The Arts Council wanted this campaign to be more interactive for the community.  They suggested we come up with three different designs for the print and allow visitors to their website to vote on their favorite.

We thought this was a great idea and I immediately got to work.  I decided to focus on public art that can be found in our lovely city:

Proposal # 1: Stegosaurus by Alexander Calder on Burr Mall

Proposal #2: Mark Twain in front of the Hartford Public Library

Proposal #3: Map of Hartford with various public sculptures

Voting went incredibly well… there was quite the battle between Stegosaurus and Mark Twain and on January 24th the Arts Council announced on its Facebook page that the Stegosaurus won by a mere 8 votes.  I was thrilled because this was the design I was most attached to and the one I most wanted to draw/carve/print.

The first order of business was to sketch out the final drawing which I did by working from photographs I had taken of the sculpture:

Stegosaurus by Alexander Calder on Burr Mall, between the Wadsworth Atheneum and City Hall.

The final drawing in progress

One part of the final design had been kept a secret… I planned to include the Colt Building, another Hartford landmark, in the background.  The iconic blue onion dome can actually be seen behind the Stegosaurus by standing at just the right angle.  Check it out in this photograph from my wedding taken by the fabulous Carla Ten Eyck:

Stegosaurus and the Colt Building

I decided I wanted to carve the blocks for this print in wood.  Usually when we do any carving in the studio for a card or print, we use linoleum.  However, I wanted this print to have a bit more ooomph to it.  Wood blocks are a more traditional medium and the grain of the wood shows really nicely in the printing.

Carving begins

Wood shavings!

The first block is ready for printing

Blue!  The first color is printed

In woodcut prints, as in all printing we do at Hartford Prints!, for every color desired in the final print, there needs to be a separate block.  This first block was being printed in blue.  The dome of the Colt Building in the background would remain blue; however, the lines in the Stegosaurus would have orange printed over them, dulling the blue down.

The second block on the press and ready for printing

Orange!  The second color is printed

The third block on the press for printing

Dark Orange!  The third color is printed

After a nine-hour day of carving (made easier by a marathon of Downton Abbey!) the fourth and final block, to be printed in black, was ready.  Then… tragedy!!

Oh the horror!

The block began to split!  First a crack appeared the morning after I had finished carving.  I attempted to fix it with wood filler, but alas, the pressure of the press proved to be too much for the block and it cracked in half completely after only five test prints.  There was no help for it, I was going to have to carve a whole new block…

Carving the new block and testing registration

Another marathon of carving (and more Downton Abbey – I am now completely caught up on the series!) and we were ready to go!  I had planned my drawings and carvings well, so registration, or aligning the images, was a breeze.

350 finished prints!

A close-up of the final product

The final step in the process was to number, title, sign and date all 350 prints (a job which took longer than one might think!) and package the prints in a plastic sleeve for delivery to the Arts Council.  Our intern Kaitlin and I set up an assembly line and we knocked those babies out!

Assembly!

And we were done!  After all that work, weeks of drawing, carving and printed, 350 prints were ready to go to the Arts Council.  I must say, I am incredibly proud of this print.  It turned out better than I had hoped and hopefully everyone who receives a copy will love it too.  To learn more about giving to the Greater Hartford Arts Council and receiving a print of your own, please click here.

Maps have been used for thousands of years to communicate, orient, teach, and to illuminate. In letterpress and design, maps offer a fabulous blend of lines, shapes, symbols, density, and negative space to play around with. We love looking at the old and the vintage to create something totally new.

Below is a sampling of how mapping can be incorporated into everything from stationery to wedding invitations. Because sometimes life is a journey, not a destination, and you’ll need an awesome map to take you there!

New York City map custom stationery. One-color letterpress, printed in periwinkle, on our stock white paper.

We made this stationery for a good friend who is a real estate broker in New York. Since she lives and works downtown, we knew we wanted the design to be a beautiful, yet simplified map of lower Manhattan. Inspired by vintage property maps, Addy added a modern twist by abstracting the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges into intersecting lines. The result is both elegant and graphic.

