HANDMADE : Type Set by Hand

CLAUDIA LAUB sets type the old-fashioned way--by hand. And the work of the Claudia Laub Studio is vivid proof of the adage: “Everything old is new again.” Laub uses antique typefaces and the time-honored letterpress method of printing to produce exquisite handcrafted invitations, announcements and stationery. In this high-tech age of computer design, typesetting and printing, it’s rare to see type set by hand, letter by letter, and printed one piece at a time, one color at a time.

Laub’s 500 drawers of type include many irreplaceable antique fonts, and her handmade papers come from Italy, France and Japan, as well as from the United States. Unlike offset printing--the method most widely used today--letterpress type has a certain “depth” to it. As the inked type is pressed, each letter “bites” into the paper, which, Laub says, creates a desirable texture.

In addition to her custom work, Laub creates an internationally distributed line of greeting cards ($1 to $14).

Claudia Laub Studio greeting cards are available at Fred Segal, Card Factory and Brenda Himmel stationery stores.