People of Print are excited to present a list of our top 50 letterpress printers, studios and artists. Including typographic studios, bespoke stationery printers, and some of our very own Official POP Members, we’ve compiled some of our favourite letterpress artists who are bringing and maintaining the heritage craft of letterpress printing into the modern age.
1: Type Tom
With over 10 years worth of experience in Letterpress printing and type design, Type Tom aka Tom Boulton has created work for both trade and personal clients, including organisations such as Tate Modern, Southbank Centre, V&A, Fortnum & Mason, and Design Museum. Tom operates his printmaking studio with an ethical ethos, aiming to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, as well as fixing up and repairing old machinery. After completing his degree in Typographic Design at the London College of Printing, Tom has since moved to live and work by the sea in Bognor Regis, where he is growing his type and printing press collection.
2: No Plan Press
Letterpress Studio No Plan Press is driven by the idea that having no plan is sometimes the best plan. The studio was founded and is run by Jesse Kirsch. Knowing his best work happens without a blueprint, Jesse finds new ways to use geometry, colour, and bold typography in order to explore the everyday from a different perspective. No Plan prints are modern, fun and guaranteed to make you think.
3: La Tipografa Toscana
Based in Tuscany, Italy, La Tipografa Toscana have an online shop where they sell beautiful letterpress prints, as well as offering custom letterpress printing and workshops from their studio. Owner, Martina Vincenti set up the studio in order to preserve the ancient printing technique, and cultivate and spread the culture of artisan typography, all whilst furthering her talents as a typographer, graphic designer and craftswoman.
4: Thomas Mayo & Co
Based in a small village in the Cotswolds UK, Thomas Mayo & Co produce letterpress and foil blocked prints, business cards and other ephemera using a variety of vintage presses and time-honoured techniques. Laser-cut and CNC manufacturing is often used within his work, combining newfangled processes with these old methods. Working with many designers in different fields (hence the “& Co”) Thomas Mayo produces a wide range of products from bespoke prints, movable wooden printing type and blocks, to large-scale installations.
5: The Garage Press
The Garage Press was founded in a South London garage in 2018 by Simon Trewin, who has spent the last twenty-five years working with internationally renowned musicians, authors and brands on furthering their literary and publishing ambition. Simon designs and prints onto paper and card using found vintage images and fonts from a variety of sources including his own library of vintage wood and metal type, and antique blocks. As well as creating his own range of cards, prints and bookmarks, Simon also undertakes commissions for a selection of clients. You can also check out their shop on Department Store.
6: Fresh Lemon Print
Fresh Lemon Print is a typographic and letterpress studio creating funky limited edition posters using traditional printing techniques. Created by Phil Gambrill, who by day, is an award-winning graphic designer and by night, turns back the clock and enters his letterpress studio to set wood block type and create unique letterpress posters. Phil enjoys nothing more than lifting a fresh print from the press and marvelling at the wonderful imperfections caused by the ageing wood type, whilst cursing in frustration as to why certain letters, just won’t print!
7: Letterpress de Paris
Situated in the heart of Paris is the small print shop, Letterpress de Paris, who specialise in letterpress printing and hot foil stamping. Alongside working together with artists and designers on custom pieces, the team have also created a stationery line, including greeting cards and note books. Their goal is to build bridges between the art scene and old-school printing techniques, whilst having fun and creating cool things.
8: Neu Haus Press
Neu Haus Press is a print shop located in Portland, OR, focusing on creating and printing letterpress art. The studio was founded in 1996 by Chris Chandler when he acquired his first Vandercook Press in Venice Beach, CA. Through the years his love, talent, knowledge and collection of this vintage craft has grown. From 30 years working as a tour manager and sound engineer for bands he has had the privilege of sharing his passion of letterpress with musicians in collaborations with their art work.
9: M. C. Pressure
M. C. Pressure offer a range of letterpress and hot foil stamping services. For the team, printmaking is special in that it offers a handmade touch. The company is continually growing by acquiring new presses and new collaborations with an exciting and broad range of clients. From their Florida studio the team work on commissions and collaborations, and also create their own range of letterpress printed stationery and accessories.
