Step inside the letterpress studio with Alan Henderson

Crafts·man [ˈkraf(t)smən] noun: a person who is skilled in a particular craft. artisan, artist, skilled worker, expert, master.

Just as Tigermoth is passionate about crafting stories, we admire and are inspired by craftspeople of all descriptions. We’re delighted to feature a fantastic letterpress studio out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina — Alan Henderson Studio. If you’re not familiar with letterpress, it is an artisanal way of printing by using raised type, hand-mixed ink and the pressure of a Heidelberg press to create, as Alan puts it, “a hundred pieces of art.” When the Tigermoth team decided to make a real “impression” (sorry, the pun really is hard to resist) with our identity package, we asked AH Studio to help us create business cards, bookmarks and coasters.

Little did we know Alan would make such an impression on us as well. He is patient, incredibly collaborative, and brings an outstanding eye for detail and nuances to the project. In short, he added a whole new dimension to our logo and tagline, all while protecting the integrity of our brand.

We were thrilled when he asked us to help him establish his own identity and marketing. We’re currently in production on his website, which we look forward to sharing with you soon. For now, check out the video we created to capture Alan’s cool studio and the unique soundtrack of the Heidelberg. Letterpress printers have a rhythm all their own, and every press has a personality. We dare you not to tap along to the beat:

Alan is a modern-day artisan who deeply loves the creative and collaborative process. We look forward to showcasing his next video, in which he takes you inside his studio (a very cool place to be) and shares what he loves about working with letterpress. Stay tuned.