Tell us about yourself and how you got into letterpress printing?

I’ve always loved design and print, and I’m a maker at heart, so I think I was always going to somehow end up doing what I’m doing. My love for letterpress really began in the print workshop at Edinburgh College of Art where I studied for my design degree. Walking into that space felt like stepping back in time, with antique print presses of all shapes and sizes, and cabinets full of old metal and wooden type. I absolutely loved spending time there. Almost a decade after graduating, while living in Canada and looking for a creative way to spend my free time, I decided to take a class in letterpress printing at the local art school, NSCAD. The classes were held at the Dawson Printshop, another beautiful space filled with print presses and type. As soon as I walked in I fell in love with letterpress all over again. Head over heels. I began printing greeting cards and stationery and didn’t want to stop. So, I started my own business and eight years later I’m still printing!

For anyone who is not familiar with letterpress, can you explain the process?

It’s so much easier to show how it works than to try to explain, but I’ll try my best! The basic process is centuries old and sees an inked, raised design pressed into paper with the help of a printing press, leaving a printed impression.

To print with traditional movable type, metal or wood type is set, letter by letter, to form paragraphs of text. A lot of printers still print this way, myself included, but technology has also made it possible to turn digital designs into printing plates that can be used on press. It’s a perfect way to combine modern design and traditional craft.

Letterpress printing was actually added to the Heritage Crafts Association’s list of endangered crafts in 2019, but there has been a bit of a revival happening in recent years, with lots of small print studios popping up – many run by women printers, which I think is amazing. There’s a supportive community of wonderful printers out there who really love their craft, and are determined to see it survive.

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

There isn’t really a typical day, but I generally have desk days or press days. Desk days are spent collaborating with clients on their wedding and business stationery projects, or catching up on the less glamorous admin side of things. Press days are my favourite days because I love working with my hands. I’ll grab a coffee, put on some music, and work with Maude to print some lovely stationery – usually while getting covered in ink. My whippet, Florence, will occasionally wander in to check what I’m doing, and remind me when it’s time to take a break.

How do you come up with new stationery ideas?

 I think the best ideas come when I don’t try to force the process, and see what comes naturally. What starts as the tiniest of ideas can evolve into a whole suite of wedding stationery or a collection of greeting cards really quickly. Although that definitely doesn’t happen every time!

Tell us about your 109-year-old antique letterpress, Maude. How did you come to acquire such a beautiful and old piece of machinery?

Maude is a Golding Pearl Improved #11 press, originally manufactured by Golding & Co., in Franklin, Massachusetts.

I waited until I relocated back to the UK from Canada with my partner before buying my own press and found Maude totally by chance on eBay. A couple of clicks later I owned a print press, and a few weeks later Maude arrived in my little home studio (along with Millie, a small tabletop Adana press). Shortly after she arrived in the studio I was able to find her serial number, hidden away under years of paint, and confirm that she was definitely built in 1912.

Maude is operated manually, powered by a treadle which, yes, is great exercise for the legs on a long printing job. The treadle powers a series of cogs that open and close the press, so I can feed paper in and out. It’s amazing to see this beautiful machine still going strong after all these years, and to hear the clanking sounds she makes as she runs. There’s something special about working with a treadle press. There’s a connection there that makes my work feel truly handmade.

Where do you turn to be inspired?

I’m a firm believer in less is always more and my personal style is modern, clean, and understated, so I tend to look towards the clean lines, simple shapes, and muted natural colours of Scandinavian architecture and design for my inspiration.

What papers work best for your letterpress?

Sustainability is a huge priority in my work and I know it’s really important to my stationery clients too, so all of the papers I use are carefully chosen for their quality and their sustainability. That’s why I come back to GF Smith time and time again!

Paper is a key part of the printing process because it has to hold up well on press, give beautiful results, and really show off the tactility that letterpress is known for. My own personal favourite paper for letterpress is Gmund Cotton (600gsm) because it gives such a beautiful pillowy soft impression when it’s printed, and it’s a tree-free paper.

I’ve also recently started printing with Gmund Heidi (100% reclaimed fibres) and I’ve seen lovely results. It’s absolutely possible to produce beautiful stationery and be mindful of the impact on our beautiful planet!