Letterpress is back in a big way, as designers and consumers rediscover the allure of hand-set type and the tactility of letter pressed into paper. Designers are exploring letterpress as a technique to set their print pieces apart.
Patrick Barrett is bringing the lost art back to Connecticut with his company, Lucky Duck Press.
Lucky Duck is a direct descendent of Sterling Press of Winsted, started by Patrick's great-grandfather Howard Deming. Started in 1901, Sterling first printed paper goods — announcements, business cards, invitations and business brochures — but then moved on to cloth tapes, renaming itself The Sterling Name Tape Company, and any printing equipment that became outdated was moved to the basement of the Sterling building.
Patrick brought some of the hand presses and lead type to Brooklyn, and Lucky Duck Press was born. Letterpress was always a creative side project, but then last winter, after losing his theater design job of ten years, Patrick decided to devote himself full time to printing. After six years as a Brooklyn-based company, Patrick moved Lucky Duck back to its ancestral home in Winsted, moving into the building in which the Sterling Name Tape Company still operates.
"During the last few years I have returned to the old Connecticut shop," says Patrick, "to ‘liberate’ [my great-grandfather] Howard’s foot-powered 1889 Golding Pearl Old Style No. 3, 1905 Golding Official No. 9 hand press, Challenge proof press and an automatic card press. Returning the equipment to its turn-of-the-century vocation of personal and business stationary, I work with Sterling’s original lead type and images, as well as photopolymer plates, to create note cards, wedding invitations, announcements, holiday cards, personal or business stationary, and other custom items."
Patrick’s workhorse press is still in great condition — cranking out excellent quality, if slightly imperfect, letterpress paper goods. Patrick loves the physicality of letterpress products — that the letters make contact with the paper and that each item is hand-fed through the press, one at a time. Working by hand allows Patrick to feel like he’s putting artistry back into paper goods, the way they used to back in his great-grandfather’s day.
Lucky Duck offers many items through its Etsy shop, including card sets and wedding stationery, but designers will probably be most interested in its Personalized Stationery offerings — very affordable short-run sets of business cards and personalized notecards.
Beyond that, Patrick can work with you on a variety of print jobs, whether using Sterling's original lead type and images, or whether using photopolymer plates generated from your computer files.
And if you're lucky, Patrick might even give you a tour of the company — the drawers of lead type, the smell of ink, the boxes of samples and the stacks of toothy uncoated paper are sure to get you hooked… and get Patrick a request for an estimate.
Gabardine is a creative marketing communications company that "helps brands tell their stories and then weaves those stories across a range of media, online and off, to help strengthen the brand fabric."
Principals Peter Leeds and Keith Hensel first met and worked together at the pioneering web agency Modem Media. Gabardine opened up shop in 2009, landing on the Post Road in Westport.
"Our suite is one of about 15 spread across two traditional-looking New England clapboard buildings. Each suite is unique—and comes with its own set of design challenges.
"In our case, the office hadn't been updated in over 15 years and was covered in commercial-grade mauve carpeting with lots of heavy, built-in furniture that made the space feel dark, confined and unwelcoming.
"We opened things up to take advantage of natural light and foster collaboration; added amenities and conveniences, such as a break bar; and updated the IT infrastructure to support our digital operations.
"Stylistically, we combined color and materials to create a space that reflected Gabardine's brand personality — open, inviting, calm and creative. We also introduced unexpected design touches, like wall art and cut-out letters under the conference table glass, that add a sense of whimsy to the space, keeping it light and fun.
"Perhaps most satisfying: virtually all the work was done by us, for around $7,500, using readily available materials and a bunch of yankee ingenuity."
The Bananaland, a Bridgeport-based boutique design agency headed by Marcella Kovac, took space at the Arcade in Bridgeport in November of 2010 — "Right around turkey time," says Kovac in typical fashion.
The Bananaland "World Headquarters" and its surrounding stores — a European-styled pharmacy, a Colombian bistro, the classical music-playing Toppings Cupcakes and the newly formed Bridgeport Arts Council — are a part of a revival of the Arcade Mall, which reopened last January a century after it first opened as an early prototype to the American shopping mall.
How important was it for Kovac to open up shop in Bridgeport?
"It was major for me," says Kovac. "I think it's a huge step professionally for any entrepreneur to take, in any place. Bridgeport was the right place for me because, like most here, I wanted to incite positive change. A renaissance is taking place because there is hidden beauty in the industrial 'ruins' of the city which is affordable and attractive to artists. Creatives inspire culture. Culture draws people and other business. It's a cool growth pattern. It sparks my creativity even more and I'm energized to be a part of the momentum!"
And why this office specifically?