“Mai & Ek’s” custom letterpress map of Bangkok.

Printed in soft peach ink on natural white paper, this map was part of Mai and Ek’s wedding invitation suite. They wanted to include a map that would help orient their guests, as well as offer suggestions for sights and attractions.

Mai & Ek’s custom letterpress map

We hand drew the streets and area near their wedding with the help of Google maps, of course! Rory then abstracted the drawing, using arrows, lovely fonts, and graphic icons to create a sophisticated and whimsical design.

Mai & Ek’s custom letterpress map

As part of their wedding suite, we also created a custom logo for Mai & Ek, which they used as a return address stamp. Since the logo was circular, how could we not turn it into a compass? It added such a charming, surprising detail to this lovely piece!

“West End” letterpress map card

Another mapping venture we tackled recently was creating a card of the West End of Hartford, where we grew up (and where some of us still live!). Inspired by the typographical maps of cities like Portland and Boston, we wanted to create a visual representation of the area by using street names. Rory painstakingly rendered each street in the neighborhood, which is bordered by the Park River, adding in points of interest. This three-color card, printed in black, blue, and green ink, is the perfect blend of text and imagery and one of personal favorites.

“West End” letterpress map card

Below is a sneak peek at our most recent wedding invitation design, featuring a custom topographical map that also folds into a book! We love the look of vintage maps from the national parks and wanted to create an invitation suite that used various “logos” to share the details of the wedding weekend with guests. This suite is perfect for a couple planning a rustic, laid-back wedding weekend in the woods. More images of the entire, awesome suite coming soon!

“Cabin Fever” Invitation map. Photo courtesy of Carla Ten Eyck.

“Cabin Fever” Invitation map, folded into a book. Photo courtesy of Carla Ten Eyck.

Finally, when the mood stikes us, we’ve been known to create some pretty gnarly art prints. Rory designed and printed this map of Downtown L.A., lifting the city’s initials directly out of the shape of the streets. The streets and highways begin to take on organic twists and turns, illuminating the untold beauty of urban life.

“Downtown L.A., streetwise” by Hartford Prints!, 2012

8 x 10″ pen & ink drawing

Drawings are available double matted and framed

These drawings make a wonderful and very thoughtful gift for anyone who loves the unique, architectural details of his or her home. Or you can buy one for yourself and display it with love and pride!

SPECIAL OCCASION

Similarly, we also offer matted pen & ink drawings as fun and artistic guest books for weddings, anniversaries, vow renewals, you name it! This drawing below was done for a couple who were married at this incredible old barn in Vermont. Addy drew every detail perfectly and guests at the wedding signed their names and left “leaf” thumbprints on the trees! You can check out more gorgeous images from this wedding here (planned by our awesome friends at Whim Events). 

Photography by Hannah Persson Photo

Setting, inspiration, drawing. Photo by Hannah Persson Photo

STATIONERY

There are so many wonderful things about being a letterpress AND design studio, one of which is that anything Addy draws or Rory designs can be turned into a plate! Once we have a house drawing completed, we can order a plate of the image and make custom personalized stationery. We can’t think of anything lovelier (in this digital age) than sending a hand-written, thoughtful note on your own “home” letterpress stationery. Addy did this with her own wedding invitations, so we know first hand how beautiful the result can be!

If you are interested in ordering a custom house drawing or a pen & ink guest book from us, please email contact@hartfordprints.com. We would love for your house to find a home with Hartford Prints!

The art of good typography is at the core of our design process. Often, we have clients who express strong feelings about certain fonts, but cannot verbalize what it is about the lettering they love or hate. Today’s blog post is a basic education in the language of typography. So the next time you see some lovely letters somewhere, you’ll be able to express why you love it and impress all of your nerdy design friends! We thank Red Labor for their wisdom on words.

