Hi folks! It’s been a while since we’ve posted to our blog, but for good reason. About four months ago we packed up our stuff and trekked out to Boulder, Colorado, planting our business here for the foreseeable future. We chose Boulder for many reasons, but most importantly for its community full of like-minded individuals making environmental progress on all fronts. Boulder is one of the “greenest” cities in the U.S., and we’re excited to be a part of this growing community. If you’re in the Boulder area, shoot us an e-mail, we’d love to get in touch.

We’ve got a few big projects in the works, including relaunching our portfolio with a brand new website. You’ll hear from us in the coming months.

In the past six months, writing copy or copywriting has become a larger component of our work. For the Loft Cinema‘s Scream-O-Rama poster, we ended up spending at least double the amount of time writing original copy for the poster than actually designing the poster itself, a first for us. Our approach was to create a fictional product for each of the seven films and integrate the name of the film (in red) into the product’s advertisement.

Below are some highlights from the poster. You can use our handy “hover zoom” on the poster page to read the rest of the copy. Prints are also available in our general store for a reasonable sum of money.

For the Loft Cinema‘s Scream-O-Rama poster, we created a fictional product for each of the films and a total of seven logos. We also turned The Loft Cinema into LoftCo, the developer and distributor of the products, and created two different logos for the fictitious company.

Neatly separated for your viewing pleasure, the logos we created for the poster:

You can use our handy “hover zoom” on the poster page to take a closer look. Prints are also available in our general store for a small amount of money.

Scream-O-Rama is a yearly event put on by The Loft Cinema. Billed as the “sickest, scariest, most scream-errific cinematic slaughterhouse you’ve ever seen”, Scream-O-Rama is a twelve hour horror extravaganza featuring seven classic horror movies. We were commissioned by The Loft to design and screenprint a poster for the event.

The Loft Cinema is one of the greatest places on earth (we thought that before they were our client, for the record), so when we got the go-ahead on the poster we knew we were going to do something special. It probably goes without saying but our inspiration was the ridiculous/awesome ads in vintage magazines that try to jam as much info as they can into one page. You can use our handy “hover zoom” on the poster page to have a closer look.

"Survivors" from the event—the brave souls that stayed all 12 hours (until 9am).

The event was a blast and if you’re in Tucson and love horror films, we highly recommend it. Prints are available in our general store for a reasonable sum of money.

Needless to say, we nailed it.

Original digital versions:

Earlier this year I had an exhibition with my good friend Zach Fitchner. Zach, a printmaking artist, exhibited his intricately detailed woodcuts and I exhibited photographs (my first time exhibiting my photo work as fine art). Our recent work coincidentally had similar Americana overtones and we decided that a dual exhibition would be a good fit. Here’s a bit from the gallery press release: “[the work has] a core conceptual theme: a critique, satire, and celebration of the American way.”

We went completely over the top with the Americana theme, from dinner mints to chilidogs. Personally I felt the best part of the exhibition was the invitations, which we screenprinted onto a paper dessert plate.

A bad animation of the registration (if you can call it that) jig we created from corrugated cardboard.

We had an All-American feast at the exhibition opening, including this “star spangled” cake. Each piece of cake was individually graced by an American Flag toothpick.

Complimentary American Flag dinner mints.

We spent a very long night hand-painting the banner shown above on a drop cloth we took directly from the floor of Zach’s studio. The exhibition opening was a lot of fun and we had a big turnout as evidenced by the fact that the chili dogs (we had 48 total) were gone in 26 minutes. If your’e interested, we have prints available for purchase.

Hello, readers. We apologize for not having posted to the blog for quite some time now. We’ve recently completed a few projects and have several more in the works. In the near future we’ll update our site/blog with three branding projects, a website, and a new screenprinted poster. Stay tuned.

To help promote our brand new store, we’re having a “$20 or less” sale AND we’re giving away four prints. The winners can choose any print from the shop. To enter, simply click “like” on our facebook page or follow us on twitter. You can enter both ways and double your chances of winning. On Decemeber 20, we will randomly select four winners, two from twitter and two from facebook.

Help us spread the word, and thanks!

UPDATE: Using a random number generator, our winners have been decided: Trip Grass of Tucson, Arizona; Stephane Meyer of Huningue, France; Margaret Louise Steck of Scottsdale, Arizona; and Matthew Salisbury of San Diego, California. Congrats! We like to think you all are winners, but honestly you’re just not. Only these four people were. See you next time!

After almost a year since its inception, our website is finally complete. We’ve worked very hard over the last couple of weeks to put the final bricks into place, including lots of new content and a handful of new projects.

The most significant upgrade has been the addition of an integrated store (for which we’ve developed a pretty neat shipping system). We also rearranged the content on our work page a bit, condensing the logos and posters into their own sections. Also new is the rollover zoom for the posters, which allows you to see a bit more of the finer details.

We’ve added more info to the company page, in order to more clearly explain our philosophy as a design firm “committed to environmental responsibility.” We’ve also added a few significant blog posts, including a behind the scenes process post and this mega-post about paper.

