Letterpress revival

Letterpress –  old fashioned relief printing using a press and movable type – has made a strong resurgence in recent years. Its inherent tactility is attracting new legions of devotees, perhaps as a reaction to ubiquitous, ‘soulless’ digital printing.

Amongst the practitioners of this almost forgotten technique is K&i Design Studio. K&i is an independent Cape Town based graphic design studio delivering fresh, tasty, and authentic design solutions. Owned and managed by South African born Karl, and Ida from the near-Arctic Lapland, Sweden. After seven years working in London, Karl and Ida returned to South Africa to set up K&i Design Studio. K&i’s strengths lie in producing creative and honest design solutions within graphic design and illustration for both print and online.

Some of their recent clients and projects include: SA Innovation Summit, Performing Arts Network Of South Africa (PANSA), Deep Dark Africa, Cape Community Newspapers, Element SA, a cookbook entitled From the heart, and the old craft of letter- press.

In collaboration with Planetpress printers, K&i’s latest endeavour into letterpress involves making cards, tags, artworks, collaborating with artists and letterpress lovers, and spreading the joy and craftsmanship of letterpress. K&i’s mission is to be at the heart of, and to create a platform for, creative letterpress printing in SA.

Apart from design, Karl and Ida love to go on bike rides, spend time in their veggie garden, bake their own bread, go to art galleries, look at slides on their old Kodak Carousel projector and make old school – new school. They sound like people I’d really like to meet.

For more info on K&i Design Studio, visit their website at www.kandi.co.za