• GRANDMA!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME??!!

    Grandmas don’t read HOW and they certainly do NOT read SWISS  MISS but they DO read Better Homes and Gardens. You know, BHG? See how I just dropped that abbrev? Grandma would thumb through the fashion and gossip mags at the checkout but like any good homemaker she would add the BHG to her cart. If she was feeling particular sassy, she’d throw in the DIY magazine (brought to you by the good people at BHG).

    Oh, DIY! You know Martha Stewart (PS: Martha, I DO want to see how you hay your fields) reads you under the covers with a flashlight – praying that Alexis doesn’t march into the room and flip on the soft-and-natural light. 

    DIY magazine is doing a story on handmade goods – a “Best in Show” collection of the various craft shows around the country. We’ll be featured in the “Printed and Pressed” spread. Mmmm, printed and pressed… that makes me want a panini. Here are some photos – we can’t decide, although I think #4 tells a good story. Sometimes I go into the shop at night and Jen is just standing there like that. Shudder.

    Jen and Fran must be happy.Jen and Fran seem so content.

    Fran with hand gun. Is Jen evil?scary-jen-and-fran-photosho

    ONE MORE! (I photoshopped a smile on Jen’s face):

    Jen is smiling.

    June 7, 2009
  • A Poster on Rosin Paper

    Recently, my roof was crawling with roofers and I watched while they threw hunks of 80-year-old shingles into my Lilac bushes. After screaming at them in the only Spanish I knew (¿De quién perro es ése??!! : Whose dog is that??!!) I grew very interested in a particular part of the process: a giant roll of red paper was used to cover my roof like gift-wrap – I thought it was strange and tried to mime some sort of conversation – my arms waving wildly, like I was landing a plane on an aircraft carrier. The foreman handed me a hundred-dollar-bill and told me I was special. I still don’t know what happened. 

    Madge is turning sixty AND ALSO celebrating her 35th wedding anniversary. I have the honor of creating a poster to commemorate this Holy Convergence. There is a roll of red rosin paper and a couple cans of ink in the shop that are dying to be a part of the project. Here’s a sneak peak:

    scan-35-60.color

    June 6, 2009
  • Are you my logo?

    Back in the day When Men Wore Hats, back when cuffs were linked, when the boardroom had a bar, when men were men and women were secretaries; way back then, The Logo was king. I wish I could have been there. Thank God for Mad Men.  Dear Lord, please protect Don Draper from small cell lung carcinoma. Amen.

    I love a good logo. I love it like I love my mother. I want it to challenge me at every turn.  I want it to lodge itself into my relational thinking. I want it to manipulate me. I DO.

    Observe:

    Vandalia-Street-Press-card.

    Selby Otis card

    May 27, 2009
  • Californy is the place you ought to be

    California would be the perfect place to be except for one teeny-tiny thing. No Zeichen Press. But soon all of its fine citizens will gobble up our goods like manna in the desert. LIKE MANNA. 

    Will Los Angeles (and its glorious surrounding areas) embrace the simple and slightly twisted humor from Minnesota? 

    Stay tuned.

    May 20, 2009
  • My Google Shrine is bogus

    What am I doing wrong? I devote myself to one search engine. ONE. There are so many more but my eye has never wandered. Sure, I played around a little bit with Yahoo – who didn’t? I just feel like this relationship is completely one-sided. I do. I give and give, search and search and when I FINALLY search for me, I get nothing but pages and pages of other letterpress studios. UM, that makes me ill. Listen, google: (If that is your real name) You either put me first or it’s over. That’s me; Zeichen Press. A design and letterpress studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Maker of fun and funny greeting cards and disc sleeves for one and all.

    May 13, 2009
  • First Base with Trader Joe’s

    The Trader Joe’s card chick sent a fat check with a little note that said, “Dearest Zeichen Press, let’s get it on.” 

    Isn’t that romantic?

    Sighhh, I love this stage of a relationship. Both a little awkward, both excited – sniffing each other’s bottoms. Other things go unnoticed –  cleaning, bills, cooking, dad’s life-support machine. 

    I used to raise my hand in class, working my face to communicate a message to my teacher. It was important to get into character – my character was The Girl That Needs To Use The Bathroom Super Bad. It was serious. Of course, I’d be excused and head to the library. The librarian was the tough but lovable hunchback, Sister Avila. She loved the Dewey Decimal System. Never a word from her mouth – just the stern pencil-tapping was enough to make me stuff a sock in it. Every day there was a crisp new StarTribune on the big table. I would feign interest in Global Matters but couldn’t wait to get the comics.

