Tuesday, December 6, 2011

:: kick-ass short-run fine-art printing heading your way ::

richard branson, i learned today, started his airline because when he was in the music biz he hated flying on other people's airlines and he thought to himself, "i can do it better." and then he did it.

yes, i'm comparing myself to richard branson, because we're totally analogous. in this one case.


so, here's the basic deal...

as you probably very well know by now if you're a reader of thishereblog, i've been running a design studio / print shop / online retail establishment for more than three years now, and every six months or so I go through the old "should I or shouldn't I outsource" debate

to date, other than my wrapping paper which i had offset printed here in rochester, i've kept all printing in-house, but not for lack of trying (at times) to outsource.

at one point quite recently, after the 33 weddings that came of the september experiment, i decided something needed to give. so i went out into the "street" and asked every short-run-type graphic designer i could think of (and read every related post on every related forum) and i came up with a list of seven or eight printers to try.

cut to mad spree of account setting up and sample ordering.

then cut to me getting the samples and being un.happy.

then cut to me being frustrated and wondering why there isn't someone out there who will print my orders on MY printers with MY inks and cut them on manual cutters in small batches, paying close attention to things like making sure things are centered and even and that, you know, crop marks aren't showing (one of the top-recommended print shops actually sent me my order with crop marks visible on almost 20% of the order they were cut that irregularly) and generally doing things the way i insist on doing them. (as i've said before, like it or not, i care deeply about quality and paper and the art of printing.)

cut to me waking up on a sunday morning with an epiphany: i am in a perfect position to be the printer i am always looking for. i've made the contacts, i've got bulk accounts with major paper distributors who ship to me straight from the mill at a crazy discount if i order thousands of dollars' worth at a time and can do it on their production schedule. i've got equipment and lots of practice being a perfectionist about printing.

and so. so so so.

i will be opening a short-run print shop. actually, it will be a
fine-art
short-run
indie-powered
designer-loving
eco-friendly
in-house
kick-ass
anything-but-basic
print shop equipped with everything you need to wow your clients and amaze your friends.



i'll be featuring vibrant, water-resistant pigment inks and all the best cotton, recycled, and bamboo paper you can imagine. oh, and want something a bit more exotic? how about sugar cane? kenaf? or perhaps some self-adhesive kraft paper? done.

the thing is, for most people, printing is the un-fun part. it's the tedious, error-ridden part. it's the part that brings swear words to their lips and tears to their eyes. it incites arguments between otherwise happily engaged couples just trying to keep invitations personal, practical, and affordable.

but I love it. i love learning the tricks and figuring out how to avoid the troubles. i like discovering new methods and new substrates.

i mean, i read blogs about printing. i really do.

the official launch will be in february 2012 at aperandpink.com but in the meantime, i'm always still print-print-printing along. i'm bringing on new customers now and hope to continue doing so as february approaches.

and now you finally know what i've been scheming. yay!

Comments (19)

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Wow! Congrats - it's sound like a win win for you.
Freakin' awesome. Just awesome. You. Go. Girl.
I am really excited for you and for me! Nothing is ever good enough for me either and I can't wait to receive my samples. I don't think I've ever seen sugar cane paper before!

In Feb, I'll definitely spread the word on my blog!
I love reading posts about your journey. Wishing you the best of luck in your "new" endeavor!
This is so exciting Julie! Can't wait to try you out. Love the name too. :)
What an exciting proposition. I wish you the best of luck! I have had the same problems as you and found a short-run printer that seems to do a decent enough job but I realized when I wen to price out some holiday photo cards (I refuse to do large quantities of photo cards in house, just too expensive for me) for a couple clients that their pricing isn't graduated to give a bulk discount. Which was a little disappointing.

Can't wait to see what you have in store in February! Love the logo!
That's winwin for you!
You know the old adage, "if you want something done right, do it yourself." Your attention to detail and quality are to be commended. I'm glad you tried the other vendors to be 100% about your decision. Looking forward to February 2012 and I'm happy that you're available now. Get ready for your official launch because I have a feeling you're going to be crazy busy!
Wow! That is amazing! I've been a quiet follower of your blog and you've been my motivation for sticking to in-house production. But now you are setting up this, I may change my mind! Do you ship to the UK?!
so awesome! i have been doing the same searching and sample ordering and looking and hoping as you for.ever. so this is beyond awesome! what type of printing will you be offering? i'd love more info! congrats!!!
Sounds like a great idea - I think we've all been in this boat before and so this could be a fantastic solution for those of us who need reliable quality short run print.
1 reply · active 692 weeks ago
Thanks, Sarah! I do hope to be a fantastic solution. : )

Julie Green
Up Up Creative

my shop :: <a href="http://upupcreative.com
http://upupcreative.com<br />my blog :: http://upupcreative.blogspot.com
I love it! I think it's a great idea - I'm always frustrated that when I outsource printing I can't control the quality, and it's awesome that you are going to branch out into unusual mediums. Good luck!
I've been keeping up on your story and just wanted to send a cyber-hug of encouragement. I think it is fantastic how persistent you are and it inspires me when I feel like giving up (I'm in a different line of work, but self-employed). :) Thank you for sharing. Truly appreciated.
LOVE this post, if you want something done right do it yourself attitude. Congratulations on your new adventure, I'll be waiting for the grand opening. x
I think I've replied to everyone personally, but in case I missed you - THANKS for your nice comments. This is all very exciting.
Congratulations, Julie! I'm so happy for you. :)
congratulations... on everything! :)

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