The Press of Tradition

Tradition is something that I have heard a lot about over the last year or so. When times are tough, families and individuals alike return to a “simpler time”; a refrain used over and over again on the news, in commercials, on talk-shows. Whether “simpler” means family game night or entertaining at home, people look to the past for both comfort and the reminder that we can and will get through these tough times.

There is no style of social stationery products that is more traditional than letterpress. With its crisp lines and beautiful antique styling pressed on rich, textured paper; letterpress conveys a look and feel that is comfortable, safe. Letterpress also has a unique elegance that lends itself to everything from birthday cards to wedding invitations, to coasters and gift wrap. And by its very tactile quality, something letterpressed adds an extra dimension, an extra sense, to the joy of receiving.

The letterpress contingent comes out in full glory at the National Stationery Show. From the bright, stylized nature motifs of Old School Stationers





to the simple,witty one-liners of Albertine Press,










to the elegant lace patters from Copper Willow Paper Studio,







to the luxurious invitation designs by Elum or Twig & Fig – to name but a few among the nearly 100 companies that feature letterpress in the Show - letterpress is as diverse and prolific as the industry itself.

We are seeing growth in the use of this very specialized printing process, and expect that the 2010 Show will delight buyers with new interpretations and uses of a process that has been around since the 1500’s. A process that, in my opinion, has aged quite gracefully.

- Aaron