compare the color of the gradient, the value of the line screen clouds (which were hard to photograph but looked awesome in person) as well as the value of the silver. Above we have a more peachy hue, and below more pink with a lighter silver.

    Upon sending images over to the client for final sign off we hit the presses and shipped these babies out!

  • January12th

    Calligraphy Calling Card, 59

    Posted in: business cards, Calligraphy, Calling Cards, Color, Edge Painting, letterpress technique

    Another lovely set of Calling Cards for Emily Ellyn I love the orange edge paint paired with the black ink.

    These were printed on 110# LUXE paper and edge painted with our signature highly pigmented inks with love. On these cards, I discovered that latex gloves really helps keep your hands from cracking.

    With all the hand washing, painting and heat gun settings, my finger tips have started cracking with this dry winter weather. Good bye cracking knuckles, hello latex gloves!

    If you are looking at landing yourself a set, it is a great way to get into some letterpress cards without breaking the bank and they turn around fast! Check them out here to customize a set of your own.

  • December28th

    Tiny Twiggette, 1/1 letterpress business cards

    Posted in: business card proofs, business cards, letterpress technique

    This was one of those jobs when I received the files that I squealed with delight. This illustration is awesome, to say the least and we were so excited to be printing it for Tiny Twiggette. Lynn was so fabulous to work with and has some beautiful design work herself. These were printed on lettra 220# paper, in ecru. Pantone matched and printed as a 1/1, this is a perfect example of how a minimalist design and single ink color can be just as impacting with out all the hooplah of a billion press colors or changes.

    Sized at 2×3.5″ and printed as an initial set of 250 (our minimum opening order for a set of custom or client submitted files) you can get an estimate for yourself here – we are already booking the press for February and March!

  • December20th

    What to expect… Flood printing, part 1

    Posted in: branding, business cards, Business Papers, letterpress technique, posted by ADRIENNE, What to expect...

    Picking up with the What to expect series today we’ll be discussing large coverage areas and floods.  Below is a business card design by Vanessa of NESS Design. It is a 2/1 letterpress business card printed on 220# paper. Vanessa’s cards got a really great ink coverage because of a few things.

    Her knocked out type was built up with extra stroke wight so that we could flood the press with a LOT of ink and by the time the letters started to fill in they were back to their “normal” weights. Serifed typography is a lot harder to work with and isn’t recommend (especially when small). If you want to knock out of a flood color area (knock-out meaning that the type is white or image area is white with ink surrounding it) then stick to imagery or typography that can be bulked with a stroke or two – that extra padding will make a huge difference in how your print turns out.

    Another advantage to flooding with Vanessa’s cards was the selection of a lighter ink value for her cards. Lighter colors usually flood more evenly. The reason behind this is that all inks are transparent. With transparent inks, large coverage areas, and a textured paper can often have the flecks and texturing show through, lending a “salty” look to the pieces being printed. The darker the ink color, the more evident the salty look. While the press can be run with a double strike (run through the press twice) you can run into registration problems and more waste. You can also set up your press to ink the forme twice before printing, however this can be time consuming and add to your labor costs as well.

    Ultimately if you are considering a flood or large inked up area, know that there will be variables. Letterpress is much different than offset in that way. Stay tuned for the other half of flood printing where we’ll go over paper selection if printing a flood!

    Letterpress printed on 220# lettra paper, 2/1 pantone inks, trimmed to 2×3.5″ – For a set of your own, get an estimate, we’d love to work with you! If you have questions about a file, you can also email it over and we would be happy to advise.

  • December12th

    Minimalist Calling Card, 3

    Posted in: business cards, Calling Cards, Edge Painting

    Another Minimalist Calling Card that shipped out recently, these were printed on 110# lettra cotton paper in gray ink, and paired with an orangish/papaya edge paint. Sets start at $99 and go up from there if you want custom add-ins like an edge paint or calling card sleeves.

  • October24th

    Ciocia Ela

    Posted in: branding, business cards, Color, letterpress technique

    Happy Monday friends! We had the wonderful opportunity to develop branding for Nelly Wu who makes beautiful handbags and every day goods. It has been so long ago that we did her branding that I only just realized that we never blogged the finished product until we did a re-print for her business cards! As you can see below, these are a single color business card. Pantone match fuchsia, printed on 110# lettra and paired with 1/4″ rounded corners.To see Nelly’s work click over to her spectacular shop!

    The great thing about single color letterpress is that when you re-print you can switch up the color to whatever suits your fancy. It is very cost effective in letterpress terms, and really creates a great minimalist look. Many people totally rule out single color business cards, but it is a great way to get creative with the design or illustration and a fun challenge to make the design interesting for one color printing.

  • August15th

    Stephanie Reinish, extending a brand

    Posted in: branding, business card proofs, business cards, extending a brand

    Hello! I feel like I’m back from the dead! I’ll spare you the gory and boring details and save it for business Friday. For now, it’s back to blogging and FINALLY back to work! You may remember Stephanie’s RI proofs for a branding project that I blogged about here. Part of making a brand work for a business is being able to expand it from the logo into the rest of the business collateral, be it business cards, packaging,  promo pieces or website – how you extend your logo into an identity of yourself and brand extension of the initial concept will help make your business stand out from your competition. In Stephanie’s case it was extending her branding into business cards (her website is an awesome execution of brand extension as well).

