Which paper for your letterpress business cards?
The answer is settled quickly: one board only, 580 gsm mechanical pulp, because the technique demands it. Letterpress presses into the stock instead of laying ink on top, so the board has to be thick enough to hold the impression without piercing or buckling. At 580 gsm the card has a visible edge, real weight in the hand, and a clean bite. This uncoated board takes ink into the fibre, giving a matt, slightly softened result that is nothing like a four colour solid. That is exactly the point. The technique has its own letterpress section.
The available size
One size only, 85 x 54 mm, the standard business card format. That is consistent: a letterpress business card is noticed for its thickness and its relief, not for an unusual outline. It fits a cardholder, slips into a wallet and files with the rest. The difference appears the moment it is picked up.
Single and double sided printing
Printing the front only concentrates the relief on the essentials: name, role, logo, contact details. Double sided adds a second pressed face for a graphic signature, a strapline or details in another language. Each side is pressed in turn, so a double sided card carries two impressions answering each other through the board.
Preparing your file
Supply artwork at 300 DPI in CMYK, with 2 mm bleed, a 4 mm safety margin and fonts converted to outlines. Letterpress rewards clean shapes and sensible type sizes: avoid hairline rules and very light weights, which lose legibility once pressed into the fibre.
2M Numerique at your side
These letterpress business cards are made in our workshop in Manciet, in the Gers: 100% Made In Occitanie, the local production explained in our responsible approach. Other options sit alongside them in the card range, and we are glad to talk through which one suits your identity.