Sophie Suite, Image by Jen Kroll

You might recognize the name Gwyneth Paige from our Tuesday Shoesday posts, but in case you didn’t know, Gwyneth Paige is also an amazing Couture Letterpress company as well.  They JUST launched their new website today and it is fabulous,and showcases their work perfectly.  I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Andrea through Twitter, and she is one of the most creative and caring people I know and she the creative director behind the Gwyneth Paige team.  I asked Andrea to share some details on this Invitation Monday about Gwyneth Paige and about Letterpress in general!

Emma Suite, Image by Jen Kroll (one of my favorites as it’s a symbol of my sorority!)

What exactly is Gwyneth Paige and how did it get started? Gwyneth Paige started as many brilliant ideas do, with one really big, really crazy ambition from someone who is determined to make things happen.  Oh, and three girls complete obsession with letterpress.  We are a brain-child of people who love fine artisans crafts, soft paper and rich ink colors.  We print sustainably with 100% cotton, tree-free paper, vegetable based inks and wind-powered cast-iron presses.  We love nothing more than weddings and cupcakes! (Okay, maybe we love our families a bit more.)

Above all else, Gwyneth Paige is dedicated to treating each client, invitation and wedding with the utmost attention to detail and the tender love and care that only people who are madly in love with stationery could do.

Chloe Stationery Suite, Image by Jen Kroll

What would you tell a bride who is considering using letterpress and are there any misconceptions or particular designs that work best with letterpress? Best decision ever!  Hah!  If a bride is considering letterpress there are a few things we would like her to know about the differences between digital printing and letterpress.  First that letterpress is an art not a science so there are subtle variations in ink and placement from piece to piece.  It’s quite beautiful actually.  (I second that, each is like holding a piece of art in your hands!)

Another major difference is letterpress is done by hand.  Not just hand fed, but hand set, hand checked, hand cut, hand finished and hand packed.  At any given point in the process 10 people could have had a hand in creating your wedding suite.  This makes letterpress not only more special but it does increase the cost from digital where you can output and go.

I think the only misconception I’ve run across is how much work actually goes into setting up a press for print.  Letterpress invitations most commonly only have one or two colors.  The more colors on your invite, the more runs through the press, the more the printer has to wash-down and set-up the press. I don’t know if you have ever watched a printer print (you can see some great videos on boxcarpress) but it is a timely process.  In our opinion it is a process that is well worth the wait.

The types of designs that best work for letterpress are designs without shading.   No photographs.  Vectors and letterpress seem to get along very well.  Letterpress printing excels at fine lines so even delicate sketches look crisp and beautiful.

Ava Suite, Image by Jen Kroll

What is your process for designing for letterpress and if you
could pick one favorite design that you’ve ever done, what would it be?
My personal process for designing for letterpress starts with inspiration. Blogs are a wealth of knowledge and tend to spot trends long before the rest gets a hold of them.  Color, magazine, clothing websites; I take my favorite pieces and pictures then start to put things together.  After a few “failed” attempts I usually stumble across something that wows me, or at least makes my heart jump.

Currently my most favorite design in our line is Jocelyn.  Partially because she was inspired by a design that a wonderful designer friend of mine had created, and partially because the names on the invitation are baby names my husband and I picked out if our son Maddox Danger didn’t look quite like a Maddox Danger (or was a little girl!)

Thanks Andrea for sharing Gwyneth Paige with us this morning!  I am seriously floored by all the invitations they offer (they do custom work though too!) and I can’t wait to get some Stationery to call my own.  There is nothing better than a hand written note received in the mail!