Printerette Press

Catherine Polacek is the creator of Printerette Press. Her colorful, playful designs are delightful and fun. The rich colors combine beautifully when printed one by one, building together, to make gorgeous little pieces of art. The card you send is likely to be proudly displayed on your friend’s desk or fridge!

• Where did the name of your studio come from?

  It's just a silly word really. I wanted to give an idea of the femininity of the brand and the fact that we're not just a design studio, but also a print shop. I wanted an original word so I was sure its originality. So, I brainstormed nonsense words until I came up with Printerette! Joke's on me, because it turns out there's a huge digital print chain in the Netherlands called Printerette too! Thankfully I own the copyright here.

• Who is on your team, and how did you come together?

  Our team is me, (Catherine), Heidi, and Molly. I do all of the creative concepts and design work, Molly runs the press and production, and Heidi is the brand & studio manager. She does big picture concepting, client-coordination, and generally keeps us in line. 

• How did you get into design and letterpress printing?

  My background is in clothing design and I have a BFA. I worked designing womenswear at a big box corporation and, several years into it, my path crossed with a letterpress looking for a home. I didn't know a thing about it but was curious enough to set up shop in my basement. It was 100 years old and a big mess, but after lots of work, a full-fledged love affair with the thing began. Now we run 4 presses but that original C&P still holds a huge place in my heart. 

• Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

  Oh gosh, everywhere. Probably the dumbest places I shouldn't admit. I suppose a lot of it comes from my background in fashion. (It's Heidi's background too, so we both love to follow soft lines trends and I know it influences Printerette's aesthetic). 

• What kind of press(es) do you use?

  We mostly use two 10 x 15 Heidelberg windmills. One for printing ink, the other for foil and die cutting.

• Which press was used to print the Nicely Noted cards?

  One of the Heidelbergs!

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