the adventure

Whether you are looking for a new pre-designed calling card
or a fully custom one-of-a-kind wedding suite,
this is where to learn about our process and navigating your experience with Parallel.

Choosing a printer, and a printing medium such as letterpress, can be a vast endeavor. It is important to look at the variety of services + design style. We encourage you to find a printer who you connect with and will enjoy interacting with for 2-8 weeks of your life. We know you have plenty of amazing choices when you choose a letterpress printer, and although we are confident in our impeccable craftsmanship, we only want you to choose Parallel if it’s going to be fun and you love what we do.

Enjoying every moment of the process is high on our priority list and we wish it to be on yours too. So please take a moment and read through this page and check out our goods. If it’s a great fit, we really can’t wait to hear from you!

We are delighted to offer a selection of goods ready to be personalized by you, along with a boutique line of choose-your-own-adventure designs. If you love our look, but desire something more, we also provide one-of-a-kind custom design services to guide you to the destination you’ve been dreaming of.

personalized :

Our personalized goods have been thoughtfully designed to stand on their own, apart from the norm + expected. They are just waiting for you to make them your own. You can find them in our everyday + special occasion sections.

one-of-a-kind custom :

Our one-of-a-kind custom design services are pretty super duper. We are fortunate to work with some amazing designers, and we absolutely love that we get to share them with you. If this is your fancy we will set you up with a private design consultation. It may sound daunting, but it’s really fun and you can find out more on our one-of-a-kind services + pricing pages.

content:

We are continually adding ideas + inspiration to our content page.
Check it out, we might just have what you’ve been searching for.

Samples are a smart way to feel the impression of letterpress while seeing the paper + ink options in person. Variations in photo lighting, computer monitor calibrations, and even web browser choice will affect the appearance of our goods on screen compared to how they look in person. To get an accurate feel for the beauty of letterpress, as well as giving yourself the tools to truly customize your project, we suggest scheduling a visit or ordering our samples.

We offer some full size samples of actual projects, and many individual smaller samples to show our color + paper offerings. Bonus: the sample packet cost will be credited to your invoice when you place your order. Ready for samples? Find them on our sample page.

Each project experience ends up being a little different, here is approximately what to expect:

• review and choose from our offered design options
• list desired components : business card, stationery, invitation, save-the-date, thank you cards, etc
• review + compile content
• provide all inspiration for custom work: pinterest boards, images, sketches, words of intention
• calculate quantity of pieces desired for your project
• schedule a visit OR order samples as needed
• submit your project, with as much detail as possible, via the corresponding online order form

Please note the power of planning ahead. When to place an order will vary between projects, but you should always factor in when you will need the finished product, including shipping times to you, when you will have all of the content collected for the project, rsvp deadlines for you and your day-of-event vendors, planning + design time, and the availability on our press schedule.

Once we have received your project information and the accompanying deposit the design process phase will commence. This phase will differ in length + depth depending on the amount of customizing your project requires.

If you have chosen one of our personalized or choose-your-own-adventure designs this portion of the process should go fairly quickly. We will have your first proof to you in 2-4 business days after receiving your complete content + your deposit. Many personalized projects may be ready for final approval after the first or second proof.

If you are delving into a custom adventure you can expect a bit more communication prior to receiving the first proof. Please place a detailed inquiry via our one-of-a-kind services page. We will be in touch within 1 business day to set up a time to discuss your project and it’s individual needs. After that we should be able to provide you with a custom project quote, estimated timeline, and contract. If all is good to go we will receive your signed contract + applicable information + deposit and move full-steam ahead with your one-of-a-kind custom design.

The proofing process is our way of communicating your vision into a design. Each project includes visual proofs that will be sent to you as a high quality digital pdf via email. This will be your chance to review wording, dates, spelling, etc. The best way to reduce the potential stress of reviewing your proof is to provide spotless content at the beginning of the design process. During each review phase please be sure to be concise + clear, and consolidate as many revisions and as much feedback as possible. This will ensure your project stays organized, on time, and on budget. Additional rounds of edits + proofs can be added to your invoice on a project size or per piece basis.

When you are over the moon happy with the design, and all revisions are in place, you’ll be ready to give final proof approval. At that time we will supply you with a final balance invoice + payment instruction for your final payment in full.

