The Dingbat's Agenda » red

Geek-awesome Valentine’s!

Adrienne — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:42:56 +0000

For the Jedi or Treekie love of your life, don’t miss getting one of these this Valentine’s Day! Letterpress printed on Arturo’s blush, mint and blue papers. Sized as an A2 card, blank interior and matching envelope.

Making pigs fly since 1984

Adrienne — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:54:14 +0000

I have to say, I have some awesome brothers. Both of which I love dearly! Matt, the little brother, worked for Dingbat last year before he started grad school and if you remember he did a few great posts on business Friday. As a thank you, these were supposed to be at NSS last year for him to hand out but they got lost in a shipping snafu and then buried for a few months back at the studio. I finally was able to find them and dig them out as well as photograph them and get them sent off to their rightful owner.

A few things about Matt, he really liked this flying pig that was rejected by another client. He claimed it as his own. Matt’s personality is all about having fun, enjoying life and having a positive attitude. He also snorts when he laughs (just kidding Matt, you only did that when you were a baby or when I was trying to choke you).

These cards were a custom duplex with Lettra 110# white and Revere 110# black. Duplexed cards can be tricky on press because of the extra glue between the sheets. That glue can make for a harder and less flexible paper resulting in a not-so-deep impression on the back side.

I still love how those skinny chevrons turned out though, BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks Matt for putting up with your crazy sister for a year and for being the best small business consultant EVER (next to dad who gives great legal advice)!

Montana letterpress invitations

Adrienne — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:17:07 +0000

This was a suite for a bride that shipped out awhile ago. We were in the final design stages here and presenting different envelope liner options for the bride to get an idea about how the liner can really transform the look of the piece. Can wait to show you the final printed piece!

Creative Consultant letterpress business cards

Adrienne — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:58:55 +0000

Now I know I say this a lot about my clients but Natalie was SUPER awesome to work with. While we explored what felt like hundred of options, Natalie was really patient with us as we worked on her designs, layouts and typography to create a minimalist rockstar card for her new consulting venture.

When we finally got close to the design that Natalie wanted, it was a matter of then taking that and figuring out color and iconography to organize her information. This type was beautifully small and I love how petite it looks with their little matching dingbats and knocked-out type. I love the red on these too – it was a really rich and bloody color to print! Thanks Natalie for working with us and being so inspiring to work with. I am so happy with how these turned out, I hope you are too!

Letterpress printed on 110# Lettra paper. 1 Spot color ink, design and layout included.

To request an estimate for branding and letterpress work,
please Get An Estimate as we’d LOVE to work with you!
All designs ©2011 Dingbat Press

Final logo style guide

Adrienne — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:26:19 +0000

You may remember a few days back the logo variations we explored for Josh. Below is the finalized style guide for the branding we did for him. Upon completion of our branding package, we like to put together a style guide indicating pantone suggestions, RGB Hex #s for web matching, typographic notations for continued use on alternate business collateral and some pattern samples on extending the brand.

In addition to the style guide, upon establishing the brand look, we can also apply the brand elements across to other pieces such as business cards, letterhead, notes, product tags and labels, and more.

Part of establishing a style guide is to help grow the brand equity, especially when its a new brand. By establishing color harmony and typographic suggestions, we help that brand (and the people doing the every day stuff behind it) to establish a relationship with it style. If there is a flyer or ad that needs to be placed, they can pull the typography suggestions and color suggestions to keep things in relation to where they want their brand to go. It helps create awareness and recognition across the board.

Whether you have your own logo but need styling help, layout, or want to start fresh with something completely new you can check out our branding section in the shop or request an estimate for a more customized package.

PREVIEW WEEK: Day 5 – Easter anyone?

Adrienne — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:01:12 +0000

Go ahead and roll your eyes seeing that we haven’t even hit St. Payy’s day yet. But these little guys are plated and will be for sale in the shop for spring showers, tagging baby gifts, and decorating that beautiful Easter table! Which colorway should I print them in?