SERIF & SANS SERIF

Image via Inspiredology

Serif font on wedding program by Hartford Prints!

Serifs are the “little wings” on the edges of type. There are two different kinds – bracketed serifs have gentle curves that lead into the character, whereas unbracketed serifs meet the character at 90-degree angles. Historically, serifs have been preferred for their elegance, as many believe they increase the readability of text by helping to move the eye across the letters.

Of course, others prefer fonts that have modern, clean lines without (sans) serifs, as they find serifs too distracting and old-fashioned.

Image via OK200

Sans serif business cards by Hartford Prints!

 X HEIGHT

Literally, the height of the lowercase letter x. The character of x is what determines the height of all other lowercase letters, not including the ascenders (l, f, k) and descenders (j, y, g). 

Image via Web Designer Depot

Example of x height, calling cards by Hartford Prints!

SWASH CHARACTERS & THEIR FANCY PANTS

These are characters that like getting fancy! They have flourishes at the beginning and end of the character to add elegance and whimsy to the letters. They are not meant to be used all in one sentence, but rather to add a decorative element.

Image via Kate Spade

Swash characters and their fancy pants by Hartford Prints!

 
LIGATURES 

These are specially crafted characters that combine certain letter pairs, as you can see in the “f/i” and “c/t” pairs in the example below, from I Love Typography

 

“E/S” ligature on a Hartford Prints! custom shower invitations

  
LEADING, TRACKING, & KERNING

Pronounced like sledding, leading refers to the actual pieces of lead that used to be inserted (and in the case of letterpress, still are!) to keep lines between text in place. Too much or too little leading between lines in a body of text can have a great impact on readability.

Tracking refers to amount of space between all characters, while kerning refers to the actual spaces between letter pairs. The point of kerning is to create even spaces between all characters, so an uppercase G, for example, might need to be “kerned” closer to it’s letter pair to make up for the large space at the right of the letter. 

Image via Outsmart 360

Leading and kerning, with thanks from Hartford Prints!

 
We hope you’ve learned a THING or TWO about the text you read every day. Now go forth and spread the typographical love! 

We took a lot of inspiration from Kinfolk, a magazine created and curated by photographers, artists, and foodies from around the world. The magazine promotes “a shared interest in small gatherings” and seeks a “natural approach to entertaining.” Volume Five includes practical ideas and recipes for herbs to dry at home, fall camping, meals to take surfing, and new seasonal traditions.

“LIFE”S A PICNIC” SHOOT

Main invitation on kraft and cream paper, with gold stamping and hand-made envelopes, by Hartford Prints!

Signs, featuring polaroids of the couple, leading guests to picnic spot

Fall spread of cheese, rustic bread, figs, prosciutto, and arugula salad

Vintage boardgames for guests to enjoy

“Dark and Spicy” cocktails, made with balsamic blackberry shrub, black pepper, apple cider, and spiced rum

Vivid wild flowers

Polaroids for guests to take a picture and make a name tag!

Middle sister, as a guest!

Guest mingling, drinking, enjoying

Cocktail & ring

The happy couple!

Gorgeous, gold monogram pendant by K Kane. A lovely, one-of-a-kind gift for a bride to be!

Lovely paper, beautiful friends, and a gorgeous day.

A recent, and we must say lovely, trend in invitation design is the use of vintage stamps to create a colorful and graphic statement. The right combination of colors, shapes, and sizes of vintage stamps creates a gorgeous and unique aesthetic that, combined with elegant calligraphy, turns your envelopes into art pieces of their own! 

Allie Ruth Design

Arboreal

Atheneum CreatiSadly, our hearts sink every time we visit the USPS site hoping to discover some gorgeous re-releases of classic postage, only to find more “Flags of our Nation” stamps. Not that we don’t love the flags of our nation, but the designers in us crave something more, well…designed!So here’s a collection of helpful websites we’ve come across on our hunt for those glorious and elusive creatures.

