Letterpress fans, welcome to day 4 in our Letterpress Goodness series. Each day, we are spotlighting a letterpress studio that is creating amazing letterpress fabulousness.
Today's spotlight in on smock. Amy Stigler is the Creative Director @ smock and tells her story of life and letterpress. Here's her lovely interview and amazing pictures. Enjoy and you can contact Amy via the link above.
What is the name of your business? How long have you been in business?
Smock. Smock was launched in 2008. It is a sister company to Bella Figura which I have been designing for since its inception in 2003.
What is your name, title, and role in the business?
Amy Graham Stigler. Designer / Creative Director. I design & concept the Smock line of stationery, paper products and invitations.
What makes you do what you do?
I have always been a very visual person and fell in love with the beauty & texture of letterpress while in graduate school in the mid 90s. I have been designing letterpress stationery ever since (first with Snow & Graham, then with Bella Figura, now with Bella Figura & Smock).
What paper products do you offer? What is your price range?
Smock has both a stationery line and an invitation line. Our note cards, greeting cards & wrapping paper can be purchased in stores throughout the country or online (see smockpaper.com for list of retailers). Our wedding invitation line is semi-custom -- a client starts with one of our many designs and then customizes its with color, pattern, paper, to make it unique to the event. Our prices are competitive with other letterpress lines.
What is your typical work day like?
My ideal work day starts with running and yoga (after getting the kids fed, dressed and squared away). Then I hit the computer and really spend most of my day designing & concepting the Smock line. One thing I always do when I am concepting a design is to make a quick 'sketch' and sit with it for a day or so to see if it warrants further development. Many designs never make it past this stage. Other than that, I do the more banal business stuff -- pay bills, return emails, order supplies, tidy up my desk (endlessly!).
Do you do custom work? Tell me a little about your custom design process? How long do custom orders usually take to complete?
I don't do a lot of custom work at this point since designing for Smock really takes up so much of my time. One thing that I do offer to clients is the ability to work off of the Smock Wedding Book and customize from there. Because the book has so much depth the design possibilities are nearly limitless.
What advice would you give to brides who want letterpressed invitations?
Look, look, look. And touch. Start with the designer/designs you love and then educate yourself about the company -- quality of their printing, materials used, pricing, philosophy, customer service, and so on.
What makes products created by letterpress so special?
The texture and three dimensionality of letterpress is completely unique. And often letterpress companies are smaller and more conscientious -- environmentally and otherwise.
If you could design wedding invitations for anyone in the world, who would it be?
My daughter (when her time comes).
Where do you go for inspiration?
I glean inspiration from just about anything -- nature, art, antiques.
What trends do you see emerging in letterpress/invitation design in 2009?
Bold color combinations. I am also seeing an interest in more traditional understated designs.
What is your favorite typeface and pantone color?
My consistent favorite typeface is Bell MT. Favorite Pantone: 5523 (soft blue-green).
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