Ink Meets Paper

The September collection includes a beautiful card from Ink Meets Paper. We asked Allison Nadeau, one of the proprietors, to give us some insights into their processes and business.

• The September collection includes a beautiful card from Ink Meets Paper. We asked Allison Nadeau, one of the proprietors, to give us some insights into their processes and business.

  The name INK MEETS PAPER is all about our love of handwritten correspondence, and the importance of print as a form of tangible communication. In this very digital world, printed pieces and handwritten communication have become even more cherished and important. There are few things in life that can universally elicit a smile and a feeling of being loved. Receiving a handwritten note in the mail is one of them. Fun fact: We’ve actually been operating under the name of INK MEETS PAPER since 2006 when it was just a sideline/hobby project of small-batch stationery and invitation projects for friends (well before we even thought about letterpress printing).

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

  Daniel and I are the co-owners of INK MEETS PAPER. We’ve been married since 2003 and have always enjoyed working on various creative projects with one another. Running a business together has been a natural extension of our ability to work well with each other. In January of 2015, we added another member to the INK MEETS PAPER team, our Studio + Production Assistant, Alison.

• How did you get into design and letterpress printing?

  In 2008, a neighborhood friend and I signed up for a printmaking class at a local art gallery/studio. We did monoprints, etchings, screen printing, and so forth, but I really connected with letterpress printing. It was refreshing to be so hands-on and part of the process. We purchased our first (and currently only) press that same year. At first, Daniel and I focused solely on learning the craft of traditional printing, rather than immediately trying to turn it into a business. We were both working other full-time jobs (I was an editor, and Daniel was an interaction designer) at the time, so we were able to take things slowly. As we became comfortable printing, we started to explore more of the industry (stationery/greeting cards, wedding invitations, custom printing for others). The idea of connecting people with handwritten correspondence really resonated with us, and we saw greeting cards as an accessible way of encouraging people to write more. We launched the INK MEETS PAPER wholesale line in late 2010.

• Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

  We draw lots of inspiration from relationships, and the sweet or quirky phrases that come from those. The sentiments for our cards are honest and heartfelt (for example, “I Love You Even More Today Than Yesterday”; “Let’s Grow Old Together and Still Hold Hands”) and focus on the importance of sending handwritten love (from birthday cards and happy new home cards to friendship cards and love + anniversary cards).

• What kind of press do you use?

  We print all of our cards on an 8×12 Chandler & Price press from 1923. It’s motorized, but each sheet of paper is hand-fed into the press, one color at a time.

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