Recently, a client came in holding an invitation… it was chartreuse ink letterpressed onto cream stock. Only, it was supposed to be gold ink. And the impression was iffy at best—it wasn’t a clean, crisp impression by any means. On top of all that, the paper wasn’t very thick or luxurious. This client had found a ‘bargain’ letterpresser online and was tickled to save a good bit of money on her ‘letterpress’ wedding invitations…. until they arrived at her door and saw the off-ink and lack of excellence in printing. The whole scenario reminded me of a phrase Ty and I use around the studio: “Just ’cause it’s letterpress don’t make it good.” (Well, we actually use proper English, but it just sounds better like that.)

I’ve noticed more and more that people love to talk about the benefits of “the creative process” and its impact on products today. Recently, I read an article showing a social media employee who started her own letterpress stationery company because she “enjoys the creative process.” Hear me clearly: a hobby is a great thing. I just wish people would be more careful about selling a product to a consumer when they are still in the midst of a learning curve.

People often ask us where we print our products. I used to tell them about the letterpress we have in our garage. This is true, we do have a letterpress in our garage, but it’s never been used to print a single product for a paying client. Instead, we outsource all of our printing to various artists, craftspeople and printers all over the USA. Why? Because we are very, very good designers. My greatest joy (truly!) is to play with color, type, graphics, borders, papers, etc to custom create an outstanding wedding invitation for a client. But we are not amazing printers.We have spent over nine years working hard to find the best letterpressers, offsetters, engravers, screen printers and even digital printers. We know the best papers and print mediums for each and every job. And when we don’t, we rely on our excellent print partners to give their recommendations so that our client ends up with a beautifully designed and perfectly printed invitation.

As I step off my soapbox, here are a few concluding thoughts:

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” {Walt Disney}

“Best Efforts will not substitute for knowledge.” {W. Edwards Deming}

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional. Professionalism has nothing to do with getting paid for your services.” {Joe Paterno}

“Letting your customers set your standards is a dangerous game, because the race to the bottom is pretty easy to win. Setting your own standards–and living up to them–is a better way to profit. Not to mention a better way to make your day worth all the effort you put into it.” {Seth Godin}