Blog - Cotton & Flax

letterpress

Cotton & Flax business cards

Cotton & Flax business cards

I’ve gotten a few emails about my business cards this month, so I thought I would feature them again. I wrote about the process behind them back in September when I first watched them being made, but for those who missed that post, here are the basics.

  • My cards were letterpress printed here in L.A. by LuluDee Design at Dee & Lala Press.
  • My logo was also designed by LuluDee Design.
  • The patterns you see in the background were printed using a process called blind emboss, where the plate is pressed into the paper without ink.

These are hands down the nicest business cards I’ve ever had, thanks to Laura Carignan from Lulu Dee for creating them for me!

Print of the Week – Linotype: The Film

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/15032988 w=500&h=281]

For fans of printmaking, this may be old news (like, a year after it’s initial release old news…) but I thought it would still be fun to feature here. Linotype: The Film is a feature-length documentary about one of the coolest printing machines ever invented, and it’s about to be released to DVD and digital download (on October 16th!). The Linotype type casting machine was called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by Thomas Edison, and it revolutionized printing and society. Watch the trailer above to see how this cool, old machine works!

New Business Cards and Hangtags

Cotton & Flax business cardsThere’s nothing like a new stack of business cards! I was lucky enough to work with Laura Carignan (of Lulu Dee), a graphic designer here in Los Angeles, who helped me create my new logo and branded materials for Cotton & Flax. Last week, Laura letterpress printed the designs on some business cards and hang tags for Cotton & Flax, along with help from Mable of Dee and Lala stationery.

Cotton & Flax - printing business cards

Cotton & Flax - Laura printing on the Vandercook

In the end, we created a few different pieces, which were letterpress printed on luxuriously thick, tree-free paper, which is made from 100% recovered cotton from the textile industry. Could you think of a better fit for a company that revolves around fabrics?

Cotton & Flax - Laura printing

Cotton and Flax - press check

We printed the cards using a Vandercook letterpress, which belongs to Mable of Dee and Lala. I’ll be doing a full post about her amazing studio sometime soon, but I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the behind the scenes shots.

Cotton & Flax business cards

The business cards are my favorite part of the whole project. Laura created a design that could feature four of my hand drawn patterns (some of my favorites from the Cotton & Flax 2012 line!), and I think they turned out beautifully. Her bold logo is the obvious standout on the front of the card, printed in a rich black ink. The variety of different patterns, all embossed without ink, make the cards feel extra special, almost collectable.

Cotton & Flax business cardsCotton & Flax tagsCotton & Flax letterpressed product hang tags

She also created hang tags, which will accompany all Cotton & Flax items in retail shops and when I sell my wares at craft fairs and artist showcases.

Laura really has a knack for getting to know the ins and outs of your business, to better understand what the brand is all about. She paid close attention to what makes Cotton & Flax unique, and what types of branded materials were the best fit for my business. Looking for a great graphic designer? Get in touch with Laura here.