    When working on Stephanie’s design for business cards she wanted something that reflected her logo that we had done for her, but that also conveyed a look of minimalism paired with good organization. Her hierarchy was easy to work with and the logo helped hint us at where we needed to go with the stacking of her business name. The cards needed to be flexible enough for letterpress and offset printing as well as economical. Although we had the blush/grey with the heart going on in her branding, it was clear that we didn’t want to be overly cute with the design either. The emphasis on large margins helped with that sophistication, and the creative organization of the typography helped keep things playful within the design – ultimately not having it end up cute, but not having it be so minimalist either that it becomes stale. Below is the finished piece, what do you think?

  • April4th

    Sweet & Savory letterpress business cards

    Posted in: branding, business cards, Calligraphy, Edge Painting, posted by ADRIENNE

    THANK YOU THANK YOU! For letting me take a little break with my family for the school spring break. I feel so refreshed and ready to hit the presses (and proofs) running hard tomorrow (today is my last day of bliss :).

    If you are reading via RSS, pop over to the blog for a quick peek on the updated design just in time for the National Stationery Show in May! We’ll also be launching our main domain (which has been quite past due) here this week at DingabtPress.com which will tell in more detail about the services we currently offer regarding design and letterpress printing as well as have a portfolio of our current work. It’s going to be exciting!

    For now, I thought I’d post some business card eye candy for you that shipped out a few months ago – boy do I have a lot to share over the next few weeks!

    Virginia of the lovely Sweet & Savory had a beautiful logo calligraphied by Lisa Ridgely of Pen & Ink that was so fun to work with. We took virginia’s typographic styling from her website and created a simple layout for her cards. The reverse print sometimes poses challenges on press, so when plating we had to bulk up the type and logo that was to be reversed out so that when it printed it would optically look like the digital proofs. These cards were printed on my favorite stock the 600GSM eco-rag paper by Legion. This paper was so soft and supple and it takes a beautiful impression.

    The business cards were a simple 1/0 custom color match in a curry/ochre color so we didn’t lose detail to the contact information. They were also edge painted to match giving them a lovely pop of deliciousness. If you like beautiful photography paired with awesome recipes, you won’t want to miss Virginia’s goodness. Her chocolate mousse looks divine, I might have to make some later today!

  • December6th

    Mandi Singer, letterpress printed piece!

    Posted in: branding, business cards, Business Papers, posted by ADRIENNE

    These cards were done as a giveaway back in May, and Mandi was the lucky winner in desperate need of branding help! One of my freelancers Linsey helped collaborate on this project and did a beautiful hand drawing of Mandi’s name in the beautiful typeface Archer by H&FJ. I loved how the chartreuse turned out, as it was Mandi’s signature color.

    Mandi Singer branding package

    Printed on 110# Lettra in chartreuse ink. Business cards sized at 2×3.5″ and tags sized at 1.5×3.5″ with .25″ rounded corners and 3.16″ hole punch.

  • December1st

    Jones & Vandemeer design proofs

    Posted in: branding, Business, Business Papers, letterpress technique, posted by ADRIENNE

    Option 1: This design is more concept based, emphasizing the circles in the typography as well as the knocked-out ampersand between Jones & Vandermeer. We wanted a subtle hint of the circular motion of a ball of yarn rolling around but also wanted it to relate to a global shape symbolizing process and the travels invested in procuring this yarn. The typography has been manipulated so that the the balls in the letters have more motion and don’t feel so static but still providing a strong sophisticated brand that is not too crafty looking.

    Option 2: This design is a mix of the casual stylistic watercolors that we were inspired by on the Hermes website (per the client’s suggestion). We wanted something that spoke to the handmade generation and yet still felt high end and regal. The typography was set and then hand traced to give it a more distressed and whimsical feel, then paired with a banner and seal option that brought in a hint of Edwardian flourish without feeling too stuffy. By putting the typography on a diagonal we felt it created a more playful look to the brand without getting too childish.

    Option 3: The third option is more sentimental. After hearing about the business being named after the client pet doggies, I really wanted to give this design more meaning. Often one feels proud of a brand because it is a reflection of them. We took typography in this design that had really beautiful and elegant swashes – they almost double as a doggy’s tail. I felt like they were so playful and reflective of a pets love and excitement. Since the other two designs were more concept and theory based, with this design we also explored an illustration of a ball of yarn so that the client could compare imagery versus concept.

    What is your favorite and why?

  • November23rd

    the Wedding boutique

    Posted in: branding, Business Papers, Custom, posted by ADRIENNE

    These cards were printed for Jenni of the Wedding Boutique. I love how everything turned out in letterpress! Printed on 110# paper, with pantone matches (2/0) on our standard 2×3.5″ business card. Jenni is from Australia so if you are a bride down under be sure to check her out!

    the Wedding boutique

    We ship internationally so if you’ve been pining for letterpress goods we’d LOVE to work with you!

  • November17th

    Brittany Gerth Proofs

    Posted in: branding, business cards, Business Papers

    These proofs for Brittany are in the final stages of implementation. After presenting her logos for her branding package, brittany narrowed it down and we indicated options and alternatives from the scheme she had selected. What is your favorite?
    Upon completing her branding and refinement with typography, colormetrics and styling, we presented business card layouts for Brittany in The Euro 1.5×3.5″, The Square 2.5×2.5″, and Standard 2×3.5″. These were bid out as a 2/0 letterpress printed card and whatever she chooses will so rock!

  • October29th

    The Charmed Event

    Posted in: business cards, Business Papers

    CharmedEvent1250x800

    This card was letterpress printed for Katie and Jill of The Charmed Event. Katie provided her logo, and we provided layouts for them in our standard 2×3.5″ size as well as 2.5×2.5″ square and the Euro 1.5×3.5″. Printed on 110# Lettra with pantone matched inks.

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