OUR LETTERPRESS INVITATIONS

As seen in The Paper Bride!

When the Museum of the City of New York put on their exhibit, New York Gets Married, they featured a wedding on a balcony of Grand Central station. The invitation had large subway tokens printed on handmade paper with a token watermark and die-cut. There was a subway token coaster. Both were made by Purgatory Pie Press.

The press's cozy Tribeca studio is filled with a 1930's Vandercook printing press, an 1880's Peerless Gem paper chopper, and about 150 cases of wood and metal type. Years ago, our first letterpress collaboration was our own wedding invitation. If people don't find what they need in sample books, they come here. We made an invitation with vintage romance novels, another from pop-up sponges die cut in the shape of Cuba, and many many simple elegant pieces featuring a hand-set type and sometimes illustrations, or lace from the bride's dress or architectural details from the wedding site. Typographer Dikko Faust handsets the type. Letterpress printing is three-dimensional. Type pushes into paper, impressing a tactile texture. Designer Esther K Smith collaborates with you to design your invitation. In the initial consultation, we look at samples , examine typefaces, papers & illustration. If you decide to work with us, we begin brainstorming. We can write or edit the words. We choose the elements to make your invitation reflect your taste.

We use many papers: eastern and western handmades, art papers, recycled, commercial. When time and budget allow, we order handmade paper to our specification in any color or texture. We even make watermarks. Not limited to paper, Dikko prints leather, copper, aluminum, coaster board, chipboard,even pop up sponges. We often hand make envelopes to match or contrast with exotic papers. Some clients do their own. One couple spent a Sunday afternoon scoring, folding & gluing while they watched football.

Invitations can be ready within three weeks of proof approval. Initial meeting to proof takes five to ten days. RUSH is available. Custom papers, diecuts & illustrations add time. Prices range from $1200 for the simplest typographic invitation to $4500 or more for elaborate sets that can include illustrations, special papers, coasters, thank you notes, informal stationery, guest books, even photo albums. Most invitations average $1800.
The initial consultation fee of $50 to $100 is a deposit.

We recently expanded to include Acme Xcellent Letterpress for large jobs at rates competitive with offset. In addition to handset type, Acme XL offers computer typesetting, spaced by real typographers. Or we can work
from your disk or film neg (emulsion side UP).

As Purgatory Pie Press, we make limited editions & artist books. You can seethem in rare book collections at MOMA, NY Public Library & Metropolitan Museum of Art, and at rare book collections world-wide. We also design,
print & diecut logos and letterheads, coasters, posters, and calling cards. From the elegant to the wild.

Please email us for more information or to set up a consultation.

 

photo by Amy Kalyn Sims