Spring 2017 PRINT »


Vintage Letterpress: What’s Old Is New Again


INSIGHTS


NEWS | REVIEWS | IDEAS | OPINION |


came to be a treasured commemorative item—something you could take home as a piece of memorabilia. As Sherraden explains, “It’s an organic style of printing and design technology considered to be a touchstone to the way posters were made in the old days.” The tactile feel and unique look has been appreciated now for generations, and the glory days of letterpress are once again being realized by designers both young and old. Celene Aubry, Print Shop Manager


at Hatch, explains that their shop is seeing an increase in demand for letterpress posters. This is partly because Nashville has become a popular destination for meetings, conferences, trade shows, and events, and marketers want to commemorate their events with something special, something that has a tie to the city’s history and culture. Since Hatch Show Print’s history is closely intertwined with Nashville’s musical history, their posters have become a popular promotional item and giveaway.


In a world where marketing technology is advancing faster than humans can absorb, savvy marketers are discovering that what’s old is new again and that a return to vintage media can showcase a brand and have a powerful impact on how consumers engage with and remember it. They are also discovering that sensory experiences, especially those based on haptics—the science of touch— can shift the brain and create a deeper level of engagement.


Marketers looking to stand out


and create a sensorial experience might consider letterpress printing. Hatch Show Print, one of America’s oldest letterpress print shops, established in 1879 in downtown Nashville, is a testament to the power of vintage techniques and the experiences they can create. The shop, which attracts 50,000 visitors annually, offers a fully immersive experience. The walls are lined with letterpress show posters spanning from 1928 to today, and the same presses that were used more than


125 years ago continue to delight a new customer base with both vintage re-strikes and newly designed posters. Visitors to the shop listen and watch as every print is hand set, hand inked, hand cranked, hand trimmed, and hand wrapped. The shop serves as a working museum and a tribute to the heritage and craft of design. “Advertising without posters is


like fishing without worms,” says Jim Sherraden, Master Printer and Curator at Hatch Show Print. Historically, letterpress posters were used for advertising special events, but they also


While the ties to Nashville are


important, Aubry says that they are contacted by marketers and designers from all over the world who are interested in letterpress, people who want to recreate a vintage feel for a new project. The letterpress poster, which was commonplace in its own era, now stands out as something different, something special and handcrafted that connects audiences with a larger experience. In a lot of ways, the posters and handbills of the past, which were once thought of as obsolete, have become modern again, and both


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