frequently asked questions

- is this your day job?

no. my job as a web designer and developer keeps me pretty busy. though people are very taken by the impression of fine letterpress, it seems few are interested in paying real money for hand-made printing. as a consequence, in order to pay the bills and put some scratch away for when I'm old and gray, I churn graphics and code.

- do you work with other designers?

yes, though I prefer to have creative control over what I produce, I am happy to collaborate with other designers. If this is the case I encourage you to consult with me early in the design process. This will ensure that the job can be realized via letterpress and on my equipment.

- can you work from computer files?

certainly. all my work starts as electronic layouts in Quark XPress. Most often I design for hand setting metal type (what *real* letterpress is all about) but often on more involved pieces like CD packaging, or work from other designers I have plates photoengraved.

- how do you deliver layouts?

my usual method is to email a .pdf which will give the most accurate sense of type style and size. they tend to be very accurate representations of the overall look of a piece. of course the final printed piece will have the added physicality of fine papers and subtle impression that makes letterpress so desirable.

- do you have price lists?

sorry, not anymore. what i found was that it painted me into a corner. all the work i do is custom, and therefore, every job is different. we're happy to develop quotes for any size job, be it something relatively simple like a business card, more involved stuff like the music packaging, to full blown wedding invitation suites with maps, programs and announcements, place cards, etc., etc.

what i can say about pricing is that in general, it's going to be a minimum of $200/per run, plus design time, materials, shipping, etc. all prices are reasonably expensive for custom design, hand typesetting, and small batch printing and die cutting services.

- what's your turn around time?

depends on the job, but since i do work a day job, and am currently single (meaning i have to feed myself, water the plants, keep the cat box clean, etc.), it's best to speak to me earlier rather than later. with regard to wedding invitations, of course it's a given that they mail 6 weeks prior. i'd like a month for the average invite package. for any type of work, it's a minimum 2 week turn around, or the price is going to nudge up.

- do you accept credit cards for payment?

yes and no. I use PayPal which means you can pay me by credit card over the web. super convenient. I recommend it highly.

- what are your terms for payment?

I ask for 50% upon delivery of .pdf proofs, and 50% upon completion and delivery of final job.