Once your final payment is in place we will begin the printing process, and there will be no additional revisions. Please review our policies page for more information on typos, errors, changes, or cancellation after this point in the process.

Please also note the importance of thoroughly reviewing all of your proofs, especially prior to final sign-off. The content of the proof will transfer directly to the final product. Once you approve the final proof there will be no more opportunities to check for errors in spelling, punctuation, content, etc. We often recommend having as many people as possible review the design files {you know the type of people who are natural spell checkers and know what punctuation does what}. Reprints can be very costly in money + time lost.

This is actually a really exciting part of the process.
The next time you see the design
you will be holding the finished product in your hands!

Letterpress printing is an antique process done on vintage presses. While the process creates an unmatchable beautiful impression in the paper, and Parallel strives for perfection in every project, subtle hairline variations in amount of impression, inking, color, paper batches, and printing position are to be expected from piece to piece. For this reason Parallel (and, for that matter, all other letterpress printers) can only guarantee that there is a beauty in the handmade nature of letterpress, and no two pieces will be exactly identical under the magnifying loupe. It is all very much what makes the process and end result so uniquely perfect.

To minimize these undulations as well as overall cost, we recommend that you order all of your project pieces at the same time to be printed at the same time.

We offer a handful of services between when your project is printed and when you receive it. These services are typically included as an addition and can be found on our pricing page. Please note that many of these services may add 1-5 business days on to your projects timeline.

• suite assembly : gently collating your suite + filling envelopes (if pre-addressed) + etc
• addressing envelopes : custom calligraphy or digital printing of your recipients address
• posting : calculating the postage, applying postage, and delivering to the post office

These are all helpful additions that can actually reduce your overall event planning timeline. If you are interested, please add these on before your final payment so we may add these to your individual project.

We currently have equal access to USPS, UPS, and FedEx. If you have a preference, or will require expedited 3-day or overnight shipping, please let us know prior to your final payment. Whichever option you choose, all orders will have a tracking number + require signature confirmation. Please be sure your provided shipping address will be able to accommodate a signature upon delivery. Local clients are always welcome to arrange to pick-up their orders at our studio in lieu of shipping.

When you do receive your lovingly packed finished project, please be prepared for smiles brimming over with joy, tiny dances, and an overwhelming desire to share with the world!

Once your initial inquiry is received, please expect a response from us within 1-2 business days.

Projects generally take 15-40 business days to complete the entire process (initial consultation, design, proofs, print, + delivery). We know that sounds like a crazy spread, but in reality there just isn’t a one-size-fits-all timeline. The factors include (but are not limited to): choosing a personalized vs custom design, client quickness of communication + decision making, efficiency/extent of edit requests, number of additional embellishments, and our current press schedule availability.

The time needed for a completely custom project can vary significantly. Depending on the extent of your revisions, revised proofs can typically be supplied in 3-5 business days. If we do have the pleasure of working on a custom project for you, please allow an average of 15-20 business days for the creation of your one-of-a-kind design, from initial design consultation to final proof sign-off.

Once we receive your final proof approval + associated payment the printing process will begin immediately, and you can expect your project to be ready for delivery or pick up within 10-20 business days.

non – business days :

Please note that we (and our material suppliers) regularly attempt to observe resting, and all the fun that comes with that, on the following (non-business) days:

• the classics : Saturday + Sunday whenever possible
• Martin Luther King Day in January
• President’s Day in February
• Memorial Day in May
• USA Independence Day the 3rd-5th of July
• Labor Day in September
• Thanksgiving Week in November
• Winter Break approximately 12/20 – 01/03
• other time constraints include: sleeping, eating, deciding what’s for dinner, + the occasional craft fair

in a rush services :

Do you need your project guaranteed printed in 10 business days or less after final-proof approval? Adding a rush to your order may be an option, please add your request to your initial inquiry or order form. We are happy to accommodate rush needs whenever we can, however availability of the service depends on the complexity + size of your project, as well as our current printing schedule. Please always inquire + see our general pricing page for rush fees.

Ready to get your project started?
You’ve read through this page, checked out the goods, and studied the policies pages?

The best + quickest way to begin is by emailing your design inquiry via our contact us page. Or, if by some fantastic chance we have answered all of your questions and you are ready to place your order please do by ordering directly from the corresponding goods page.

We look forward to working with you.