{Congrats to Pistachio Press for winning Best New Product 1st prize at the stationery show this year!}A few weeks ago, I talked with Rachael & Jake at Pistachio Press. Love their work. There were a few questions I left out of the post, specifically as a tease to my next planned letterpress post - a barrage of amazing letterpress wedding invites.
Here's what I left out:
True or False: Letterpress printing is booming & clients are clamoring for it!
True! Super true! For the last 10 years or so, letterpress has been steadily growing. I don’t know if or when the market will top out, but there seems to be plenty of room left to expand as more and more people become aware of it. With the trend towards all things vintage, I think letterpress is uniquely suited to appeal to a broad range of people. Anyone who gets a little misty at an antique bicycle or the clack of a typewriter or someone who just appreciates fine craftsmanship can find something to love in letterpress. As people get sick of a mass-produced culture, they turn to craftsmen and small business people who can help them get exactly what they want. That’s us! We love our work and we love when other people do, too!
What trends have you seen through your work & sales in letterpress?
Like I mentioned before, people seem drawn to the vintage nature of letterpress. A lot of our design complements this trend and it fits our aesthetic perfectly.
I think people are starting to be aware of and understand letterpress more frequently, too. We find ourselves having to explain it less often these days as customers and clients become more knowledgeable.
Color trends are always interesting to watch. For example, gray and yellow are super hot this year. Rachael is really good at watching these patterns develop and being ahead of the curve on what’s popular year-to-year.
{Pistachio Press - Bloom invitation from their Signature Collection}
Speaking of patterns, Rachael has always worked with pattern both in her fine art and her commercial work. She’s always searching out interesting patterns whether we’re trolling an antiques barn or strolling through the mall. This is and always has been a big influence in her work. It’s not so much a new trend as a continuing trend, but she’s always updating and modifying to suit her latest curiosities and obsessions.
And finally, I covered this a bit in the previous question, but the biggest trend I have seen is growth. I’m sure some of it is our perception of growth as Pistachio Press has become more well-known, but there are always new letterpress artists emerging and the community keeps thriving. Ten years ago, there was no one but traditionalists who had been printing for sixty years and hobbyists in their basements. Now, with the flood of interest, old presses are being unearthed, young entrepreneurs are making a name for themselves, and the world of letterpress is being reborn! And if we have any say in it, it’s here to stay.
Agreed! Agreed!! The growth in the handmade market might say it all. Shoppers want to buy something from the person who made it & often someone who lives/works where they live & work. They love that personal connection they make when they shop hand made. And letterpress is a labor of handmade love, to be sure.
The product is well worth it, though. Don't you agree??
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