LETTERPRESS BUSINESS CARDS | NYC
Printing letterpress business cards at Publicide requires solid copper plates to stamp deep into the paper, some shops use polymer or magnesium plates, but we find that copper works the best. Publicide uses old and powerful Heidelberg presses at our New York City print shop to letterpress everything, including business cards, hangtags, and stationery. We recommend using letterpress to add a tactile, dimensional feel to your design. Stamping into paper creates raised and pressed areas, transforming a company logo or name into a show-stopping piece that your prospective clients will be unable to discard.
INK MIXES + CUSTOMIZATION
Since letterpress stamping uses ink instead of foil, there are a very large number of colors available. We can mix all standard Pantone colors, or get experimental with Opaque White Ink mixes, Metallic Inks, and even Fluorescent Neon prints. Brighter colors sometimes benefit from a double hit of ink, which works great for letterpress since the machines have perfect registration. Check in to see if a double (triple?) hit of ink would make your colors really POP! In addition to 1 color prints, you can combine a 2 or 3 ink colors for more elaborate logos and visual effects. For additional customization, get your cards with a gilded edge or round corner die cut. Letterpress cards work great combined with foil stamping or raised ink also. And the letterpress is perfect if you’re looking for an extra thick business card since the thickest paper stocks can’t go through an offset printing press or digital printer.
PAPER OPTIONS
Regarding paper choices; handmade, recycled and cotton papers have the perfect texture and tooth for letterpress business card printing but we also stock many other thick papers that work great to get the best impression. Sometimes, for very fine texture or type, we recommend smooth papers so that the artwork is not in competition with the paper texture. We keep a selection of luxury and European papers on the floor for rush work, and have a large vendor network to supply us with the latest and most exotic paper specifications. Mohawk and Monadnock Papers are local favorites, along with far-flung options from Colorplan, Gmund and Gruppo Cordenons. For paper thicknesses, we usually recommend at least 130# (18pt) for single-sided artworks, and at least 200# (24pt) for double sided. Some double sided cards should be glued to keep the impression showing from the other side. Depending on artwork, we will make various recommendations for the best outcome of your project so please send through your artwork when requesting a quote! Even a general idea, or working file will help us determine the best way forward.
PRICING + PRODUCTION NOTES
Pricing for our business cards is based on quantity, paper type and the number of processes and machines that will be used in creating your order. More elaborate print specs cost considerably more than standard orders, so it’s important to get your quote before proceeding. Production time varies with order complexity and our seasonal workload but our elastic schedule allows for very fast rush prints when required, though rush charges apply. Turnaround time is calculated from the date of PDF proof approval. If your project has a hard due-date please let us know when making your request. Email us with your design file or specs to receive a custom quote for your letterpress business card project. All projects must have a quote number to proceed. We offer scheduled meetings at our NYC Print Shop but prefer to send preliminary pricing before scheduling so that we can all start off on the same page.
RUSH PRINTING
Some specs are available for rush printing service. To inquire about a rush print job, please email artwork, print specifications and desired completion date ASAP to rush@publicide.com. If we’re able to accommodate your schedule we will reply with pricing and additional costs for the rush. Rush letterpress printing is one of our specialties but please be aware that every moment counts in a rush print schedule. Some jobs will require additional shifts and weekend work to finish on time so the price can be significantly higher than jobs on a regular schedule.