We wanted to point out a couple of hidden gems on the site that will likely go unnoticed by a majority of visitors. If you haven’t already stumbled across them, there are two rollovers that provide endless entertainment. The first is the skillet in the site’s footer and the second is the dutch oven on the home page. Last, something you’ll hopefully never see (but naturally is one of our favorite things on the site) is the 404 page.

Last but most certainly not least, we are having a sale and giveaway in the general store. We’re giving away four prints and all you need to do is follow us on twitter or like us on facebook to enter.

If you find any errors, send us an e-mail and we’ll send you a complimentary CIDCo postcard.

CERTIFICATIONS

There are many different paper certification organizations, all whom ensure the paper is made using fibers originating from a responsibly-managed forest. A few of the most common certifications are FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council), SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), and Green-E. A designer may choose to specify the use of a paper with a sustainably-managed certification because it is presented as a responsible choice, however, planting new trees is not equivalent to saving forests. Plantations of new trees host approximately 90% fewer species than the old growth forests that preceded them. As a result, ecosystems are damaged and biodiversity decreases. If you choose to use a certified paper, try to specify one that protects ancient forests. Another confusing facet is that certified paper doesn’t need to be entirely composed of certified fiber (often labeled as “mixed sources”) in order to gain the certification label. Negatives aside, specifying a paper from responsibly managed forests is a step in the right direction.

WATER

Another factor in the paper making process is the use of water. The extremely water-intensive process begins with a slurry mix of about 98% water, and as a result paper manufacturers use more water than any other industry in the world. The production of recycled paper uses far less water, and the use of post-consumer waste (PCW) fibers gives an additional life cycle to paper in addition to keeping it out of a landfill. The higher the percentage of post-consumer waste, the better.

BLEACHING

In the past, chlorine bleach was typically used during paper production to whiten the pulp. Chlorine produces dioxin, which is highly toxic and bioaccumulates (meaning it persists in the environment and as a result can be found in the breast milk of today’s mothers). Chlorine-free bleaching processes are more commonly used today, including Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) and the more environmentally preferable Process Chlorine Free (PCF, or TCF – Totally Chlorine Free). Paper bleached using elemental chlorine, still a common practice in developing countries, should be avoided.

ENERGY

Paper production consumes vast amounts of energy typically derived from fossil fuels (coal, gas, etc), producing CO2 emissions and contributing to global warming. An increasing number of paper mills are using renewable energy to power their plants. Choosing a paper that is produced using renewable energy can make a substantial difference in terms of its environmental footprint.

ALTERNATIVE FIBERS

Papers made from alternative fibers are often presented as responsible options, but they too can have caveats. Bamboo, for example, uses very little water, requires no chemicals to grow efficiently and needs less energy to break down the fibers than wood pulp. While these qualities are appreciable, the problem lies in the transportation of the fibers. A majority of bamboo is grown in Asia, and the greenhouse gases emitted from transporting the fibers to the other side of the globe outweigh the benefits. Another appropriate example is cotton. Most cotton paper available uses cotton grown in the U.S., however, conventionally grown cotton is the most chemically dependent crop in the world.

IN CLOSING

There are even more factors to consider, and the selection of information given above demonstrates that choosing a ‘green’ paper, and furthermore any sustainable material, is a complex system of weights and balances, requiring lots of research. It is of paramount importance for the designer to become aware of these factors and choose the most environmentally responsible material for each project.

Jack Sinclair Letterpress Studio logo

When beginning this project we felt that in order to properly brand a letterpress studio, homage must be paid to the age-old discipline of letterpress printing. Letterpress has a very rich history, and the logo alludes to that history by referencing the union badges that letterpress printers were once a part of. To further supplement the logo’s authenticity, we restricted our type choices to those that physically exist as lead type in the studio’s type collection (we used Alternate Gothic, Clarendon Bold, and Hellenic Wide). Jack Sinclair—the studio’s namesake—was an avid letterpress printer himself and was a major donor of presses and type to the program. His posthumous donation, along with the contributions and donations of many others, has positioned the University of Arizona as proprietors of one of the largest type collections in Arizona.

photopolymer plate on press

Established under academia, the studio has an emphasis on education and combining new technology with vintage letterpress machinery; we wanted to convey this notion with the design and production of the various print materials. First, we digitally designed the materials with typefaces that were drawn based on letterforms from the golden age of letterpress. Next, photopolymer plates were created from the designs (the plates were made by Boxcar Press and after use sent back to them for recycling). Finally, the plates were used to print the materials manually with a letterpress.

Mohawk Loop, Smooth Ivory, 160lb double thick cover, 100% post-consumer

For the grand opening celebration, the university wanted it to be a fun and lavishly letterpress-filled event. We designed an invitation, commemorative print, bookmarks and a set of coasters. It was a particular challenge to integrate responsible design decisions here, as letterpress commonly uses rubber-based or oil-based inks and is printed on thick paper typically made from cotton (conventionally grown cotton uses egregious amounts of insecticides and pesticides). The goal was to create responsibly-produced objects while maintaining the beauty and aesthetic qualities of letterpress. We did some research and it seemed that vegetable-based letterpress inks weren’t available (or up to standard) quite yet. The search for a responsibly-produced paper, however, we knew would be much more successful and resulted in settling on Mohawk’s Loop line. With the exception of the coasters, everything was printed on Smooth Ivory, a 100% recycled, 160lb double thick cover.

