Custom Business Cards: Mark Aikens

One of my favorite things about owning and operating a letterpress shop is getting to work with a variety of very talented and incredible graphic designers in and around Eugene, as well as across the nation. At Twin Ravens Press, we do a vast majority of our design work in-house, but I always welcome the opportunity to work with outside designers and artists who are looking to have their designs or designs they are creating for their clients letterpress printed.

Back in October, I was contacted by one such, very talented, graphic designer, in Eugene who was working with a client to create a set of really unique business cards. The designer, Mary Susan Wheldon, had met me at a local Meet Your Maker Show, where I was selling letterpress greeting cards. Mary Susan saw my work and was interested in working with me to letterpress print design work for her clients. The cards you see above and below were our first collaboration.

Mary Susan's client, Mark Aikens, makes and installs hand-cast, original wall papers with original stone textures. I've never actually seen any of Mark's work in person, but from the photographs that Mary Susan showed me, his work seems truly beautiful and absolutely a labor of love. Mary Susan wanted the business cards she was designing for Mark to reflect his artistry, ingenuity and the awesome texture and colors that are present in his wall papers. She figured that in order to convey this texture, letterpress printing might be her best choice. I agreed.

Mark's business cards are just a smidgeon larger than a standard 3.5"x2" business card size. The design features a column on the left hand side featuring six "bars" of color, all the same width, but in different lengths. These simulate single sheets of Mark's handmade wallpaper. The cards were printed on 220 lb. Duplex Crane Lettra 100% cotton paper in Pearl White for a super thick, lush impression and a very stiff, substantial card. We printed five of the six bars on the left hand side in a sparkly metallic copper ink and printed the sixth bar, as well as all of the text in a light, crisp blue. The thick cotton paper combined with deep letterpress imprints made for an already amazing texture, but to add something even more unique and special, we ran these cards through the press a third time and blind embossed a stone-texture pattern that Mary Susan created over the top of the metallic copper bars. Click on the above image for a larger view. This was a challenging effect to create, but the results are absolutely stunning!

If you're looking for a fabulous free-lance designer to work with in the Eugene/Springfield, Oregon area for an upcoming project, and you like Mark's cards, contact Mary Susan. She's amazing, has some fabulous ideas, and has an ever expanding portfolio that includes designs for a variety of items from business cards, logos and corporate stationery to books, posters, and invitations.

And, if you are looking in to having some gorgeous, custom wallpaper made for your home or business in Eugene or Springfield, contact Mark Aikens, who's information is on the business cards in the pictures. Like I said before, the pictures I've seen of his work look amazing!

Lastly, if you're interested in having your very own set of letterpress business cards designed and/or letterpress printed, contact us for more information. We would love to work with you!

Thanks again Mark and Mary Susan!