The Art & Craft of Letterpress
Welcome to Nesja Press! We're passionate about preserving the artistry and craftsmanship of historic letterpress printing. We specialize in traditional hand typesetting and relief printing techniques, but also use modern-day methods such as polymer plates generated from digital files. We handcraft stationery, invitations, art prints, notebooks and other fine paper goods. Our antique presses primarily run on human power. Take a look around to see all that we have to offer. Purchase one of our unique creations, sign up for a workshop, or hire us to create something special, we’d be glad to help.
Personalized Letterpress Notecards
Handcrafted letterpress notecards are a thoughtful gift for family, friends and clients too! Select from eight elegant designs, three paper colors, and eight ink and matching envelope colors. We hand typeset the name of your choice in moveable metal type and letterpress print it on velvety cotton cardstock.
Follow the link below to see all design choices, available quantities and pricing. Customize your order and pay securely on this website. Within two business days we’ll provide a digital proof of your notecards. After you approve the proof, we’ll move forward with printing. We’ll complete your order as soon as possible, but please plan for up to a 10 day turnaround.
Limited Edition Contemporary Cartoon Art Prints
We’ve teamed up with New Yorker cartoonist, Drew Dernavich, to create a series of limited edition letterpress art prints. Learn more and shop the collection!
A bagel’s journey becomes a hilarious and strangely relatable parable in “Bagel Story”—a limited-edition collaboration between New Yorker cartoonist Drew Dernavich and letterpress artist Christy Nesja.
Told in six linocut panels with handset letterpress captions, the print follows the evolution of one bagel’s life: from plain bagel… to multigrain bagel… to a triumphant bagel with EVERYTHING. But even with everything, contentment is fleeting. The bagel grows dissatisfied, questions its goals and values—and ultimately circles back to being a plain bagel.
The Bagel Story cartoon was originally published in traditional black and white in the January 28, 2008 issue of "The New Yorker." For our three color interpretation, Drew prepared his drawing for relief printing by hand-carving two linoleum blocks. Christy hand-composed wood and metal type to work with Drew's image, and selected the three ink colors.
Equal parts funny and philosophical, “Bagel Story” is a tongue-in-cheek take on modern ambition, consumer culture, and the eternal craving for more. Hand-printed on fine paper, signed and numbered by both artists, this print is both a collector’s item and a conversation starter.
Concept, drawing and hand-carved linocut by Drew Dernavich
Layout, hand-typesetting and letterpress printing by Christy Nesja
Printed with hand-carved linoleum and handset type on a human-powered press
Limited edition of 100 signed and numbered prints
Trim size: 12 x 9 inches
Sold unframed
Paper: Crane Lettra 110 lb. Pearl White, 100% cotton, tree-free
Packaged in a clear sleeve with backing board
Each print comes with a signed certificate of authenticity
Drew is widely known for his distinctive wood-cut style drawings created on scratch board. His cartoons appear regularly in “The New Yorker,” and he’s won the National Cartoonists Society’s “Reuben Award” as the country’s best gag cartoonist. To learn more about Drew and his storied career, please visit his website. Learn more about our collaborative working process here.
“Bagel Story” was selected for the 2024 Hamilton “New Impressions Exhibit” in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. It received the In-Person People's Choice Award by those who voted.
International shipping available for this item when purchased through our Etsy shop: https://nesjapress.etsy.com
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