Letterpress to the rescue!

As a child I remember digging into my mother's dresser to find the box of birth announcements she kept there. Delicate little pieces of folded paper with deckle-edging. I remember asking about the announcements and hearing about "real" cards, "real" announcements, "real" invitations. "Real" printing meant letterpress.

Everything about letterpress is different from modern printing. The ink isn't merely applied to the surface, rather it is pressed into the paper, becoming part of it. The texture is different. You need special kinds of cardstock. Special ink. And above all else, you need the plate. 

You can imagine my glee, then, to find out about The Mandate Press. TMP is a "design driven," "modern letterpress operation based in Salt Lake City, Utah." For $95 you can use one of their swanky templates or even get a completely custom business card. I spoke with one of the women who works there and got feedback on my digital file before committing to my order. PLUS! They sent me a short stack of sample cards to let me know what the qualities are like and I'm psyched!

If you've seen "Despicable Me" you might remember the little girl with her fluffy white unicorn? **Warning, it's on loop and she is BOISTEROUS!** Why do I bring little Agnes into this? Cause that's how I feel about these cards. I'm that excited!!!