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November 20, 2007
Talking Letters with Rebecca of Moontree Letterpress
The Modern Letter Project talks to Rebecca of Moontree Letterpress about her brand new 2008 calendar, her Japanese influences, and a day in the life at her studio.
MLP: Hi Rebecca. Please introduce yourself!
Rebecca: Hi! My name is Rebecca Kutys. I live and work in Brooklyn, New York (Park Slope and Dumbo, respectively).
MLP: Do you have a background in printing? Why letterpress?
Rebecca: I first learned letterpress printing at the Center For Book Arts in New York City. After taking a number of classes there, I became a monthly press renter. Shortly after, I left my day job to start printing full-time. I bought my own press a year later and moved into a studio in Brooklyn where I still am today. DUMBO is a great neighborhood to have a business. You get all the benefits of staying in Brooklyn, but it’s still just one stop from Manhattan so clients seem fine with popping over for studio visits.
MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Rebecca: It’s hard to be objective in describing my own style. I like nature themes, and tend to stick to very neutral and earthy ink colors. I usually try to avoid using more inks and artwork than necessary. I think you lose some of the essence of the craft when there’s too much going on visually.
MLP: You include a lot of nature these in your work—why are these forms interesting to you? What are some of your favorite designs or patterns to create?
Rebecca: I just love plants, trees and gardens, and that kind of imagery inspires me. Maybe it’s partly because I live in New York City that those things are more precious to me, but I try to surround myself with lots of green in my home and at work.
MLP: On your blog you mention you’ve been largely inspired by Japanese influences. Why is this, and what are some of your other creative inspirations?
Rebecca: I lived in Japan for a few years after college, and really fell in love with the culture. I lived in a small farming town--with no car. Usually my only source of evening entertainment was taking classes at the town community center. I studied language, ikebana, calligraphy and cooking. I also got really into origami. I had no internet back then -- which blows my mind to think about now -- but it was a really amazing experience to rely so heavily on arts and crafts to keep me sane and busy. I think it had a very big impact on me creatively.
MLP: What type of presses do you use? Tell us about your workspace.
Rebecca: Back at the Center for Book Arts I was printing on Vandercook presses (a No. 4, a Uni III and a Uni IV). After a year there I took the plunge and bought a Heidelberg Windmill Press from a retiring printer in Nashville, TN. It took me about a month of printing every day before I really got the hang of it. I’ve now owned my press for 2 1/2 years and do all my printing on it. It’s such a fantastic machine, I really lucked out with this one.
As for the space itself, I share a large studio with another Brooklyn printer, Breck from Sesame Letterpress. Having a space together allows us to share resources (for example the guillotine cutter, which is a big expense but totally essential in this line of work). Its also incredibly helpful to have another experienced printer on hand when you’ve been setting up a job for 45 minutes and can’t figure out how to get the color just right, or the text perfectly registered. No matter how much experience you have, you always need a fresh set of eyes from time to time. I also love how much fun we have at work. Aside from working hard…we listen to a lot of NPR, talk about Project Runway and obsess about our pets on a daily basis. I also really admire Breck’s talent as a designer and a printer, which keeps me inspired at work. It’s a win-win. ☺
MLP: Describe an “average” day at the studio.
Rebecca: On a typical day I arrive at my studio at around 10am. I drink coffee while answering emails, send out some estimates, read a little news, and return voicemails from the day before.
After that I write my list of things to do that day, and try to organize my desk for what I have going on. Honestly, this is the most important part of my day. As a one-person operation, staying organized is beyond critical. I have my “active” projects organized in file folders on my desk, and a clipboard of ‘pending projects/materials’ needed hanging on the wall. Samples, inks and papers are on the other side of the room near my press, and I try to keep that area as tidy as I can. As soon as my space gets messy, I just slow down.
In the afternoon I either print or do layouts, and usually go home at around 6:30pm. These days I make it a habit to leave work at work, so unless it’s a really busy time of year, I try to avoid bringing computer work home with me. Otherwise work never really stops – I learned this the hard way my first year of business.
MLP: How do you select your inks and paper? Any favorites?
Rebecca: I really like Cranes cover stock because it is 100% cotton, and comes in a 134lb and a nice 179lb weight. I also like Mohawk Superfine and Strathmore stocks. Finding good recycled stock is still a little hard, but there are new papers coming out these days to meet the increasingly high demands.
MLP: Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?
Rebecca: In October I printed the largest job I’ve had to date, 10,000 CD covers. In addition to the print work, I was responsible for some assembly, which required me to hire two assistants for the month. It was such a great experience for me because hiring employees was really hard me to contemplate before then. Clare and Malia worked so hard and were so fun to have in the studio.
MLP: Have you done collaborations with other artists?
Rebecca: Yes, I’ve done many collaborations over the past few years. I did some very cool projects with Yolande Batteau of Callidus Guild, an artist-of-the-month project for Etsy and some gorgeous invitations and identity jobs for Loeffler Randall. I’ve also done many projects with graphic designers/art directors here in New York. I love collaborating, it’s always nice to get a new perspective on the process.
MLP: Are you native New Yorker? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Rebecca: I grew up outside of Philadelphia and moved to New York City in 1999. This is tough to narrow down, but I guess my favorite places in New York City are:
Stores: ABC Home & Carpet, Takashimaya, Bird, Swallow (too many to name)
Landmarks: St. Bart’s in Midtown, Gramercy Park, Grand Central Station, Natural History Museum
Movie theater: The Ziegfeld
Venues: The Town Hall, Joe’s Pub
Food: Freeman’s, Old Town Bar, Yaffa Café, The Ear Inn, Jacques Torres, Bar Tabac
MLP: Can you tell us about your 2008 calendar?
Rebecca: Yes! The design is based on an Obi, which is the wide belt worn with a kimono. Each page has the same layout, but a different obi graphic. I’m excited about doing a calendar because its something people will actually hang up in their homes, instead of a pack of cards sitting in a desk drawer.
MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Rebecca: Yes, I’ll be updating my Etsy shop/online store on November 15th with calendars and holiday cards!
MLP: What do you forecast for trends in letterpress and note cards?
Rebecca: The biggest trend I’m noticing is the demand for recycled papers. West coast clients are usually more likely to request recycled materials, but my guess is that eventually it will be standard. The paper mills seem to be offering more recycled options these days, but hopefully that trend will continue to grow.
MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers?
Rebecca:
Sesame Letterpress
Paper+Cup Design
Palidrome Press
Little Tree Press
Port2Port
Modern Press
Cindy Jaswal
MLP: Last, but not least: are you a letter-writer?
Rebecca: I was a great letter-writer in college and when I lived abroad, perhaps because I had a little more time back then and lived far from my family and friends. I loved the satisfaction of finishing a nice letter, putting the stamp on it and dropping it in the mailbox. It always felt like such an accomplishment.
I do still write to a few friends, but mostly just on birthdays or special occasions. The exception is my friend Mark who now lives in Paris. We have an agreement to write letters every other month (he has even-numbered months, I have odd numbered). The rule is that if you miss your month, you have to write two letters next time around, so it works pretty well.
But at home in my closet is a box of every letter I’ve ever received - which always makes my Top 5 list in the what-would-you-save-in-a-fire game. I love to pull out old letters from time to time and walk down memory lane.
[You can see Rebecca's work at Moontree Letterpress and purchase her 2008 calendar and holiday card collection at her Etsy shop.]
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