10: One Strong Arm
Located in the heart of Dublin city, One Strong Arm is a letterpress print studio creating contemporary typography-led work using traditional methods. The studio’s output usually involves their ever-growing collection of antique wood and metal type, but on occasion, it will also include some more modern techniques and processes. While much of their work comes in the form of self-initiated projects, they also work closely with designers, artists, agencies, writers, musicians, illustrators, collaborators, experimenters and co-conspirators to create thoughtfully produced work of all kinds.
11: Letterpress Play
Founded by Kyle Hawley, and printed in Austin, Texas, Letterpress PLAY strive for sustainability in their practices, supporting community and fostering play for all. Their collection of zero-waste paper toys, cards, posters, washable paper hats, hankies, and garments aim to inspire curiosity and wonder. A portion of their proceeds also go to their favourite children’s charities. Letterpress PLAY’s range of paper products employ a full range of printing methods using lead or wooden type, blocks, or polymer plates. All items are printed by hand or with machines dating back to the Industrial Revolution, and are 100% biodegradable.
12: Rodrigo Cuberas
Since 2011, Rodrigo Cuberas has had his own workshop and printmaking studio in Buenos Aires, from which he produces both small and medium format abstract letterpress prints, as well as business cards for select clients. His interest in letterpress began in his student days when he bought woodtypes rescued from presses that had closed. Without any press, he printed manually and by hand, thanks to the frottage technique. With the passage of time and experience, he has now acquired a collection of presses and elements of work that have improved his process and prints. However, his work remains faithful to experimental exploration, looking for alternatives beyond the technique.
13: TypographHer
TypographHer, aka Nicole Arnett Phillips, is a letterpress printer with over 20 years experience in design. From her studio in New Zealand she creates prints, artist books and ephemera about design, politics, and the environment. Her studio is well equipped with machines including a 1872: Albion Press, a Kingsley hot stamp foiler, and a 1960’s Farley N025CWL, alongside a plethora of other equipment used for bookbinding, pressing, and relief printmaking.
14: Bruno Press
Bruno Press was founded by Mary C. Bruno, who learned her love of printing from her design professor father Don Bruno. Since his passing in 2003 she has taken over his small letterpress print shop in St. Joseph, Minnesota and expanded, both physically and figuratively. Mary has an irreverent line of greeting cards and more that is sold nationwide, and also teaches the old school tradition of letterpress printing the way her father taught her. She organises international travelling art exhibitions with printers all over the world. She hand-sets wood and lead type to produces items including posters and broadsides, and loves to collaborate with other printers, poets, musicians, kids, and designers.
15: Vahalla Studios
Vahalla Studios is a full service letterpress studio located in North Kansas City, Missouri. The team have been printing for clients both large and small since 2006, creating works for such clients including Myspace, Ralph-Lauren and Warner Bros. Music. They love working with artists, designers, illustrators, and creatives of all experience levels. Their letterpress studio has the facility to allow for them to score, die cut, print, perforate, and foil stamp.
16: Wood Words
Wood Words is the letterpress printmaking studio of Julia Humfress. It’s a space for the visual exploration of typography through tangible, movable wood letters. Some of her work takes a traditional approach and explores typography and meaning through the printed word. Her more abstract pieces explore printed letterforms and the spaces that surround them, giving vintage alphabets a contemporary language and new life without the distraction of meaning.
17: IS Projects
IS Projects is a public access printmaking and book arts studio located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to a fine art gallery, the studio houses letterpress, fine art printmaking and book arts equipment, and offers workshops, hourly studio rental, internships, book binding services, edition printing and commercial printing. Their mission is to promote innovations and developments to print and book media by providing knowledge, training, and a supportive work space for artists.
18: Letterpress Design / Lyme Bay Press
Letterpress Design is run by Lisa Paice and Ross Jones from the beautiful Isle of Wight. With over 25 years of letterpress print experience, Lisa started Letterpress Design in 2008. As well as supplying letterpress print for international clients, together with her partner Ross she also runs Lyme Bay Press, providing photopolymer printing plates, inks and other letterpress print supplies for the small and large printer. You can browse their print collection on Department Store.
