Design + Print: calling cards for a job search

John first came to Lunalux as a shopper, browsing our selection of paper goods and making the occasional purchase from our studio store. We often chatted about his association with Metro Independent Business Alliance, and his search for a new job. When he started to job-hunt more earnestly, he came to Lunalux for custom-designed letterpress-printed business cards. In these competitive times, he wanted a card that would make a big impression – not something that looked like it came out of a computer printer. To this end, we went with Lettra 100% cotton pearl white cover – this paper really shows off the lovely texture of letterpress printing, and it feels remarkable to the touch. John knew from the start that he wanted something simple, so it was just a matter of nailing down the perfect fonts and ink color. We used a sophisticated script for his name, and kept the details to a base minimum. The finished cards are printed in a blue-gray ink and trimmed to the non-standard size of 2×3 inches.

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.

Lunalux takes bronze in letterhead design contest

Lunalux has again been recognized by Mohawk Fine Papers for excellence in letterhead design. The business stationery system we created for Mahogany Bay has garnered us the bronze prize in the mill’s 3rd Quarter 2008 Strathmore Letterhead Contest. This is the second time work from Lunalux has been tapped in this contest; we also received the gold prize in the 4th Quarter 2007 contest (and, subsequently, the grand prize for all of 2007) for the identity system we created for Post- Luxury Accessories. Mahogany Bay restores vintage watercraft – think wooden Chris Craft speedboats from the 1940s. Working with a business that appreciates the value of craftsmanship and fine detail, it was a pleasure help build their visual identity. You can learn more about Mahogany Bay on their website.

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.

Design + Print: dandelion letterpress stationery

When Joyann, a freelance fashion/style editor from NYC, searched for business card designers on the internet, she found Lunalux. I was tickled that someone from such a high-fashion industry was drawn to our work (“I love your designs!” she exclaimed in an introductory e-mail), and excited to work with someone who has a serious sense of style. I asked intern Katie to channel her East Coast Fashionista (she spent a few months in New York interning at Harper’s Magazine) and assemble a package of samples to send to our potential new client. She picked some pieces of work that I was very proud of, and others that I would not have selected. But I trusted her experience and sent the samples off for consideration.

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.

Mohawk Fine Papers is greener than you!

With environmental issues more in the forefront of our minds than ever before, green practices are increasingly a factor in corporate promotion and branding. So much so, it’s hard to tell who’s really nice to the planet, and who’s just faking it. So I was interested in this story on www.ethicalcorp.com, which identifies a dozen companies who are moving in the right direction, for reals. We were particularly happy to see that Mohawk Fine Papers, the company behind some of our favorite and most-often-used stocks (Strathmore, Mohawk SuperFine, and Via) was given the nod.

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!

Design + Print: new business = new cards

James came into Lunalux as he was preparing to leave a full-time job to launch his own public relations firm. He needed business cards to help establish his new brand. We bounced around a few logo ideas, settling on a superball. Toothy 100% cotton Lettra paper would be the base, with all information set in simple Times New Roman. After considerable debate over color trends, we chose a vibrant orange for the logo. And we were off to the presses.

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.

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