Swash harnesses the power of the (letter) press to create fine cards

For a trip back in time, walk by Swash Letterpress & Design, a boutique-sized letterpress and design shop in Wallingford, and peer through the window. You'll notice two impressively sized and lovingly restored early 20th-century printing presses.

Inside, you'll find owner and designer Julie Cook, a skilled devotee of the art and old-world quality of letterpress printing. Cook, who honed her skills at Seattle's School of Visual Concepts, has a background in print production and graphics. She began Swash in 2006 in a friend's garage, moving to her current location two years later.

What's so special about letterpress printing? To begin with, it's a centuries-old process, whose origins likely reach back to Chinese woodblock printing circa A.D. 750. Second, fine letterpress work such as the samples I sorted through boasts a crisp, rich and highly textured look compared with today's digital or offset press printing. The samples felt soft and pillowy -- a result of the 100 percent cotton paper she uses, says Cook.

As Cook prints her one-of-a-kind creations, she hand-feeds the paper one sheet at a time and meticulously inspects each piece as it comes off the press. As she works a 1911 Chandler Price press, a combination of old-fashioned sewing machine (with floor treadle) and sidewheel, she's a master of concentrated coordination. "It's like an aerobic workout," she laughs.

Contributing to the vintage vibe are hundreds of antique cabinets, each filled with tiny, individual characters of lead type. Because it's so labor-intensive, Cook reserves typesetting by hand for smaller projects like gift tags or business cards.

"Setting type by hand is a bit more imperfect of an impression; but each piece is its own work of art," she says. "The imperfections are the perfections." She also uses a more modern typesetting process specifically designed for letterpress printing, as well as soy-based inks.

Customers can bring their own designs or avail themselves of Cook's or partner Will Hayes' skills. Cook's work is clean, with light, distinctive flourishes (and a penchant for unusual color combinations); Hayes tends to push his design elements in an edgier direction. Project runs are kept to limited numbers -- between 50 and 200 pieces -- to ensure quality control.

According to Cook, Swash does a "ton of wedding invites. Couples are choosing to invest in signature design elements. It's a very personal reflection of them."

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