19: p98a
Located in Berlin, and founded by Erik Spiekermann and Susanna Dulkinys, p98a is an experimental letterpress workshop dedicated to letters, printing and paper. They are a group of multi-disciplined designers, exploring how letterpress can be redefined in the 21st century through research, printing, collecting, publishing and making things. p98a work with hot metal and wood-type, several proof presses, a Heidelberg Windmill platen, and other traditional analogue equipment which they combine with digital technologies.
20: Swell Press
Founded by Britt Rohr in 2014, Swell Press is a design and letterpress company based in Los Angeles, inspired by the salt water, sunsets, and palm trees of coastal California. From one-of-a-kind wedding and event invitation suites, to sleek and sophisticated stationery and branded collateral, Swell Press create beautiful and unique printed ephemera. The studio have their own online store selling printed goods, as well as offering bespoke work for clients and brand collaborations.
21: Starshaped Press
Established in 1999, Starshaped Press stay true to the original craft of letterpress, celebrating antique metal and wood type by showcasing the beauty and relevance of well-designed, historic type. Starshaped Press focus on reusing existing materials (some over 150 years old) for all projects, meaning no plastic is ever used in production. The studio offer a range of workshops, custom projects, and also have their own online store selling a diverse collection of prints and stationery.
22: InPressed
InPressed is a creative design and letterpress studio that blends traditional printing, fine papers and an aesthetic sense aiming to engage and connect people in a timeless manner. The studio started out in 2015 with its founders Tiago and Simone installing a vintage platten press in a small corner of a garage. With a big passion and curiosity for the traditional printing process, the studio grew little by little and press by press, gaining collaborations with designers and companies along the way. Today their services include; letterpress, hot-stamping and embossing to name but a few.
23: Dafi Kuhne
Dafi Kühne is a graphic designer and letterpress print maker from Zürich+Glarus, Switzerland. Since 2009 his studio, babyinktwice, has been designing and printing posters, invitation cards and brochures for music, art, architecture, theatre and film projects. In 2011, Dafi also began teaching everything from short workshops to full semesters in various universities in Europe and the United States. His practice combines contemporary graphic design with old style printing technology.
24: Fireater
Fireater is a small, independent letterpress workshop that specialises in custom prints, woodtype specimens and custom stationery. Based in the rural Leicstershire countryside, Fireater offer day courses in letterpress printing with the usage of their small Farley and large Korrex printing presses. They offer the ability to cater for most paper sizes and projects. Matt Leach, who founded the studio, studied typography at the London College of Printing, and went on to work at Typoretum whilst amassing his woodtype collection.
25: Typoretum
Utilising traditional craft skills, and their collection of antique and vintage printing presses, Typoretum provide a comprehensive letterpress printing and design service. With an extensive library of metal and wooden letterpress type at their disposal, the team can also work from supplied digital artwork, and will etch metal relief plates for letterpress printing, foil stamping or embossing. Based in Colchester, UK, Typoretum is a busy, family run, contemporary letterpress design and printing studio, also offering short courses and internship opportunities.
26: Coxswain Press
Coxswain Press is a small letterpress printing and book arts studio located in Tacoma, WA. With a focus on limited edition art prints, greeting cards, hand printed textiles, women’s rights, and artist books, each item is thoughtfully crafted by hand. Taylor, founder of the studio, puts emphasis on not only expertly crafting her work, but educating the public on how it is created and the rich history of the craft.
27: The Liquorice Press
Based in Basingstoke, UK, The Liquorice Press’ love affair with print pushes them beyond the boundaries. They embrace both traditional and cutting-edge techniques to produce exceptional printed pieces for their clients, turning great ideas into beautiful reality. The team offer a letterpress printing service for business or personal stationery, creating works with extra impact, a luxurious feel and a touch of the modern age with traditional values.
28: De Kijm & zonen
De Kijm & zonen is the printing company of designer Thomas Klaui and graphic artist Donzige Deef. They are an environmentally friendly printing studio based in The Hague, The Netherlands. In their studio they have a beautiful Heidelberg Windmill letterpress platen from 1971, which they use to print with ink and foil, as well as die-cutting, embossing, and blind printing.
