Learn Letterpress is an online course taught by Britt Rohr of Swell Press. Britt covers everything from how to design for letterpress, to how to mix inks, and of course... printing! She does an in-depth demonstration on 3 different types of presses (a platen, flatbed and a windmill!) and even covers smart business practices like how to get the most cuts from your parent sheets! This program is truly an all-in-one crash course in letterpress printing, so if you've been wanted to dip your...

Nothing's more frustrating than feeling the minutes of an hour tick by while you stare at a blank art board begging for inspiration to hit. Creative ruts are no joke, no fun and can cost us a lot of time (which means they're costing us money!!). We've identified our #1 culprit for these creative ruts, and mapped some ways to get out of them! Tune in to hear some tips you can implement either today, this weekend, or in the near future to help refill your creative cup!! Come on over to...

If you're selling a product, you've probably given a lot of thought about how to package it. From it's pretty retail packaging, to the box it ships in... it all serves a bigger purpose! Finding our *flow* with packing up the various types of orders we ship out took some time, and a lot of experimenting, so this episode was made specifically because we know our past selves would have died for it! Have a favorite packaging supply or style you want to share?? Send it in to...

In this episode, we chat with James Tucker who, in 2013, founded the Aesthetic Union. James has an amazing background (including time spent on the presses at the infamous Hatch Printing!), and a love for exploring the art of printmaking beyond the surface of traditional techniques. He's also heavily inspired by the beauty in nature and landscapes. To hear more about mixing ink from soils, combining watercolor and letterpress, and a really exciting announcement for the Aesthetic Union, give...

Sometimes being a one-woman shop feels really limiting when it comes to how much you can "earn." However, more often than not, there's a way to expand your earnings with assets you have already worked on, acquired or built.  While together in Minnesota, Jillian and Moriah sit down to brainstorm ways they can each leverage their own assets to create either passive income or additional offerings.  The goal was to not reinvent the wheel, but take a look around at the things we've done and ask...

While on a field trip in Minnesota, we had the absolute pleasure of visiting Bruno Press and interviewing the kickass woman behind it, Mary Bruno. Mary came into letterpress thanks to her late father, Don, who was a college professor and printing enthusiast. He turned their modest-sized home garage into a printer's dreamland, and it's the same space Mary occupies today. Covered from top to bottom in posters, prints and photographs, the Bruno Press studio screams personality. We're stoked to...

Listen... we all need a little getaway sometimes, but that can feel really hard, or even scary, when the only person keeping your business going is you. As two fully solo entrepreneurs, we walk you through the steps we've learned to take to prepare our studios for planned (and unplanned) getaways.  This episode was inspired by a question from one of our listeners. Do you have a question about letterpress or running a studio? Feel free to email it to [email protected] and we'll...

If you operate a platen press, knowing how to properly test and level your platen is a really handy skill to have! We're here to share the advice passed on to us from some of the kind souls we met at the LA Printers Fair, and walk you through the process of leveling that platen.  Trust us... you can do it! Just be careful, and take your time!  Resources: Leveling the Platen by Fred Williams A huge thank you to THANK YOU to Troy from Type High Groves (AMA #911) 

We firmly believe that if you're not on Etsy, you're leaving money on the table. However, if you're not paying attention to your real costs and the fees.. things can go wrong quickly! In this episode we cover the basics of setting up an Etsy shop, and how to make sure you don't fall victim to undercharging (Hint: Don't be looking at other shops!!).  We mention it at the top of the episode, but we're not Etsy experts; just two gals who learned some things the hard way! If you're interested in...

This is a conversation that we see, hear, and take part in A LOT: What kind of impression do you get on non-cotton cardstocks? Let's face it... in the world of cotton papers, the color selections are SLIM, and bright pops of pink or soothing shades of sage are an ever growing trend. So what options do we have? In this episode, we discuss our own experiments with colored cardstock and report back on what tips helped us the most to achieve the best impressions we could get.  Do you have a...

It's easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of your business, and put boring, routine maintenance items to the back-burner. Scheduling some time to take care of your studio, machines, and electronic files will go a long way in supporting your success throughout the new year. In this episode we take 3 main areas of your paper business and discuss 3 things you can do to freshen them up for 2023!  Tune in and let us know what you're doing to start the new year off on the right foot. We'll be...

We'd like to end this season with a little reflection back on our first full year as a podcast, as well as sharing our plans and process for preparing for the year that lies ahead. We're determined to make the most out of 2023, so if you need some inspiration for getting into the goal setting mood... look no further.  Want to close out your year with some Hot Off the Press swag? Comment, DM or email us your big 2023 goals and we'll enter you into the last Printmas drawing!  To all of our...

We've talked about printing ... we've talked about die cutting ... it's time to add another tool to your letterpress belt: Embossing!!  Embossing might seem simple on the surface, until you get to the first step of making the artwork for your plates. Sure, some manufactures will take care of all the work for you, but it's always great to have an understanding of how to make something yourself! In this episode, Jillian walks us through the process from beginning to end, making sure to note...