Weeks 3 & 4, 2011

Adrienne — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:10:57 +0000

It’s that time again to check in with my resolutions for 2011 and check-list. First off, I still haven’t bought anything for myself yea! Although iPhone 4 (yeah the one with the cracked screen 3 weeks after buying) has met an even more depressing demise- it dropped again, this time bumper cover and all, about 18″ and the rest of the screen shattered. I can’t really read anything anymore, but the touch functionality mostly works. It’s been taped up with packing tape. June couldn’t come fast enough for iPhone 5. Sheesh!

Wedding invites were out the door for my brother-in-law – 650 of them, another sheesh! That made for an insane weekend!

Things accomplished for NSS – The Book was previewed. There was a price cut on the Lettra 600 GSM – but not enough to temp us. So we’ve officially switched house papers to the fabulous Legion Eco-rag which not only prints better, but is less expensive. PRICE CUT on the 600 GSM stuff – wohoo for everyone involved!

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards are officially done, printed an photographed.

Wrapping up the 2012 calender for NSS, and a new line of mini-enclosures that are going to rock it!

Submitted entries for the Louies! Judging happens tomorrow and the 3rd – eek!

2010 Taxes are DONE! 1099′s are going out today!

And unveiling one of our new wedding designs for Valentine’s : Psyche & Eros - coming to a weding book near you – May 2011

Valentine’s w/ Grace and Mumford & Sons

Adrienne — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:26:36 +0000

I’m a total sucker for some wailing banjo music, and even more so when they lyrics are A M A Z I N G! As I’m sure you’ve noticed a theme going on with the letterpress Valentine’s Collection 2011 – here is yet another set of cards inspired by my love for music. Calligraphy was done by the fabulous Grace Edmands Calligraphy and then incorporated into design for 2 really pretty Valentine’s Day Cards. Grace, thanks for collaborating on such a fun project – you really made these rock!

Let Love Grow (above) inspired by Mumford & Sons Winter Winds:

Love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free…

Here is Mumford & Sons live with Sigh No More (inspired above) – you have to listen to the song change about half-way though and then go check it out on Amazon or iTunes. It’s truly magical.

Cards Letterpress printed on Arturo 4Bar notes with blank interior, paired with matching envelopes and sold in singles in our Etsy shop. 2 inks, deckle edge, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Calligraphy ©2011 Grace Edmands , Design ©2011 Dingbat Press

LOVE goes on and on!

Adrienne — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:47:46 +0000

If any of you have sentiment for this song in Robin Hood (and recently in Fantastic Mr. Fox as well) then you will want this limited edition print we did in honor of love, life, and its eternal cycle. Every time I hear this, it brings me back to my childhood nostalgia of young love & innocence.

Letterpress 8×10″ print in 2 inks (red/charcoal) on 110#/300GSM paper. Signed and numbered edition of 30, you can get yourself one in the shop here or by clicking on any of the images. Give the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, as a bridal gift, or anniversary gift – I know I’ll be keeping one of these for myself!

Lyrics by Nancy Adams. You may remember this tune from Disney’s Robin Hood©
or Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox©.

Who loves WOOD TYPE?!

Adrienne — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:59:55 +0000

You may recognize this if you follow me on Twitter – it is a larger than life original X piece of wood type. Antique, patina and all around gorgeous, I acquired this baby on eBay back in 2001 along with it’s soulmate O. They are so large in fact, that they extend beyond the press bed (and print area).

So to work this baby out – we had to shorten our dead area (usually there is a dead bar at the front of the press which keeps the grippers from hitting the printed form and damaging not only the grippers but the type as well). To shorten our dead area we had to be extra cautious, and a small piece of furniture was inserted in replacement of the dead bar (see that wood block on the press? that’s called furniture in printer’s speak).

Next we had to FLOOD the press with ink. Printing large image area is a totally different ball game than business cards. Business cards require the most minute amount of ink – too much and the ink will muck things up and make your type horribly ugly. However with large areas, a lot more is required – and when doing multiple prints (without an ink fountain that automatically feed the ink on the press) I had to ink up quite a few times.

In the end, there is an amazing variety that happened with these prints. Both the X and O had unique wear to them so when over-printed (the process of laying one image area over the other) those details came out in this fabulous western wood type way. Distressed and tasteful and beautiful! On some of the prints we added a third color (pink) which was under the gold and offset by about a 1/4″ to give a drop shadow effect – those we kept for valentine’s gifts but were equally cool.

