I missed First Friday, but was saved from despair by the presence of a freezer almost full of snow pops (little sisters of snow cones) and the bestowal of my first Hammerpress swag, shown above. The little biz card (1-1/2 x 2-5/8 in.) is big-time cute and clever: That’s three letterpress passes — white, red and gray — on super-thick chipboard. See the snowflakes reversed out of the o’s, and the miniscule percent sign. The URL is letterpress printed on the back in tiny typewriter type: www.ftfsnowcones.com.
Brady Vest studied printmaking before founding Hammerpress in 1994. These days, running the business includes curating and managing the spectacularly eclectic mix of products in the store, plus figuring out all of the merchandising with the assistance of Britta Rice, “front-of-the-shop helper extraordinaire.” The vignettes are swell and sometimes funny.
No need to whine. Of course you can get your own “No Whining” postcard. Click here for that instant warm and fuzzy feeling. For hug, smiles and a warm fuzzy feeling, you can buy a small or large No Whining art print. Jenn Rogers (atop this article, with founder Brady Vest), who studied design and started at Hammerpress as an intern in 2008, wrote the text one morning to amuse herself. We say: Good humor is always in good taste. Rogers now designs full time at Hammerpress along with Matt McNary, who studied printmaking and design before joining the team. (Sorry, the nifty brown-krafty masking tape is not available on the site.)
I loved this thank-you card even before I realized that it matches the lining of my handbag. The closer you get, the greater the card looks, as the three colors overlap OP-ulently.
Hammerpress designed the identity for Genesee Royale Bistro, and I’d been looking forward to breakfasting there. Alas, we got lost in the drizzle en route … and by the time we arrived, breakfast was over. Happily, our lunch was delish and the décor a delight.
And when we went to wash our hands before heading over to Hammerpress for a tour of the printshop (and more card shopping), here’s what we saw!
Later this week, we will take you through the double doors at Hammerpress into the printshop, the domain of pressman Eric Lindquist.
Alyson, it was a delight to read your piece on Hammerpress. I’m continually amazed by the genius and complexity of their work. To see that their physical space has the same qualities is fascinating yet not a surprise. Everything they do is top-notch.
Hi, Chandra. Thanks for reading! Your assessment is perfect: fascinating yet not a surprise. I can barely wait to take you behind the scenes. The Hammerpress esthetic is ALL OVER the press room, as you shall see. Delight is in the details.