the cosgroves

We recently printed this stationery set for the Cosgroves, a young family in Baltimore. The design reflected both their interest in minimal compositions—with bright colors and strong contrast—as well as the warmth and importance of home. The half-tone is an image of their row house in Charles Village.



These were printed on 110lb Crane's Lettra Fluorescent White with a little neon ink to boost the 'pop' of the red. The large solid areas took a lot of ink and impression so a slower run was necessary for the paper to really take in the color and impact.



The amount of time the inked form is in contact with the paper (also known as the dwell) can change the look of the final print. A faster run will apply less ink to the form, and a lighter hit to the paper will result in a saltier look of large areas. And while saltiness is something we love about letterpress, some designs might require a little more coverage and time.

viva las vegas

Last week we printed wedding invitations for our friends Karie and Chris. To reflect their wedding location and personalities, they asked for an invitation that was bold, simple, and spoke directly of Las Vegas.



The main invitation card acts as a "postcard"; on the back, a handwritten message lets guests know the date, time and location of the event.



The reply card acts as an actual postcard (Karie and Chris' address is on the back), so a thick 220# cotton stock was used to cut down on show-through, allowing for a much deeper impression. In turn, this helped with getting more even ink coverage on the sign, skyline and poker chips.

chloe, the third shift printress

annual holiday party

It has been insanely busy around here, but because we work hard, we play hard.



We had our annual holiday party last Friday at a gorgeous home owned by Cynthia of Soup's On in Hampden. Lots of delicious foods were consumed along with a variety of wine, champagne and beer. Everyone bonded around the roaring fire and, later, we were entertained by Cory, an aspiring card trick magician (who also happens to be Nathalie's husband)!

Kat invited everyone over to her place for the after-party where we tore up her kitchen with mad dance skills. We also made sure to engage in a team-building exercise: forming a pyramid.


From the top, going left to right:
Ahnhee, Cassidy, Nathalie, Whitney, Kat, Erin

Go team!

Drumroll, please...

Okay, so it took us a year, but it’s your fault. You’ve been keeping us busy! Thanks for that, by the way...

Without further adieu, here are our Ready, Set Fly! winners:

Kim Bentley
Danielle Davis
Nick Kalivas
Julia Kostreva
Andy Mangold
Kelly Miller
Jon Stapp

Congrats everyone, and thanks for all of the great submissions! We’ll be in touch with the artists shortly to discuss the details.

AIGA Baltimore event: Letterpress Tour

from here: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/event-detail?eid=47750854

Letterpress Tour at Gilah Press + Design

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
6:30 - 8:00 PM

Join AIGA Baltimore for our Letterpress Series. The first event is a tour at Gilah Press.

Started by MICA alum Kat Feuerstein, Gilah Press + Design uses letterpresses from the late 1800s and early 1900s to create all types of printed pieces ranging from greeting cards, invitations, business cards and stationery. Come smell the ink, take a tour of the shop and learn the workings of modern day letterpress printing.

Event is free! No registration necessary.

Questions: alissa@baltimore.aiga.org

gilah press + design wants YOU!

We're hiring!
Full Time Letterpress Printer

Gilah Press + Design seeks a detail-oriented press operator to join our team.

We're looking for a friendly, quick learner with keen eyes. Experience with C&P jobbers, Windmills, polymer platemakers, guillotines and mixing ink a plus. Cartwheels, round-off back handsprings and a sense of humor a super-plus-plus.

Other than running the press, day-to-day responsibilities may include, packaging cards, shipping out orders and general studio organization.

If interested, please email your resume to kat@gilahpress.com. No phone calls, please.

BGL Invitation on Under Consideration's FPO website

An invitation designed and printed by Gilah Press + Design was posted on Under Consideration's well-known For Print Only website last Friday. The invitation was created for a local law firm's 25th anniversary party. Check out more details and photos here. Thanks for the coverage, guys!

photo from the FPO website

ready set fly: deadline extension

Procrastinators, rejoice! If you haven’t yet submitted your artwork to the Ready Set print contest, you’re in luck. We’ve extended the deadline to Tuesday, June 1, so make that great idea of yours a reality and send it on over! Refresh your memory and read over the guidelines to make sure everything checks out before submitting. Once you’re ready, go ahead and upload your file to us.

Good luck, and we’ll be looking forward to your work!

metropolismag.com coverage

can't believe we never posted about this! metropolismag.com did an amazing write up about gilah press + design right before the new year rolled around. yeah, we're that late with this. thank you so much, elizabeth. read it here!

photo taken by elizabeth dickinson