Letterpress FAQ

Your prices are much lower than some we've found elsewhere. Is your quality comparable?
The quality of our letterpress work is among the best in the country. We offer samples for $5 to anyone who is concerned that there must be a catch.  We've been doing this since 1946 (ok, it's not actually the same people as back then). If you need your hand held through the entire process and have a deep pocket, then there are other boutique shops that may be better suited for you. But if you have a pretty good idea what you want (perhaps even have the design "print-ready"), then we can probably save you some bread on some top quality letterpress work.

How should I submit my artwork?
We accept files from all major design programs (Quark, Illustrator, Indesign, Pagemaker) but most of our orders come to us as PDF files. If you design your files with Microsoft Word or other inexpensive programs, it is usually best if you convert them to a PDF prior to sending them.

Will I get a proof before you print them?
We typically email pdf proofs for your approval prior to printing.  They are included in the price of the job.   Hard copy proofs are also possible if required, at an additional cost.

Can I give you a Photoshop file?
Sure, it probably is a lovely "photo" of your text, which means your text will have tiny dots (whatever screen value we letterpress your job at.)  Photoshop is a program designed for photographs.  If you want your text to be the best quality possible, don't save your text in Photoshop.

Can I supply my own paper for you to print on?
Sure. However, due to the extra work and stress of dealing with unfamiliar paper, we charge the same for customer supplied stock as we do for Strathmore.  Also be sure to allow a reasonable amount of stock for setup and spoilage. A good rule of thumb is 25 extra plus 10%. So if you wanted 100, give us 35 extra.  If you wanted 200, give us 45 extra, etc.  FYI, sometimes we run a job and if we are not completely satisfied with it, we can go and cut more of our paper and rerun the job.  If you supply the paper, obviously that option is gone.

Can you do sizes other than what you list on your website?
We can print in any dimension up to aproximately 10 inches by 14 inches. Actually we've letterpressed forms up to 17" long by sending them through the press once from each direction.  Custom sizes are no problem.  The tricky part is usually trying to find matching envelopes for an unusual size.

Can you control how much impression there is on the paper?
Yes.  We've found that most people want a fairly deep impression.  My father used to say, "Back in the 50's and 60's you wouldn't last a day in a letterpress shop if you hit the type that hard!" Back then the idea was to try to make it look like "offset". Plus it was all done with lead type and you didn't want to constantly smash the type. Polymer plates hold up much better under hard impression than lead type does.

Can you letterpress with no ink (blind letterpress)?
Yes.  It is charged as as one-color job.  It makes a deboss into the paper, which depending on the artwork, can look pretty nice. It doesn't get as dramatic effect as blind embossing or debossing, because we're using just a "male" die (the letterpress plate) as opposed to a male and female die as in embossing or debossing.

Can you print on both sides of a sheet, like for a two-sided postcard?
Yes.  We typically don't imprint as deeply, to avoid from interfering with the image on the opposite side of the sheet.  Letterpress is best when we can put a nice deep impression into the paper without much concern for the opposite side of the sheet.

Can you combine full-color digital printing and letterpress?
Sure, we do digital printing on the same paper stock that we letterpress on.  We can print letterpress right over a color image or combine letterpress with spot color.  Send us your design and we can advise you.

How long does the order take to print?
Depending on the time of year, invitation packages  take aproximately  2 to 4 weeks from approved proofs. Single piece orders such as business cards are usually 1 to 2 weeks.  Please call to get current turnaround times.

Do you offer rush service?
We can "rush" your order for a 25% upcharge.  It typically cuts the current, normal turnaround time in half.

Can I at least get the envelopes faster so we can start addressing them?
We can "rush"  your outer envelope for a flat $50 additional fee. The rest of your order would have our normal turnaround time.

Can you typeset/design my job for me or do you only work from supplied artwork/files?
The pricing on our website is based on your supplied artwork/files.  If you basically know what you want, but need us to typeset/design it for you, our fee is $80/hr.  A typical 4-piece (invitation, reply card, 2 envelopes) usually runs about $160. We are also able to customize many of our online samples. For additional ideas, try www.sweetpenelope.com.  Elise has many designs for sale that are excellent for letterpress.  She will customize her design for you and provide you with a pdf for printing.

If I give you a motif or clipart, can you use it in my design?
Sure, just place it in your file where you want it to print.  We print from digital files, so in that respect, it's just like if we were going to print it offset.  Also, you may email us the image and we can let you know if there is any problem with reproducing it through the letterpress process.

What type of paper is best for letterpress printing?
Thick, spongey cover stock is best.  We use Somerset 100% Cotton 300 gm Soft White and 300 gm Radiant White as our "house" #1 grade sheet for customers who want the best possible.  We also carry Strathmore 110 lb Wove cover, which is thick, but is a stiffer sheet.  It is  more economical, especially in the higher quantity orders, but doesn't get quite the depth of impression that Somerset does.

What is the thickest paper you can print letterpress?
We've printed on 70 pt chipboard (see our sample page). If you prefer an extra thick stock, we offer 500 Gm Somerset White (if you want white) or Waterford 640 Gm White (which is more of a natural white).

What is the thinnest rule you can letterpress?
The thinnest line we can letterpress is .25 (1/4 point). Any thinner than that and the line may break apart on the plate. 

Can large solids be letterpress printed?
Yes and no.  Letterpress is best suited for line art, small screens, half-tones, and text. Usually any solid area larger than 1 square inch thick needs to be "double bumped" which can entail extra charges. Any solids larger than a couple inches would have to be offset printed.  Occasionally we have a job that requires offset on a portion and letterpress on another portion.

What if I you print my job and I later realize that I need another 25?
This happens occasionally. It's no problem to rerun your job and get you a few more.  It would have been substantially more economical to have ordered 25 more originally when we had your job on the press. The price difference between 100 vs 125 invitations is quite small compared to the rerun cost of 25.

What color inks can I choose from?
Just as in offset printing, we can letterpress any Pantone color you specify.  Sometimes people request that we print something like "Sage Green".  We've printed Sage Green various times, and it's always been a different Pantone color. One person's idea of Sage Green is different from another person's. Go to: http://www.thelogoloft.com/pantone/index.html  to see sample images of a Pantone color chart.  Just remember the color on your monitor is just an aproximation of what the color would look like on paper, as not all monitors are calibrated to look the same, not to mention your looking at color with light beaming through it. Let me repeat that...your monitor will not accurately display colors and should not be used to select colors when color matching is critical!

What forms of payment do you accept?
We require a 50% down payment when ordering.  We accept VISA, Mastercard,  cash, and checks. Typically, clients give us their VISA/MC # over the phone when placing an order.

How do I order?
Simply follow through the online pricing calculator and click "add to cart". You can also call us at (510) 845-2600 from the hours of 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.  Usually the files can be sent as an email attatchment to info@mercuriobrothers.com   or you can upload files after logging on and creating an account. All the job specifications (paper type, ink colors, sizes, etc.) can be emailed to us at any time.