Dauphine Press is a letterpress design and printing studio based in Northern California. It is widely celebrated for its custom letterpress invitations and wedding stationery.

Combining graphic design, modern technology, and vintage printing presses, Dauphine Press is committed to preserving the rich legacy of the printing trade through the resurrection of artisan techniques and heritage craftsmanship that might otherwise be lost in time.

Custom invitations and letterpress invitations at Dauphine Press are created in-studio, by a team of experienced designers lead by graphic designer Trish Kinsella.

HISTORY

Dauphine Press was founded in 1999 by Trish Kinsella, a graphic designer based in Sonoma County, California. Ms. Kinsella has worked with a corporate client list that includes Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and The Gap. Initially captivated by letterpress printing while designing her own wedding invitations, Ms. Kinsella eventually turned her talent and attention to the contemporary revival of this centuries-old craft. She says, "I wanted to be a part of bringing letterpress printing back into the American vernacular. It's too wonderful to just be used once in a lifetime."

Using fifty-year-old Heidelberg Windmill letterpresses, combined with modern, computer based design software, Dauphine Press is currently a thriving boutique business with clients located throughout the United States and abroad.

LETTERPRESS PRINTING

Letterpress is a centuries-old relief printing process. The basic methods have remained unchanged for the past five centuries, though modern technology has allowed for the use of digital layouts to aid with printing. Designs are created on a computer, then, in turn, made into photopolymer plates through a photographic process. All type and images on the plate are raised and subsequently form the printed image area, while the recessed areas surrounding the design do not print. The ink from the printing press is applied to these raised areas of the plate, which is then pressed into the paper, leaving a vivid, three-dimensional appearance.

LOCATION

Dauphine Press is located in the California wine country town of Petaluma. Located 35 miles north of San Francisco in Sonoma County, Petaluma enjoys breathtaking vistas, a vibrant downtown, and a lively cultural community.

EXTERNAL LINKS

•