Our story
Our childhood was a wonderful mix of country living, carefree summers, and cozy winter days and evenings spent in the print shop. (Dad was a great storyteller and we would gather around the press for stories.) He started his business with a small 5x8 Kellsey tabletop letterpress, which he purchased before he was married. This is the letterpress Dad printed their wedding invitations on. Later he bought a Chandler and Price letterpress that is a hard-working machine today. Growing up with the print shop in our yard, we spent many happy hours helping dad with a variety of jobs. We especially remember helping print thank you notes and napkins even if it meant pulling up a small stepstool to make us a wee bit taller.
Fast forward to today we both married, had our time of being mothers to our wonderful families and now are very excited about keeping Dad’s dream of printing alive. He and Mom both passed away suddenly in 2014. After his death we continued printing ribbons for special occasions and now have expanded our passion into creating beautiful wedding collections along with baby announcements, shower invites, and business cards. We recently purchased an old stone building in our local town that was built in 1880. So a new chapter of our life is starting. We will be on our own and Quality Printing will continue without the letterpress part of the business. We are thrilled to be soon moving into our newly renovated studio. It will be an exciting adventure to create and dream up beautiful wedding collections with brides for years to come. And who knows, maybe one day we will hand down our dear old letterpress to our grandchildren! We both love that idea!
Nona & Debbie
The Beauty of Letterpress
In a world of instant printing and mass production, letterpress remains delightfully slow. Each design begins with careful preparation, where ink is hand-mixed, paper is thoughtfully selected, and every detail is considered with intention. The press then gently impresses ink into the paper, creating the rich texture and deep impression that make letterpress so distinctive.
No two pieces are exactly alike. The subtle variations, the feel of the paper, and the craftsmanship behind every impression are what give letterpress its character. It's a process rooted in tradition—one that values quality over speed and artistry over shortcuts.
At Backstreet Letterpress, every piece is created the old-fashioned way: one impression at a time, preserving a centuries-old craft and transforming paper into something worthy of being kept long after the occasion has passed.
Printed with care
Letterpress printing, originating in the early 1400s, was the primary method of printing for over 500 years. Today, it has evolved into a true art form. In our print shop, we create a custom plate of your design, which is carefully inked and pressed into the paper. Each piece is hand-fed, one at a time, allowing for exceptional precision and craftsmanship. This process creates the rich, tactile impression that makes letterpress so distinctive and timeless. This process creates that amazing impression onto the paper, the difference you can feel on every invitation.
Custom Ribbons
Business Cards
Leather Keepsakes
Invitations & Paper Goods
“From start to finish, working with Back Street Letter Press was pleasant and stress free. The save the dates, invitations, and day-of papers for our wedding were perfect and beyond what we could have imagined.”
- Jeanine S., Back Street Letter Press Customer