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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
This week we are Looking into Letterpress with Carolyn Fraser! Carolyn is a letterpress printmaker and runs her own Melbourne Studio, Idlewild Press. After interviewing Carolyn earlier this year, we're thrilled to have her back on the site this week giving us a glimpse into the beautiful world of letterpress. - Jenny x
There are very few really good reasons to get married in my opinion but a lovely set of stationery might sway even my hardened heart. The current letterpress revival owes a great debt to the institution of marriage, the growth of the wedding industry and an individual promoter of the craft – Martha Stewart. When Martha first showcased the work of Bay Area printer Julie Holcomb in the mid-1990's, it sparked enormous interest in a craft that was, at that time, the almost exclusive domain of fine press book printers and old school job printers. Julie worked with graphic designers to establish what would become a much-imitated line of botanically-influenced stationery printed from photopolymer plates. Today, letterpress stationery ranges across all styles for all kinds of brides and grooms. Here are some favourites, from two Brisbane-based letterpress printing couples.
Simon and Jenna Hipgrave run The Hungry Workshop in Brisbane. They write that they like making things – It's nice to get away from the computer, roll up our sleeves and get elbow deep in ink and oil and have something to show for our efforts at the end of the day. Amen to that. How lovely is this invitation they made for friends?
Here's what they wrote about the project: We worked up the typography, modifying the La Portenia into two shooting stars and illustrated the stars for the background. The scene was set with the rest of the type set in Archer Light. We printed the invitation on our favourite stock – Crane Lettra 300gsm. The envelope liners were printed from an old star map, found in the 'New Concise Atlas of the Universe' (picked up at the recent book fair) which we modified ever so slightly and letterpress printed.
Alischa Hermann is a doily lover, and this invitation project proves it!
Alischa and her partner Hayden run another Brisbane letterpress studio, the Bespoke Letterpress. As their name suggests, their work is custom designed for each client, however, they also have a range of prints, cards and tags. Look at their gorgeous Heidelberg platen press!
And they house-swap too. How convenient for the 21st century journeyman printer!
- Carolyn x
The Design Files acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.
First Nations artists, designers, makers, and creative business owners are encouraged to submit their projects for coverage on The Design Files. Please email bea@thedesignfiles.net
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