The procedures & techniques characteristic of a particular discipline or field of knowledge. i.e. There is a method behind the madness.
PRESSES
No toner used here just real ink on paper, in the spirit of the gutsy grimy flyers that litter the city streets around the world. Now you too can go underground in a totally mainstream way, by choosing from one of our standard counterfeit colors like faux photocopy black/gray or pseudo mimeo blue, or you can choose ANY spot color imaginable. Plus if you really want to get retro try our split fountain technique. Check out the EZ price guide (292kb .pdf) and create that urban look that no copier can duplicate.
The creative use of a solid ink color is one of the key elements of vintage printing. Individual colors, or spot colors, can be used by separating line art, layering or in combination with halftones. Throw in the possibilities of using metallic, overlapping or opaque inks printed on darker papers and you can achieve a richness and quality unmatched by processed color. We use the Pantone Matching System ® as our guide, so we can affordably mix in-house any color, even for the smallest of quantities.
We may be leaders in yesterday’s technology when it comes to putting the ink on the paper, but when it come to working with your artwork files we try to stay up to date with all the latest and greatest advances. We are working on an Apple platform with a G5 that supports all the major programs. Nowadays one of the main reasons the old printing techniques can be practical is digital files can easily be made into dies so you have complete control of the design.
Dies are used for printing, embossing, foil stamping and cutting. We can custom make dies directly from your digital files or create from our supply of vintage and house dies, plus your custom dies can be stored for future use. Dies are priced by the square inch or complexity, so it is the image area that counts and when possible it is always best if you can send a PDF of your design when getting an estimate.
Hot type is when we set type by casting with melted lead. Although hot lead is limited in type faces and sizes available, it still has a place and if well planned can offer an interesting look and can bring a retro look to those tight budget projects. Simple line imprints or return addresses are prime uses for hot type. Back to top.
There is something about a well placed rivet or a rounded corner that, well, adds that perfect finishing touch. We can be as practical or as far out as your project requires. Of course we offer all the practical options such as padding, numbering, scoring and folding.
We can set up production systems for hand case binding, sewing, gluing or any hand applications. Of course we can’t do millions but we can neatly, accurately and affordably do some amazing limited edition work - see Headliners here. Plus we will be glad to make you a prototype for any finishing or binding idea.
Duplexing is where we glue two sheets of paper or board together. This allows for different paper colors on each side or for a color paper to be mounted on heavier board. You can never have too many color combinations and you can never have too thick of board. We have also compiled a line of heavy weight boards and other unusual papers into swatch books available to Old School Certified designers.
You decide that a real typewritten letter and envelope would make for an interesting presentation. But who has a typewriter anymore, let along the patience to use one? Being leaders in yesterday’s technology, we had to include a typing service. Check out our price guide (56kb .pdf).
We know designers are becoming more and more involved in the production of projects. Scanning photos, color correction, proofing and even pick-up and delivery. Stop the madness and let us be your production manager for a day. We can assist with all the pieces and parts of a project so they all come together on time and in budget AND looking really really cool.