Once upon a time, chaos ruled the world, and "color matching" was based solely on the discretion of whoever was creating the ink or dye for that product. Can you even imagine?! In this episode we give credit where credit is due: Pantone wins the award for being the most useful (though sometimes annoying) tool for those of us working in the visual arts. We talk about the creation of the Pantone Matching System (our preferred PMS), the various guides they have and what they're used for, how we...

"Having a card on hand when you suddenly need one... it makes you feel like you have your sh*t together"   While the tragedy of a global pandemic stopped most things in their tracks, the long days of being stuck at home opened the doors for unexpected opportunity. Today we take a look back at the creation of the signature greeting card subscription: The Better Mail Club. Jillian of Studio Soprano walks us through the ideas that had been swirling through her head, how the right time finally...

In this episode, Moriah walks you through the process of composing and setting type! Things to remember when composing, tips & tricks on locking up your form and handling wood type… It’s all here in one package, just for you. If you’ve ever wanted to get started printing with wood or metal type, consider this a guide to help you learn on your own, and know that you’re not alone! ;) Links: Easy Guide to Setting Type By Hand, courtesy of Letterpress...

Every now and then you see a product launch that just blows your mind. The cleverness and level of detail leave you absolutely swooning. That's how we felt after seeing the 2022 Letters from Santa offered by Knapp Design Co. You might remember our friend Cara Jo from Season 2, and we are so excited to have her back to walk us through this brilliantly detailed suite of products, and how her press, Dorothy, really leveled up the quality from Santa's workshop this year!  We'd like to give a...

Doing work for other stationers has played a pretty big role in getting our businesses off the ground, whether we planned on doing that from the beginning or not. While our social media algorithms may make it seem like everyone has access to a letterpress, it's actually very rare to have one sitting in your studio or your garage. So you might be thinking "can I offer printing to other people" ... and the answer is ... "abso-freaking-lutely"  This episode covers some of the basics that we...

Not to be typecast as a Halloween bore, we're locking up an hour of your time with a little haunting of ghosts of printing past. o0o0oo0oOo0oh ....  In this episode we dive a little deeper into the lives of three printers who helped set printing history in motion. There's tales of being abandoned abroad, a few scandalous marriages, and of course, some really incredible inventions. Please enjoy this little slice of history, and if any past printers come visiting you in your dreams tonight.......

Over the weekend of October 22-23, we had the absolute pleasure of being one of the many talented vendors at the 14th Annual Los Angeles Printers Fair hosted by (and at!!) the International Printing Museum in Carson, CA. This episode recaps some of our favorite highlights of the fair, and we hope hearing these stories inspires you, not only to stretch your creativity and the bounds of what you can make on your press, but also to look into your local print community or even neighboring...

We all love custom shapes & custom envelopes… And we’ve watched them become massively popular in stationery design. Well, in this episode covers all the common questions about die cutting, and what you’ll need to get going! Tune in to learn about the differences between steel rule dies, rotating drag knife & lasers, their pros & cons, as well as which type of die cutting you should use for your project. Links: Enter the Printmas Week 3 giveaway by submitting your recommendation...

If you’re a printer or stationery designer, like us, you’ve probably encountered similar scenarios: a client wants you to replicate another designer’s work, a customer wants you to print something with a well-known brand on it, or you’ve found this amazing font you want to use for a brand design. Well, in this episode we’re talking about copyright, copyING and what’s fair use and what’s definitely not okay. Tune in to hear our take, but remember to consult an actual attorney if you have...

October is here, which in the small business world means it’s time to get ready for the inevitable craziness of the Holiday season! Whether you’re ahead of the game or still deciding what you want to offer this year, Jillian has a 6-step plan to make sure you’re ready for your launch day. As this is the first week of PRINTMAS, we are doing a giveaway of a Hot Off The Press t-shirt design… Be sure to tune in or join us over on social media to find out how to enter to win. Links: Tag us or DM...

Thanks to the wonderful world of social media, we’ve had the opportunity to meet so many other amazing printers, and on this episode we are thrilled to share the story of one of our faves: Cara Jo Knapp from Knapp Design Co. Cara Jo has long been interested in the world of print making, and patiently waited until the time was right for her to take the leap and buy a press of her own. We got to witness, first hand, how swiftly Cara Jo moved from looking for a press, to buying it, to printing...

We’ve had some of these questions come up several times, so we KNOW you’re going to want to hear what we have to say during this Q & A episode! We’re covering:  press recommendations for someone wanting to print greetings whether or not to remix an ink that’s separated why Illustrator is SO hard when to oil your press and more! Links: We mention die cutting/die jackets, but all of our favorite vendors + supplies are included in the Letterpress Supply Guide