    If Trader Joe’s likes this next round of cards I owe it all to skipping class, Sister Avila, and the comics of the late-1980’s. I claimed to despise the Family Circus, but dammit – I read it every day. I also followed Mark Trail - the Cary Grant of the comics. BUT I saved The Far Side for the very end – Gary Larson was the Pope of the Funnies. If he ever comes out of his pen-and-ink cave, I will kiss his ring.

    Okay, here we go:

    HURRY! That birthday is just around the corner.That's MR. Happy BirthdayYou don't look a day over three.I'm clearing my calendar for your birthday.Yikes! My youth just scurried by.

    May 12, 2009
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  • Oh, YOU again.

    I’m not sure if he was gently curb-stomped, or he bit into a fresh apple. Either way, he lost his front teeth.happy birthday no nailed it

    October 8, 2015
  • Stamp-Lickin’ So You Don’t Have To

    Do you fantasize about a service that would lick your stamps (and mail awesome cards to a list of people in your address book)??

    YOU DO??

    Have you heard of Postable??

    POSTABLE logopostable grab how it worksDid I mention that there are Zeichen Press cards in their line?? (NOT letterpress printed, BUT STILL.)Merdankcias postableprinting and mailing circle tenderlyNow there really is zero excuse to NOT send a card IN THE MAIL.

    *Stay tuned: Postable will be adding MORE Zeichen Press cards this week.*

    WAIT, I didn’t mention the most important part:

    September 28, 2015
  • Groucho Marx + Turkey = FUNNY

    Hoohoo! I’m laughing already!

    More for RSVP:rsvp.revised.turkey where

    September 19, 2015
  • WOOT.

    Does Jen hate letterpress printing SO much that I have to create and license all of the art and farm it off to art licensing companies??

    Maybe.

    The latest for RSVP:rsvp.weird honeymoon.front and inside.grabrsvp.woot.front and inside.grabI know one thing for sure. ONE THING. Jen would really hate to print these multi-colored designs. She makes me live in a monochromatic world. But see how I defy?? FIVE colors??

    FIVE.

    And now they want more cards! FINE.rsvp.chanukah.sneeze.front and insideI’m such a rebel.

    September 12, 2015
  • So NOT Letterpress

    Tanek demanded a new website, and who am I to argue?? tanek. index page.harvestor grabI just do what I’m told.

    I designed/art directed it and the good folks at Carney, made my wishes their command.I dream of JeannieObserve the fancy bells and whistles!

    Rollovers… PDF Downloads… Video Portraits…

    And observe what you WON’T observe: My own, personal, Content Management System.tanek CMS grabIt’s okay to cry. It’s beautiful.

    September 7, 2015
  • Tradition Dictates So I Don’t Have To!

    Did I even see Jen on her birthday last week??

    Hmm, I don’t think so… But I still made her a card because my love for her just bubbles over and soils the stovetop with a sort of gravy that becomes crusty and has to be scraped off months later with steel wool and maybe a knife.

    Whew!

    That’s a lot of love!CATSUPGET IT?!?! CAT-SUP???

    Omg, it just doesn’t stop over here!

    August 30, 2015
  • Put a Cat On It

    Do you need to sell something? You do??

    PUT A CAT ON IT.kitty sweatshirtThat sweatshirt is not to be worn ironically and can be yours for a mere $65.

    But really, it’s not even realistic. What sort of galaxy is full of white kittens and multi-colored roses??

    And where’s the wine and unicorn??

    All of those adorable kittens in space DID inspire a graduation card. Don’t ask me why. DON’T ASK ME.may the road rise to meet you.better

    August 23, 2015
  • What’s A Gal Gotta Do??

    Oh, *I* know!BE BOLD PRINT

    No problem.
    August 13, 2015
  • BE A WOMAN

    Don’t tell Blockbuster Video, but I still have a VHS copy of Alive in my attic. Alive screen grabI just love survival dramas. *I* survived the heat last week, it was pretty dramatic… But I ate no one, despite feeling very hungry. To celebrate, the Intern and I set some type.BE bold lock upAND THEN I wrote/designed more cards for RSVP, deadline is TOMORROW. rsvp.snail mailNo big deal. Chosen card(s) just go into the Major Supermarkets.

    August 2, 2015
  • ART Licensing

    ART, I say!

    ART!

    RSVP asked me for some new art, SPECIFICALLY for 16th birthdays, BUT stay away from the subject of driving?

    Um, ok.

    How about the subject of dog poop?rsvp.dont step inI KNOW this is a derivative of MY OWN card.dont step inAND a card I made for ANOTHER Art Licensor. Recycled Paper Greetings.

    They also asked for some Wedding Cards… Maybe I’ll say something about flatulence, MAYBE I WON’T.

    July 24, 2015
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