Verde Studio: Through Etsy, this studio based in York, PA will style and collect the vintage stamps for your envelopes! Owner Virginia Sauder will look at your color palette and hand-select stamps to create a truly custom design.

Champion Stamp: Stamp collectors located in New York. They sell out of their store, located in midtown, or from their website. A good resource if you know what you’re looking
for!

Ebay: There are a TON of stamp collectors selling vintage stamps on Ebay. Just make sure to shop smart, some sellers only have portions of their collections that are unused. You don’t want to end up with stamps that can only be used for decor!

Keep in mind that wedding postage, depending on the weight of your invitations, can run upwards of $165.00 for 150 invitations + RSVP cards. Most vintage stamps are marked up 75%, which makes using vintage stamps a more costly (and time consuming) project. 

But if it’s in your budget and on your radar, the end result is a beautiful thing to behold!

  

From Em-Press Design, we see how a fabulous design can be lifted off the page and onto a stamp, to create lovely, one-of-a-kind thank you notes and envelopes. Having your stationer (or graphic design friend!) order a rubber stamp becomes a cost-effective way to create a beautiful and complimentary look. 

via oh so beautiful paper

Another intriguing and crafty way to use rubber stamps is to create a repeating pattern, turning plain paper into unique decorative paper for envelope liners! Here is a little DIY tutorial from the ladies at Antiquaria, featured on oh so beautiful paper.

Start on a flat surface. You’ll want to ink your stamp well each time, but not too much that the ink bleeds or smudges. Make sure to have a piece of test paper handy so you can practice until you get the right touch.

Ideally, once the pattern is created and dry, you’ll want an art board, an Xacto knife, and a ruler. You can buy an envelope liner kit from Paper Source, but if you are creating the liner on your own, the best idea is to take apart one envelope to get the exact measurements you’ll need. Make sure to leave enough room for the flap’s edge, so you can still lick and close the envelope!

Once your liners are cut, insert them carefully into the envelope and make sure they lay flat. Fold back the top half and place double-sided tape along the top edge of the envelope liner. Then, carefully smooth it down. You can use a bone folder or a blunt object (like the end of a paintbrush) to run along the crease of the envelope and liner to create an even fold. 

Finally, rubber stamps can be used to add colorful decorative elements to your invitation suite or baby announcement, that you might then repeat on other paper elements, like envelopes or place cards. Here’s a visual gallery for those looking for a little design inspiration and stamp of approval!

Modern Chevron baby announcements, by Misty Manley. Rubber stamp from Simon’s Stamps.

Letterpress save the date by Hartford Prints! with a gold inked, custom return address stamp from Rubberstamps.net.

Botanical rubber stamps add color and rustic charm to hand-written place cards. By Hartford Prints!, photograph by Carla Ten Eyck.

Turquoise ink makes this Art Deco return address stamp pop against black envelopes. From Antiquaria via oh so beautiful paper.

Happy stamping!

via fox on the run, bride

via beatonelle

via A Peace Treaty

via Brumley & Wells

via Snippet & Ink

via Vogue, October 2012

via A Cup Of Jo

via The Glamourai

The sisters of Hartford Prints! have been busy adding new trades to our toolboxes. We are so excited however, after a brief hiatus, to get back into the blogosphere! Our daily postings will follow an editorial calendar, bringing together all the things we love, like, pin, tweet, and post. We hope that our musings on life, love, and paper will inspire our readers and add a fresh perspective to our inundated world.

Here’s the layout of our daily calendar:


Mondays | lovers: engagements, parties, cocktails, and style

Tuesdays | apprentice: letterpress, DIY, and “behind the scene” tutorials 

Wednesdays | inspiration: visions of wedding themes and style

Thursdays | everyday: cards, invitations, and real life paper 

Fridays | brew: favorites of the week


We know life gets hectic but don’t hesitate to leave us a note whenever you stop by! Now, off to the press…