"Occupying the right space is super important to me. It affects the way I think and feel, therefore, plays a principal role in my design. I was immediately drawn to the Arcade Mall because of the light-filled atrium, the historical rawness, and the elasticity."
What has Kovac done to the space to make it uniquely Bananaland?
"Lots of quirky things and still more in the works! To name a few: the bright yellow wall, the yellow shelves full of books / weird toys / props, yellow design-y chairs, vintage gym lockers for storage, stuffed bananas from a summer carnival, random important objects like helmets, and assorted artworks by my local favs including a cartoon mexican dude named José. We're slated to have a gumball machine, twister, bubble hockey, and whatever else floats our banana float!"
What is Kovac's favorite thing about the space?
"Tough one! Love the original brick / concrete exposed wall parts that I forbid to be covered up. They are gorgeous as they are — crumbled, spray-painted, and overlaid with measurements and mathematics. Can't pick just one — my 27" iMac is also my love, we spend hours designing together."
On August 1 of 2010, Elements moved from their studio on Grand Avenue in New Haven to their new Main Street location in Branford.
Instead of outgrowing the current space, president and creative director Amy Graver actually found their space too large for their work style. "At Elements, we work very collaboratively and we need a space that reflects our style. One morning, I looked through my wall of glass windows from my private office across the studio and noticed something interesting. Over time, my staff had moved their workspaces closer and closer to one another to the point that we were clustered in about one-third of the floor space. Our large conference room was so big that we had started holding staff meetings in my office where it was warmer and more intimate. I thought about how we all work so collaboratively and that this space really wasn’t fulfilling our desire to interact in a way that felt like we were a team. We were too spread out — and I began questioning why I was paying for so much space that wasn’t being utilized."
Elements tried to stay loyal to their beloved New Haven, but finding the perfect studio space in the city to match their long list of requirements proved to be a challenge (read: parking, among other things). They found themselves landing in Branford. "I must give credit to my husband, because he really found our new space. The builder was a friend from high school and when I first peeked in the windows, the historic house was completely gutted. However, ever the designer, I could see lots of creative potential. I was able to work with the builder to build out our studio exactly how I imagined it — but it took a lot of vision from where we started!"
So what makes the new studio a perfect representation of the Elements brand?
"First, I love that we’re in a historic home. It was built in 1820 for Willis Russell, son of Reverend Russell, one of the founders of Yale. The building has character and history, as well as lots of little details which we love — like a four-sided central fireplace (complete with beehive oven).
We couldn’t save all the fireplaces, but the mantels have been lovingly restored and placed back in their original spots. I love that when you walk into our space, you are standing where the original kitchen once was. Equally as charming are the beautiful wide-planked farm board floors which I requested be restored to their original splendor.
Our builder also added some beautiful touches for us per my request. Salvaged wood was repurposed to build a bookcase in our library and a custom desk made in a space where the staircase original stood, for example.
Our signature blue paint highlights accent walls and luckily, we had a extra roll of our famous water closet wallpaper for an added surprise.
I also worked with Ed Bottomly — a friend and wonderfully talented designer — and his team at CAMA in New Haven, to develop a working floor plan. This early step proved to be critical in determining if we could fit our existing furniture and equipment into the new space, saving lots of time and energy.
We also had a workroom built downstairs for silk-screening, comping, storage for thirteen years of samples and overall 'play' area.
Our studio perfectly represents our design sensibility; it has an appreciation for the historic — such as our original eagle doorknocker and bell – while incorporating the new and emerging — such as our sleek new kitchen and modern office amenities. Our custom space is functional, warm and inviting with surprising details — and yes, very collaborative. It fits who we are and how we work together perfectly."
Taylor Design has been in Stamford since its founding in 1992 by Dan Taylor, president and creative director.
They moved into their newest space — 247 Main Street — in February of 2010. "Our lease was up in our old space and we felt like it was time for something new. Plus, the real estate market was so weak in 2009, we were able to negotiate a cost-effective long-term lease," says Dan.
A 12-person team, their agency culture breeds ideas, creativity and innovation. All players move easily within the flow of each job — bouncing off each other, welcoming great ideas and seeking opinions.
And this culture is all the more reinforced by their new digs.
"As a team, and along with our architectural consultants Culpen & Woods, we designed the studio to provide an open, collaborative space. Large tables allow for prototypes to be laid out and critiqued. The absence of walls allows for quick feedback from colleagues. We have a private office for those times when someone needs quiet design time, as well as a big conference room for meetings."
The new space is a renovated 1920s loft. Dan explains why they chose the new location: "We liked the location. We’re across the street from Columbus Park and within walking distance to Stamford Town Center, the Metro North train station, theaters, shops, lots of good restaurants, and many of our clients. New York City is 45 minutes southwest by train. And we liked the space, which is open with brick walls, iron beams, high ceilings, and large windows."
