Studio Origins
Nocturnal Press was founded during the summer of 2012 by Ingrid Schindall in a small basement studio in Baltimore, MD. The name started as a joke between Ingrid and her college mentor during a late night print-a-thon and was solidified following several more all-night book sewing marathons and letterpress printing sessions. After finding the perfect home in the FATVillage Arts District in Fort Lauderdale, FL in 2014 and years of perfecting techniques, scouring the internet for new equipment and hiring a fabulous and growing team under the management of Jessica Condon, Nocturnal Press has grown into a boutique press and bindery capable of handling all kinds of hand printing and binding needs. Housed within IS Projects, a collaborative printmaking studio, Nocturnal Press offers a wide range of custom letterpress printing, screen printing and book binding services. Our goal is to bring artisanal printing and binding services to the South Florida area while keeping the traditions of these unique crafts alive.
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE?
Our dedication to both quality and customization sets us apart from other print shops. Our print studio borders on museum with a large collection of antique presses, type, and binding equipment. We are the only print shop in South Florida that provides our clients with the option of printing from our large collection of antique wood and metal fonts. All shop employees are trained in fine art printing so you can be sure that everything from paper choice to ink coverage will be carefully monitored by the most knowledgeable eyes. Our love of traditional printing is paralleled by a fascination with blending new school techniques with old school equipment. We are happy to mix letterpress printing, screenprinting, die cutting, and digital printing to suit the needs of your unique project. We are also an Eco-conscious shop committed to environmentally sound studio practices and providing our customers with Eco-friendly material options.
LETTERPRESS
Letterpress printing is responsible for the age of enlightenment and the progression of humanity into the modern age! While the concept remains unchanged, the methods have changed quite a bit since the 1400’s. Historical letterpress prints were made from wood and lead type but modern letterpress designs are printed from photopolymer plates which are fully customizable and allow for any type of line to be turned into a letterpress plate. Another advantage of photopolymer plates is that they can be printed with a deep impression into paper without having to worry about damaging delicate type. This gives modern letterpress stationery a luxurious and tactile feel that cannot be produced with digital print methods. Letterpress is a spot color technique, meaning that each color must be mixed by hand to exact specification before inking up the press. Printing presses can handle one color at a time which means each color on a letterpress print is a separate run through the press. The hard work that goes into each print pays off when eyebrows raise and fingers reach out to run across the debossed surface of the paper.
SCREEN PRINTING
Screen printing dates back thousands of years and took the fine art and commercial printing worlds by storm in the early 1900’s. At Nocturnal Press we use screen printing to create exquisite prints for artists, galleries, musicians, designers, arts organizations and everyone in between. To create a screenprint, the image is printed onto film then burned to a screen. Then each print is pulled one at a time by pushing ink through the screen with a special squeegee. Screen printing is a spot printing technique which means every color in the image must be mixed by hand and each color requires its own screen and a separate run through the press. Screen printing is the most versatile printing technique we offer and allows us to print on a variety of materials including extra thick papers, board, plexiglass, mylar, wood, fabric and almost anything else as long as it’s flat! This process also shines when printing light colors on dark papers and printing neon and metallic colors that are not feasible with digital printers. Screen printing plays well with others so we love to mix it with letterpress to create head turning graphic prints!
Bookbinding
the old way
Books have come a very long way from Ancient Egypt to the year 2020 but to quote Anu Garg “Books may change but their jobs remain the same: to be a depository of histories, stories, thoughts and ideas, to record anything the human mind can imagine.” Here at Nocturnal Press we welcome all book ideas and use our years of fine binding experience to ensure that your book project is made not just to impress, but also to last. Each page of every book is folded by hand, punched, sewn and joined with a hand-crafted cover with the highest level of precision. If your book project requires additional protection or an added level of excellence we can create several different types of custom boxes and cases including clamshell boxes, slip cases, two piece boxes, scroll boxes, and more. We use archival materials and offer a wide range of eco-conscious materials so our books are not only durable but eco-friendly!