Iron Curtain Press
Rosanna Kvernmo is one of the first letterpress card makers I met when I attended the National Stationery Show. She’s brimming with energy and enthusiasm for her craft, be that letterpress printing or designing a new line of office supplies. Check out her gorgeous notebooks and thumbtacks, and of course, her awesome cards!
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Where did the name of your studio come from?
I wish I had a better story for this. When I first bought my press, my sisters and I would email back and forth possible business names - most of them awful puns. One name that stuck and never quite went away was the Iron Curtain Press. My mentor, Lynda Sherman of Bremelo Press, made me a print when I got my first studio "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." (A quote from A.J. Leibling.) I think it's a fitting quote for a shop named the Iron Curtain Press.
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Who is on your team, and how did you come together?
Our team has been slowly evolving over the last few years. My husband Joel has transitioned into working with me full time and we have 3 other people now helping out with all the tasks required to keep a print shop up and running. We have been fortunate to have wonderful people come on to our team as our business grows!
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How did you get into design and letterpress printing?
After college, I wanted to learn how to make something - and I've always loved stationery and printed materials. I took a letterpress printing class and was totally hooked. After that, I figured out what I could do to keep printing and have a sustainable business creating beautiful things. When Joel and I met, it was exciting to use both of our different skill sets to keep growing this business.
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What kind of press(es) do you use?
We have a Golding Jobber #7 (from the late 1800s) and a Heidelberg Windmill (from the 1950s).
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Which press was used to print the Nicely Noted cards?
The Heidelberg. It’s our greeting card printing workhorse!
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What do you find most satisfying about the printing process?
It is so magical starting out with a blank sheet of paper and after the cutting, printing, trimming of the paper, all the sudden there is finished product. I love creating something tangible, whether it's a small business card, or an invitation, or even a book cover.