Overall the paper served our needs well, but it presented a few problems and in retrospect we probably would have spec’d a different paper. To achieve the much sought after “deep impression” that we were aiming for, the ideal paper is soft and spongy. The “Loop Smooth” was very rigid, and had a very fine tooth. We’ve since used the “Antique Vellum” line (also Mohawk Loop) for letterpress which is a much more suitable choice for a deep impression, and also has a very distinct tooth we’re quite fond of. Also, the rigid double thick cover presented another problem: while printing the invitations, the duplexed sheet would sometimes split, resulting in some unnecessary waste that our printer speculated was due to the rigidity of the sheet. We contacted Mohawk and they quickly replaced our paper loss.

invite layout plan (click to view larger)

The invitation was printed in a fairly large quantity and in order to minimize paper use we designed it in a postcard format that could be mailed without the use of an envelope. We worked within the USPS postal regulations to develop a unique size that would stand out from other mailpieces. Due to the large quantity and technical expertise required, we worked with expert Jim Irwin of Letterpress Finesse to print the invitation. He did an amazing job and absolutely nailed the registration. The rest of the materials were printed in-house at the Jack Sinclair Letterpress Studio with the help of design student and printer extraordinaire Rob Wilson.

invite close-up: the two interlocking gears required exact registration

To make use of the paper trimmings (waste) from the art print, we designed bookmarks using the lead type in the shop. This not only negated the need for a photopolymer plate but also added to the variety of the print materials produced for the event: letterpress printing using new technologies and letterpress printing using traditional methods.

art print and bookmark layout plan

The coasters required a super thick paper and we had a lot of trouble finding a responsible paper that would be suitable. Not every battle can be won, and in the end we settled on something less than satisfactory. That aside, overall we were very happy with the way the project went and learned a lot along the way. For more photos of the work, view our flickr.

The event was a great success, and both the invite and event memorabilia were very well received. If you have any feedback, questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.

Inside Borderlands Brewery

I attended the VelociPrint bike art show last night in Tucson, AZ. There was a ton of great prints with a variety of different styles. The turnout was great and the event was indeed a grand ol’ time. On a side note, I highly recommended the Vanilla Porter from Borderlands Brewery.

We ship our packages as responsibly as we can. Below is a walkthrough of our process for shipping out posters and prints from the general store. Even for those not interested in “green” shipping, our packaging methods are cheaper than other methods we’ve seen, so it still might be worth taking a look. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments below or drop us a line.

Materials

The majority of our shipping supplies are fulfilled by Uline, a company that produces and distributes its products in the U.S.A. First, we start by wrapping the posters for protection. We use a kraft paper roll that is 100% recycled, with a minimum 70% post-consumer content (on occasion we use scrap paper if we have any lying around). Once wrapped, the posters are packed in a poster tube that is also 100% recycled with a miniumum 70% post-consumer content. The tubes we use are snap-seal, which saves money but more importantly doesn’t use the more common plastic end caps. We use stamps with non-toxic ink to mark the tubes. For security purposes we tape the ends of the tube with a non-reinforced (the reinforced type has fiberglass strands) water-activated kraft sealing tape instead of the standard plastic packaging tape. Finally, we print the shipping labels out on a 100% post-consumer paper and use a standard non-toxic glue stick to adhere it to the tubes. This isn’t by any means ideal, but we couldn’t find a better alternative to using the standard plastic-backed adhesive sheets. In total, our materials cost for shipping out one tube is a little more than $1.25.

Carbon Offsets

Shipping itself has a significant environmental footprint, and to counter this we purchase carbon offsets for each shipment. From wikipedia — “A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere.” Carbon offsets have a bit of a bad wrap, and are often controversial, but we figure regardless of their validity we’re supporting good causes like renewable energy which almost everyone can agree is a good thing.

Our method of purchasing carbon offsets is pretty neat. We use greenshipping.com, a service which helps streamline the process. Upon shipping, information about the package (weight, destination, etc) is sent to their system and the proper carbon offsets are then calculated and automatically deducted from our account. Eventually the offsets are purchased from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

It’s far from being a perfect system, and if you have feedback or suggestions, we’d love to hear it. We’re always trying to improve. Every little bit counts.™

Here’s a snapshot of our current corporate status. We’re in good standing. That’s right, honest businessmen here. You can believe that.

And, hey, ya know what? If you don’t want to take our word for it you can see for yourself.

Take a look at the award we just got in the mail for our previously mentioned winning entry in the 2011 AIGA MN Design Show. It feels great to get our hands on something solid like this as recognition for all the hard work we put into our website.

While you’re at it, go ahead and visit the recently completed winner’s showcase site to see all the other great work that got into the show. There’s some amazing work in there, and we’re very proud to be included in such esteemed company.