29: Three Cheers Press
Run by Cory Wasnewsky, Three Cheers Press is a small letterpress print shop based in Nashville, TN . Specialising in letterpress printed goods ranging from business cards, wedding invites, and letterheads, to post cards, greeting cards, and posters, the shop uses a variety of presses to complete any job. In addition to designing and printing products for sale in their shop, Cory can also print your design, or do the designing for you.
30: Reflex Letterpress
Reflex Letterpress is a print shop located in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, and is the studio of artist Ted Ollier. Ted has an online store offering letterpress printed good including stationery and calendars, and also offers classes, wedding and portfolio printing, and studio rentals.
31: The New Typography Workshop
Conceived and directed by leading typographic practitioner Kelvyn Smith and letterpress maestro Alan Kitching, The New Typography Workshop is a school of design and typography with letterpress at its core. It offers art directors, artists, designers, printmakers and students the opportunity to study typography and work closely with wood and metal type, letterpress materials and printing equipment. The duo also offer a series of typographic prints to purchase online as part of their print shop.
32: Ane Thon Knutsen
Ane Thon Knutsen is a Graphic Designer and Artist working in Oslo. She owns a private letterpress studio where she explores the possibilities of experimental printing with moveable type. Her hybrid approach to her practice has led her to conduct extensive research in combining traditional print with laser cutters and CNC mills. Ane also teaches at The Oslo National Academy of The Arts, works as a freelance lecturer, and hosts printing workshops. She has a particular interest in women in print, private presses and conceptual letterpress.
33: Mayday Press
Born from an unquenchable love of design, ink, paper and possibility, Mayday Press create hand-printed, letterpress goods through combining modern methodologies with vintage equipment. Nestled in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin, Mayday Press is where its founder, May, brings together her love of graphic design, letterpress and stationery supplies.
34: The Alphabet Press
The Alphabet Press is a bespoke letterpress stationery brand based in Malaysia. They create wedding stationery, business cards, event invitations, corporate stationery, postcards and art prints using the centuries-old printing technique of letterpress. All of their products are made with the finest materials, craftsmanship, and a sense of understated elegance.
35: Archivio Tipografico
Archivio Tipografico is an active and collaborative space for the preservation, study and the practice of typographic arts. Their aims are to preserve, keep alive and reinvent in a contemporary way the craftsmanship of letterpress printing. It is a lively, collaborative space, where both new and old generations of printers, typographers and designers gather to develop artistic and commercial printing projects. Their collection boasts around two thousand sets of lead, wood, and resin movable type, and a wide variety of fully functional printing presses including platens and flatbeds.
36: Karakter Prints
Based in the South of the Netherlands, and founded by Bart Heesen, Karakter Prints is an analogue print studio specialising in letterpress. The stuio is equipped with a Vandercook and FAG Proof Press, and a 1895 Chandler & Price. Bart loves to explore the possibilities of combining new techniques with old school printing methods such as 3D printing, laser cutters and collage art.
37: Prelo Prints
Prelo Prints is a project born from the love for letterpress and all forms of early print, its techniques, and history. They mainly focus on 15th Century printing techniques and materials, and with their wooden one-pull press (a reinterpretation of what a late 15th-century printing press might have looked and worked), they print reproductions of incunables, broadsides, and iconography.
38: Ben Blount
Born and raised in Detroit, Ben Blount is a designer and letterpress printer that loves type, teaching, and putting ink on paper. He loves to print and create books, and also hosts workshops for adults and children in a variety of settings. Ben’s work explores questions of race and identity and the stories people tell themselves about living in America.
39: David Wolske
David Wolske is a typography and graphic designer, artist, and educator. His hybrid practice combines the traditions of letterpress and printmaking with digital tools and design thinking. In his work he uses a combination of contemporary and historical processes to transform letters, numbers, and punctuation into visual poetry. His use of negative space communicates the more emotional aspects of written language, simultaneously inviting the viewer to create their own interpretation.
