Pulp & Press

Alright folks…there is some exciting stuff going on at Tweedle. Kristi's photos of my letterpress print work came out amazingly and I used the same lighting scheme and backdrop of an old wooden letterpress type drawer to take more photos. I'm speaking on Sunday the 24th at the Green Wedding Alliance's first workshop for wedding planners, the Tweedle website is getting a major revamp, Spilled Ink Press and Tweedle are getting ready to launch our super awesome line of invitations, and I've been gearing up for a media assault. Seriously, it's all hitting at once!

But behind all the glitz and glam, the PR, the meetings and musings and meanderings, at the root of everything is the design and letterpress print work. That's what inspired me to start Tweedle Press in the first place, and that's what keeps me grounded during times of reinvention and head spinning. I'm still giddy when I pull off that first awesome looking print off the press, and I still continue to be inspired by the clients I work with. Remember a couple of weeks ago I posted a mysterious image of a perforator that I braved 20+ inches of snow to go find? Well, this is the job I needed it for:



But let me back up for a second and start from the beginning. When Monica approached me last fall about doing her Save The Dates and Wedding Invitations in a Hatch Show Print-esque "movie poster" style, I wanted to reach down to Nashville and kiss her! While I certainly enjoy doing more traditional styles, vintage letterpress inspired design is what I really live for. It takes a special sort of couple with a particular type of event to request such a thing, and I had been waiting 4 years (ever since I learned the art of letterpress printing) for someone to ask for it. The type styling of Hatch is immensely unique due to their vast collection of vintage wood and metal type:



I would love to have the space and budget to house drawers and drawers of type someday, but for now I'll just have to do with the modern equivalent of computer design and printing plates. The first part of the project was Save The Dates, and we decided on a bookmark shaped piece. Monica and Patrick's wedding colors are deep purple and silver, but since Tweedle doesn't print using metallic inks (both an environmental and health hazard), we opted to print purple and grey and use a silver shimmer envelope:



(above and below awesome photos by Light On Life Images)

When it came time to start thinking about the design for the actual invitations, I decided to just sit back and let my creativity flow. There were so many different parts to the invitation (ceremony/reception invite, brunch invite, welcome reception invite, RSVP, schedule of events, accommodations, transportation) that I started imagining what layout would be the most fun for me to create, and I came up with the idea for a 3 panel fold out with a perforated RSVP event "ticket". And you know what? They went for it. YES!



I printed using Tweedle's exclusive custom stock handmade paper which is 100% recycled, chlorine free, and has a delicious thick toothy texture. The deepest impression was reserved for the front 2 colors:





However, because of the paper heft I was able to achieve a nice impression on the back as well.



The print was trimmed, scored, folded, and the RSVP ticket was perforated. Paired with a silver shimmer RSVP envelope and outer envelope (which the couple had addressed with calligraphy), the invitation is simultaneously vintage, modern, relaxed, and distinctive. I couldn't have asked for more responsive and supportive clients for this invitation and I couldn't be happier with the result. I hope their event is every bit as joyous!

Pulp & Press Soundtrack: "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" by AC/DC.