Letterpress
Designers & Creatives
Designers & Creatives
Letterpress File Prep Guidelines
- Provide press-ready vector files in 100% Black in CMYK mode. Vector PDF / AI / EPS formats are acceptable with editing capabilities turned on.
- All fonts should be outlined.
- Lines should be at least be 0.25 points thick; Dots should be at least 1 point in size – If not, these may be dropped off from the plate and may not show on the print.
- If your design has multiple colours, each one should be onto its own layer. Rename artboards with each layer’s corresponding Pantone Solid Uncoated number.
- With letterpress, set-up time for one print is the same as for 100 prints, so we recommend a bare minimum of 25 pieces per card size/design. We don't offer printed proofs for letterpress, so please provide print-ready files.
- If you want to use coloured paper, please note that letterpress ink is not fully-opaque. This means the colour of the paper may show through the ink colour. For example you'd like an opaque white ink on navy paper, this may appear like a dull grey so I would suggest digital printing or white foil for this design.
- Each ink colour is mixed by hand using the Pantone Formula Guide Solid Uncoated book. Letterpress ink is not fully-opaque. This means the paper stock colour may show through the ink.
- If your design has a large solid area, please note that there might be a “salty” effect on your print which can be the aesthetic that you’re going for.
- Not all screens are calibrated equally, so comparing colours on-screen and on-hand is not recommended. If you need a close colour match, please mail us a swatch of the fabric, paper, material, etc. that you want matched.
- 220# Pearl White Lettra & 236# Natural White Reich Savoy are our favourite paper stocks for letterpress.
- We always try to accommodate paper requests depending on timeline and availability.
- If interested in handmade paper, please allow an additional 2-3 weeks for production.
- Flexibility with paper colours is key! Some photos of stationery suites you may have seen online may have been edited, so the colours may be different in person. For example, a sage green envelope is more of a warm grey in person, etc.
- We love the pillowy, bite-y look of letterpress! We try to go as deep as possible without cracking the paper nor showing the impression on the other side. Let us know your preferences and we’ll try to accommodate to best showcase your project.
- A number of factors – like paper stock, and size of inked area – can affect the impression.
- If you want to print on something else than paper (e.g. leather, fabric, ), please send us a swatch of the material you’re planning on using and we’ll let you know if it’s doable.
- The smallest stock we can print on is 2.5” x 2.5”. The maximum paper stock we can print on is 8.5” x 11”.
- Letterpress orders typically takes 10-15 business days from the receipt of the final press-ready designs.
- Courier shipping is about 1-2 business days within Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
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a short & sweet design checklist –
+ Set print-ready vector files to 100% Black in CMYK (i.e. PDF / AI / EPS formats are acceptable)
+ Make sure all type is outlined
+ Set each layer to corresponding Pantone Solid Uncoated number
+ Make sure line strokes are 0.25 points stroke minimum, 1 point for dots
+ Add 0.5 stroke crop marks if needed (i.e. multi-coloured prints)
Ready to book?
If you already have all the details for your next project, let's roll.