I can’t believe that after all these years of my X and O sitting on the shelf that I never made time to get them on press! Finally they are ready and I’m giving one away to a lucky reader/tweeter/FBer!

The Specs: 1 (one) letterpress extra-large poster of the XO. sized 13×19″, 2 inks (red/matte antique gold). Signed and numbered of an edition of 50. unframed – and shipped in a tube for safe mailing.

TO ENTER:
You can comment for 1 entry,
tweet for another entry with hashtag #XOposter and make sure you metnion @DingbatPress and comment back here with your tweet,
and for a third entry post it in your feed on Facebook (and again come back and provide a link :)

You have until Jan. 14 midnight MST to enter. A winner will be selected at random and announced by the end of the week!

Or if you want one RIGHT NOW, just hop on over to the Etsy shop and get one. These babies are ready to ship!

Valentine’s is around the corner!

Adrienne — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:10:01 +0000

Okay guys and dolls – it’s that holiday that you either love or hate – I’d have to say I love it! Check out this small preview of what will be in the shop NEXT WEEK! What’s your favorite love song? There is a theme going on here that will be evident soon ;)

Monirose letterpress product tags

Adrienne — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:50:45 +0000

These letterpress tags were printed and shipped recently for Monica, an amazing seamstress. Calligraphy by Emilie Friday, we worked on branding options, and in the end went with just a simple and timeless layout emphasizing the calligraphy.

Letterpress printed product tags, 2.5×2.5″ with 1/4″ rounded corners, and 3/16″ hole punch. Printed with PMS match on press.

Janci’s Letterpress Invitations

Adrienne — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:27:24 +0000

I am SLOW on getting around to posting this Christmas – sheesh! These autumn wedding invitations were letterpress printed for Janci and I am so happy with how the over-printing turned out with the maple leaves. Click to see Janci’s RI Proofs and read about her brief.

Letterpress Wedding Invitations | Printed on 110# Lettra paper, 2/0 inks.

Paired with a 4Bar letterpress RSVP and printed return envelope.

Invitation paired with inner and outer envelope combination, inner envelope lined with a letterpress maple leaf pattern.

Ruby Cakes, start to finish

Adrienne — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:34:20 +0000

Late this summer Mindi contacted us regarding updating her business identity. She creates high-end confections that really are quite amazing. Attention to detail and only the best of ingredients used, we wanted to help refine her brand so it fit her target demographic better. Ruby Cakes has a lot of heritage behind it, with rubies being the birth stone, and Mindi’s royal ancestry it was only fitting to tie it all in together. She purchased a large branding package which consisted of extended rounds of design options, application to other pieces, and finally printing of those pieces via the letterpress process. Below are some of the versions we went through and as you can see, the progression to the final pieces.

Letterpress printed and designed by Dingbat Press ©2010. 110# paper for all pieces, printed on Crane’s lettra.
Tags measured 1.5×3.5″ – business cards measured 2×3.5″ – notes measured 3.5×5″ and paired with matching printed envelopes. If you are interested in some custom branding work you can see our starter branding package here or request a more detailed estimate!

GIVEAWAY! Kiss & make-up

Adrienne — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:25:09 +0000

Hey guys and dolls! Plates arrived late and today’s scheduled giveaway is postponed until next week – but I didn’t want to leave you hanging! It was our big 10th anniversay on October 20th, and I can’t believe another year has gone by and we haven’t killed each other. I don’t know all the tricks to a good marriage but was thinking about one of the best parts – the kiss and make-up which inspired this print. Have any of you ever felt this way? I know I have, and so I’m giving one to you! Comment to enter or tweet to get an additional entry with the hastag #kissandmakeup to get counted.

Limited edition of 16 prints, signed and numbered “Love” reads:

Letterpress printed on 110# paper sized 11×14″. Printed with a red-blue gradient and blind impression.

These will be listed in the shop later next week after the giveaway closes!

UPDATED! Congrats ERIN!! You’ve been randomly selected among the comments and tweets! I’ll be contacting you shortly :)