Zeichen Press – Page 9 – Design & Letterpress for the people.

PYT RNC GOP

The Republican National Convention is coming to our town! Right after the State Fair! How can one state be so lucky? It’s like having Christmas and Easter back to back! We live in Minneapolis, so I guess we’ll be the GOafterP. We wanted to make something to commemorate this momentous occasion, postcards are a nice flat souvenir, we made some. Actually it was at the request of the owner of the Romeo and Juliet Shops in Gaviidae Commons. Apparently she loves politics. Oh, The Weisman Museum Store bought some yesterday, we’ll see how they do with the kids on campus.�Buy some online:

August 28, 2008
Positive Retrogression.

I’ve heard home computers are all the rage. I’ve heard I could use a computer for design and something called a desktop printer to print my wonderful design. That sounds awfully complicated. Today I went into the shop~studio, dug around for an old cut, selected a nice fat face of type, locked it all up in my 7 pound cast iron chase, inked up my 2 ton cast iron printing press and printed a singe birthday card for Jen. She liked it.�

August 27, 2008
Design and letterpress for dummies.

I’m the dummy, not you. Or maybe you are? Only you can answer that. So, here we are. One, possibly two, dummies. Maybe you are interested in design, or letterpress, or both. Maybe you like funny things. My studio (Zeichen Press) does all (not all) it can to combine design, letterpress, and funny. We happen to have cornered the market on that little tripartite. As if teaching myself to use tons of antiquated letterpress equipment isn’t geeky enough, I’ll also drop annoying words like, “tripartite” and “antiquated”. Even that phrase, “cornered the market” should be erased. Too late, I said it, it’s done, I refuse to censor myself. Hence the divorce. I’m kidding. I’m separated. I’m not separated, I’m happily married to a separatist. Did I say separatist? I meant, Septembrist.�

August 25, 2008

Vultures and Wood Type and Birthdays

I won’t even speak of the weather BECAUSE IT’S UNSPEAKABLE.

You can’t break me,�Weather.

You’ll never break me.

Everyone knows that the only cure for the cold is wood type. And alcohol.� western wood type case

Jen and I have been having a debate about the next birthday card. And by debate, I mean she is, like, “I don’t care.” Doesn’t she know the dangers of�Not Caring??

ANYWAY, here’s the card. BTW, that’s a vulture, waiting for you to die.

look good for your age.new size

April 22, 2015

Merry Franmas!

Whew!�This birthday was a doozy!

Yes, we played 221B Baker Street.YES,�we ate ham & swiss sandwiches.

Here’s a new birthday card…�that girl and pig look familiar… farmer birthday cake

April 13, 2015

Garbage Uncovered In the Backyard and Other Signs of Spring

Oh,�another�Spring is here!

Should I have photographically documented the first card printed for our Spring Release?

Probably.

But I was pretty busy having a Nurse Jackie marathon.

I DID write/design these: oh cute reeal cute egg instructions See how I give and give and give??

April 7, 2015

Childhood/Parenthood

Growing up one block South of Lake Calhoun in the 1970’s meant two things:

1) Over-charging for watered-down Kool-Aid on the boulevard

2) Wearing a neighbor’s pilly-bottomed blue leotard for a swimsuit Heefners&Steph&Fran&Andy Like little ducklings, we’d follow�my mom down the block for a day at Thomas Beach; she’d stand ankle-deep in the water, hands on hips, plotting. And staring at the only skyscraper in the Minneapolis skyline. parenthood.like a hangover

March 28, 2015

Out Like An Impolite Lamb

Just when I thought it was safe to burn my foot-shaped Smartwool socks, Spring decided to retreat. smartwool standing 2 At least I have feet.

Am I right?? Although, I’d be grateful for stump-shaped Smartwool socks.

I WOULD.

Here’s a card: let go of the old bad memories Oh, and Jen and I chose the cards for The Spring Release! *revised.vert.devoured by wolves *christmas miracle.dog antlers *new.blackmail revenge *dear snow *vert.success failures *vert.like like you *your love.defib.vert *BETTER DAYS AHEAD *LIFE.You better wear a nut cup *getting old *heaven is a castle

March 21, 2015

WHAT??

Who am I to deprive the masses of their Zeichen Press cards??

Zeichen Press “art” was “punched up”, PDF’s were emailed to art licensing companies, and virtual hugs and kisses were exchanged. Look (soon) for some of our cards (NOT letterpress printed) in Big Box stores across the country.

And by�look, I mean�buy.

IF�you don’t have some cute independent store near you. OR if you don’t care about letterpress printing. OR if you refuse to�shop in our store. OR you are already buying a stroller and paper towels and light bulbs and ground beef and toilet paper and shampoo.

A teaser: *rsvp.still young in dog years.revised

Countdown or Tally

Is Spring�really�here?

Not sure…

Let’s pretend it is. Let’s let me live in a world filled with hope! My obsessive weather-tracking (hourly checking my weather app) has proven to be successful.

It won’t be long before smartwool�socks are shed and (my) legs are shorn.

Stay tuned…

Here are a couple cards I made instead of penning a suicide note.

(Graduation) you mathed so hard (Encouragement) shit creek grab

March 8, 2015

Same (expletive), Same Day

As I said goodbye to yet another kitten from our cat ranch, all kittens and dinah white chair I thought to myself, “I bet this is exactly how Beyonc� feels when she drops an album.” And then I thought,�“My skin is so dry.”

I wish I could travel back in time… back to the 1970’s when there were environmental chambers built into the walls of health club locker rooms… (I think this is a real memory and that I’m not just pasting a false memory on top of a traumatic childhood locker room incident… those topless moms blow-drying their hair… Wait, am I?? Omg… Beep beep boop: Tropical Rainforest?? Yes, please!)

NO MATTER, here’s a new card! NOW the party can start

February 27, 2015

No Surprise!

Some things�are�predictable – and thank goodness! It’s important to have things to count on… runny noses in February, militant-radical beheadings, and birthdays. birthday tickles revised The kittens just stole the strand of toilet paper that I was using to wipe my runny nose… ISIS militants cover their faces in black balaclavas… and I write birthday cards.

OH, LIFE.

February 20, 2015

Send Cheese

My grandpa’s battleship was bombed and he had to tread water for 13 hours WHILE he kept his unconscious buddy afloat.�That was just like the time in 2009 that I swam out to meet the seal.

SPEAKING OF TREADING WATER.

It’s mid-February in Minnesota. *LIFE.You better wear a nut cup

February 15, 2015