Posted by Olivia dela Rosa on October 23, 2014
With all the printed materials and designs that we have right now, my eyes get pretty tired seeing the same old thing over and over again. There's nothing new in the market and nothing really stands out anymore. Though I don't find this totally wrong, the lack of inspiration is what frustrates me. A good design not only ignites something in you, it also challenges you to seek out and push the limits. It calls you to try and think of something new until you find the perfect design you need.
After searching endlessly throughout the Web, I found comfort after seeing these letterpress cards. Letterpress is basically a printing process that uses a movable type - reversed and raised letters and images made of metal or wood - which is then inked and impressed upon the paper and often with sort of an indentation from the pressure, creating a debossed effect. Its first use is dated back in the 15th century, used widely in printing books back then but has moved to business cards and wedding invitations later on. If you decide to do it yourself, you might find it labor-intensive but once you see the results you might consider the whole thing worth it.
Scroll through to see our thoroughly selected letterpress cards and discover new designs for your next project. Happy exploring!


Happy Notes from Anthropologie

Alexandra Huckabay by Print&Grain


Roar Projects by Principle Design



Bonjour Letterpress Card via Etsy

Letterpress cards by Colorquarry via Etsy




A Little Bird by Belinda Love Lee


Brad Goreski business cards by Sarah Drake Designs

Bon Voyage notecards by Inhaus Press

Letterpress wedding invitations by Minted

Greeting card by Denotecard via Etsy


Wedding invitation by Print & Promise via Etsy

Pinup Art letterpress card by Ink Pop Studio via Etsy

Wright & Goebel by The Working Assembly


Type Letterpress Desk Calendar by iSkelter

Hooray postcard by Parrott Design Studio via Etsy


Wondrous Co. by Mitch Bartlett




Ten Thousand business cards by The Distillery

2011 Holiday Word Search greeting card via Dolcepress
Enjoying so far? If you'd like to see more design inspirations, go and explore the rest of the site. Who knows, you might also end up getting the printing deal of your life with all the discounts we're offering!
Restaurant branding and design idea's
Square business card design examples
Business card dimensions and paper weight
Electronic business cards with NFC technology
Wikipedia: Letterpress
Inkgarden rules! I'm a sucker for personalized plates and I will use any excuse to order some; my mother's wedding, Christmas season or a new neighbor. They're not super sturdy but they hold on pretty well. I started by ordering some of the designs they feature but soon started making my own. This spring I had to order some personalized hoodies for a marathon so it was obvious I would use InkGarden. The print was flawless and everyone loved them! Have to agree with Aurora Martin, if you don’t use a modern camera the photo won’t print out very good.
Rating: 5 / 5
Tiny Prints did not deliver my order by the delivery date, even though I paid for super rush delivery. The did not contact me to say anything was holding up my order. The auto message when you call even said they weren't experiencing delays and all orders were being sent on time. Two different Tiny Print reps aid I would get the order the following day. When I called again to question that, because it was the night before the new delivery date and they still hasn't printed yet, they admitted after some questioning that I would not receive the order the next day. I wasted hours creating the invitation on Tiny Prints and now need to start over with someone else because Tiny Prints has false advertising, poor customer service, and claim copyright issues for not sending me the file to go elsewhere.
Rating: 1 / 5
Their prices for business cards very high compared to the local print shop that i use ( one of the best print shops in New York). I cannot judge the quality of MOO products, and i probably never will. There is no way i will pay 3 times as much for the same thing with MOO. I will not be surprised if they go out of business as their prices are ridiculously high.
Rating: 3 / 5
Love the swift delivery! I needed my order delivered fast and I got what I wanted. No further comments. A+!
Rating: 5 / 5
I love Cafepress for it's one of a kind, unique products. Whenever i am looking for a unique gift i shop at Cafepress. Their products are high quality, customer service is great (they will send free replacement if something is off) and prices are reasonable.
Rating: 4 / 5