Visit her website and you won’t find any designs that someone else used before. “When a bride hires me, I design something completely new,” says Sarah Smith of Smith Letterpress, who creates one-of-a-kind letterpressed invitations.
Engage The Senses ... “Letterpress commands you to touch as well as to look,” says Sarah. “The letters don't sit on top of the paper. They’re in the paper! This tactile quality is very inviting and makes it so special. If you can’t feel the letters, what’s the point?” It’s why Sarah feels no other printing process captures the importance of a special occasion like letterpress. Combine letterpress with the skills of an award-winning designer, and your invitation can be that much more impressive.
“When I'm designing for a bride, I’m thinking about what you like. That’s where I find inspiration, whether it's baroque wall coverings, late 19th-century French typography, or bold, florescent colors!” Her designs are characterized by beautiful papers, attention to detail, and exquisite typography. “As a designer and printer, I also look for tight registration, plus even ink coverage and an even impression on the paper.”
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Does she design to create an emotional response? “Absolutely! One recent bride cried because she was so happy with the wedding package I created for her. I've had parents of the bride and groom tell me that family members called just to say how beautiful and unique the invitations were. It's very rewarding to know I’ve given a bride exactly what she wanted.”
A Centuries-Old Art ... Letterpress began in Europe in the 14th century as an alternative to reproducing books by hand. “Not too much has changed over the centuries,” says Sarah. “The process is still done entirely by hand, one impression at a time, one color at a time.”
Sarah’s press was built in 1893. “It’s a Chandler & Price old-style platen press. There is no electricity involved. You pump it with your foot!” Her press weighs close to 1000 pounds.
In addition to her century-old press and its accompanying tools, she also has two printshop kittens, Cookie and Bella. “They run amok in the shop and think they own the place!”
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Sarah’s background is in graphic design and she works as an art director in book publishing. As a lover of typography, it was natural for her to take an interest in hand-set type. Once she took a letterpress workshop, she decided to help keep the age-old printing technique alive.
After designing and printing several wedding invitations for friends and family, she started Smith Letterpress. “It’s wonderful to design the most beautiful letterpressed invitations — for what is going to be the best day of your life!”
Smith Letterpress
973.337.9991, www.smithletterpress.com
