Are you considering adding a little letterpress to your business collateral collection? You can read more abut our design and letterpress services for business stationery in the custom section of our website. You can also browse our blog archives to read about other business stationery projects we’ve worked on in the past.

More recently, we printed similar calling cards for a client who’s on the prowl for a new job. Jenn supplied the design, we just did the heavy lifting (i.e. printing). Normally the Lunalux blog features projects we designed in-house, because that’s what we most like to do. But these cards turned out so great, and fit so perfectly into this blog post, we couldn’t resist sharing. Like the wing on the Dragonly cards, Jenn’s initials are printed without any ink. And we used Lettra cover again. Click on the image to the right to view a larger picture of the cards, along with the photopolymer plates we used to print them. If you’re thinking about getting new business cards or calling cards, you can read more about our design and printing services by clicking here.

We printed business cards to match, too. The typesetting mimics the gold and black lettering on the restaurant’s big front window. Like the gift certificates, the cards are printed on 100% cotton Lettra cover. Simple, urban and luxurious. And while we’re tooting our own horn, we’ll give some love to our neighbors too. We love Nick and Eddie because it always feels like there’s something happening there, whether we’re enjoying a raucous Saturday-night burlesque show or reading the new City Pages at the bar on a quiet Wednesday. This newest kid on the block has brought some much-needed energy to the neighborhood! And now that our favorite chef Steven Brown is working there, we love it even more.

Click here to learn more about our custom business card and business stationery offerings, or browse our blog archives to read about other recent business stationery projects.

Gail has been a regular customer since we worked on custom-designed letterpress-printed business cards for her back in 2003. We created a logo with her initials, and used that logo on business cards. The composition was unique, and we printed on cotton watercolor paper so the cards felt very luxurious. Last fall, as she prepared to relocate her business office, she asked us to update the cards and create matching letterhead and envelopes as well. She still loved her old cards, but asked me to experiment with new layouts and fonts. After looking at an array of nice ideas, we came to the conclusion that the five-year-old layout was the best of the bunch (Jenni pats herself on the back). We switched up the font and the paper, and brightened the ink color a bit, but it looks remarkably similar to the original. The cards, along with the new monarch letterhead and envelope, are all printed on high-quality natural white papers in a punchy green. We even printed a small stack of business cards in red ink, because Gail really liked the color but didn’t think it was quite right for the whole system.

The history of this project makes me extra-proud that this design has won an award! We submitted Gail’s stationery to Mohawk Paper’s quarterly Strathmore Letterhead Design contest, and for the the second quarter in a row, we were awarded the bronze prize (Jenni pats herself on the back again). You can see Gail’s stationery, along with the quarter’s other winners, at the Mohawk website.

Photographer Jess Cress came to us with a type-based logo, and a pretty clear idea of what she wanted the finished card to look like, so developing the layout was a breeze. She’s very decisive, so when we met in person to pick inks, she zeroed in on this unusual color combination real quick like. We’re tickled by the finished results; the combination of the simple, sparse design with the hefty stock is quite striking (click on the picture, above left, for a larger view). When Paul Hollis saw Jenn’s card on our sample book, he immediately knew THAT was the paper he wanted us to use for his cards. But unlike Jenn, he didn’t have a very concrete idea of how he wanted the finished piece to look. So we enjoyed developing this unique look for him! An ornate pattern is blind-embossed on the back of the cards to give it a subtle yet striking texture, and the basic contact information for his business is pressed into the front of the card with rich black ink.

It’s always fun to help clients develop printed collateral for their business, whether it’s a simple business card project or a comprehensive suite of cards, stationery, notecards, envelopes and mailing labels. Interested in learning more about our design and letterpress services for business? Check out the custom section of our website, or read about other recent business projects in the archives of our blog.

Click here to read more about our custom design and letterpress services, including business and personal stationery options.

Click here to see other custom business stationery projects that have been featured in the Lunalux blog.

Over the years, we’ve worked with many businesses, large and small, on everything from simple business cards to complex stationery suites – read more about our past projects in our blog archive. View our winning work, along with other winners from this and past quarters, at the Mohawk website.

Well, good thing Katie helped – Joyann loved a dandelion motif that I never would have thought to include in the sample selection (click here to view the wedding invitations in which we first used this graphic). She also found some paper, ink and typeface examples that suited her. Through phone calls and e-mails we refined the design and created just what Joyann wanted: a lovely suite of business cards, notecards and envelopes, all letterpress-printed on 100% cotton papers in blue and black inks. Because the cards would be used primarily for work, it was important that everything look very professional. But since she’s a freelancer, her printed collateral could show off her personality, too. Click on the above image for a larger view of the finished product.

We used super-soft Lettra 110# cover for her business cards, while the A6 notecards are on a smoother 134# cover (same color, better texture for hand-written notes). Most importantly, we got the cards to her just in time for a business trip to The Other Coast. Interested in learning more about our custom-designed business and personal stationery? Check out the custom page of our website, or read about other recent projects in our blog.

All of this makes me extra-pleased to have just won another prize from Mohawk, for entering their Strathmore Letterhead Contest for the third quarter of 2008. I sent in samples of the Mahogany Bay business stationery suite that we printed this past January. It’s a pretty big system, including letterhead, envelopes, buckslip notecards for the president and the founder, and business cards for four different people in the company. All printed on Strathmore writing natural white papers. Classy! I haven’t been tapped (yet!) for my design skills this time around – they’ve awarded me a fat iTunes gift card for being one of the first 25 entries for the quarter. So I guess I am finally being rewarded for my stellar time management skills!

We finished the Engine Innovations project just in time for James’ first official event. When he picked up his cards (raves all around, natch), he paid his bill and gave me a crsip $1 bill. Just days into his new venture, he’d received his first check, and was giving 20 one-dollar bits of it to people who helped him with the launch. As tips go, this is the smallest I’ve ever received, but also the most prized. I’m saving this as a reminder that we do good work, and poeple appreciate it. On my worst days, I might feel like a glorified desktop publisher; but on my best days I am really more of a paper therapist.

Many of our clients are navigating serious transitions, such as preparing for their first baby, facing a milestone birthday or diving into a new career. Whether we’re working together on formal invitations, or simple calling cards, or a show-stopping business stationery suite, the process of deciding what goes on the paper makes people think very carefully, and in a new way, about their crossroads and how to articulate it. The subtle implications of color schemes, paper textures and punctuation elicit unexpected visceral responses. The weight of the world suddenly hangs on a hyphen – or is that an en-dash?

It’s not always that heavy, of course. Sometimes people come in, they order something pretty, we make it, they pay for it, and everyone’s happy. Ultimately that last part – everyone’s happy – is what we care about the most. But when we have the opportunity to help someone clarify their vision and move forward with confidence, there’s extra gratification in that.