40: Prickly Pear Paper
Prickly Pear Paper is a husband and wife owned retail store specialising in letterpress printing and premium paper goods. Their brick and mortar location, in Barnone, Arizona, acts as a gift shop, design studio, and print shop all-in-one. Every Prickly Pear branded product is handcrafted and letterpress printed by Gladys, their one hundred year old letterpress print machine. You can also shop their collection of stationery, accessories and prints online.
41: Blackbird Letterpress
Blackbird letterpress offer unique and elegant letterpress printing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They specialise in stationery, handmade notebooks, calendars, cards and more. Kathryn Hunter began Blackbird Letterpress in 2003, and it has continually expanded in space and equipment. Today, the studio houses a Chandler & Price 8×12, along with a Vandercook SP15, C&P 10×15, and 2 Heidelberg Windmills.
42: Kennedy Prints
Kennedy Prints are experts in letterpress printed posters for all occasions based in Detroit, Michigan. The studio is host to a Vandercook SP-15, an Asbern, a FAG, a Vandercook 325G, and a Heidelberg 10″x15″ platen press. They print posters for clients on 12.5″x19″ chipboard using oil-based inks, and colours mixed by sight, in a minimum run of 100 prints.
43: Tipo Móvil
Tipo Móvil is a design studio and typographic workshop founded in 2014 by graphic designer Andrea Torres. The studio is dedicated to rescuing and reinventing the craft of letterpress printing, and is based in the city of Santiago de Chile. They print decorative prints with their own designs and collaborations, small editions of books, coasters, cards, and labels on cotton fibre papers.
44: Artcadia
Founded by Vici Blenkharn in 2009, Artcadia is a design and letterpress company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. From bespoke wedding and event invitations, to every day stationery and greetings cards, every single item that leaves their studio is an originally designed, carefully considered, expertly crafted piece of art. In 2018 Artcadia developed a line of stationery, greetings cards, gifts wraps and art prints for retail, which they sell direct through their store and through their stockists worldwide.
45: Matt Holmes
Matt Homes is a designer and maker with a strong interest in the craft of Letterpress. His work explores the point where digital technologies and heritage crafts collide, employing 3D printing and CNC to craft new type and accessible printing presses. His goal is to use these new technologies to help preserve and evolve heritage crafts, creating accessible equipment that shares the joy of letterpress.
46: Gingerly Press
Gingerly Press creates colourful, modern and sustainable letterpress printed products from their studio in Pittsburgh. Their works evoke everyday mindfulness and connections with each other, ourselves and our surrounding natural world. Exclusively using their collection of antique metal and wood type, the team create paper products that embody colourful modern design, taking inspiration from the outdoors and the revival of an antiquated process.
47: The Letterpress Collective
Located in the Old City of Birstol, The Letterpress Collective is run by Nick Hand and Ellen Bills. It is the printshop of The Department of Small Works, which was created by Nick as a home for design, photography and print. The duo offer workshops in letterpress printing and a printing service, as well as an online store selling their works. They are also the owners of The Printing Bike, which carries a 8×5 Adana Press, type, blocks, inks and rags, offering a portable service.
48: D&D Letterpress
D&D Letterpress are designers and printers of fine and unique stationery. Over the years they have established themselves as one of Australia’s leading letterpress studios. The team pride themselves on quality, attention to detail, knowledge and expertise on the letterpress process, working with amazing brands and designers around Australia (and beyond).
49: Drayson & Stock
Using their ever-growing collection of wood and metal type, Drayson & Stock design, set, and print a range of letterpress goods from their workshop by the sea in East Sussex. They sell a range of letterpress printed greetings cards and typographic prints, and also offer custom wedding invitations and announcements and a selection of stationery goods. You can also shop their collection on Department Store.
50: Paper Jam Press
Paper Jam Press is a studio run by Arianna Orland, who makes letterpress posters printed with words to live by from her studio in San Francisco. The studio was founded as an homage to truth, love, typography and music. Every poster is hand-printed on Arianna’s Vandercook letterpress, set with turn-of-the-century gothic wood type letters that don’t quite match. You can also shop their collection on Department Store.
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