Here at Starshaped, nostalgia is the order of the day, meaning that all of the projects are printed using antique metal and wood type. How is that different from all of the other letterpress printers out there? They use computers for the design and then work with those files to print exactly what you see on screen. Sure, I use a computer, too, but after the initial concept, the design is taken to the typecase, and all of the individual letters are set by hand. What's the difference? Digital type and metal type were created using different methods; digital type is designed for our current needs... for screens and offset printing, while metal and wood type was custom made specific for letterpress printing. There's an inherent beauty and imperfection to the form of each and every letter that cannot be replicated on the computer or in a polymer or magnesium plate. Most of the types in my studio are at least 50 years old, some are 100 years old, and there is no digital equivalent to them! Because of their age and purpose, these types cannot be used to punch a deep impression into paper, which is very popular with new-fangled letterpress. I highly recommend requesting samples (which I'm happy to send) to make sure that you're really in love with what I believe to be the most interesting and antiquated aspects of letterpress. If you are not, there are plenty of fine printers that are happy to work completely in the 21st century. I design all of the projects here in the studio, exclusively using my type collection, along with illustrations that I either appropriate from other sources or draw myself. I work by first collecting all of the info for your project and then mocking up a number of layouts for you to choose from. These are done digitally in an effort to approximate what the types will look like. When a final design is chosen, I then set the type and proof it for you to approve (and spell check! Such a thing doesn't exist when setting type by hand!). After that it goes on the press. All of the tasks are performed in my studio, and if you're curious, you're welcome to come and check out the process.