Sal Studios

Letterpress: where fast lives slow down.

One step at a time.
One sheet at a time.
One pull at a time.

Nothing sped up. Nothing rushed. Just the very satisfying process of making something by hand.

It’s slow. And that’s exactly why I love it.

Curious about letterpress? Comment INKY and I’ll send you my free guide to getting started.

The soundtrack of my life 🖤

If you’ve ever watched my letterpress videos and thought, I want to try this myself — I made a free guide to help you figure out where to start.

The very first step? Choosing the right press for you.

Comment ‘INKY’ and I’ll send it your way.

There’s just something about embossing that’s even better in person. The dimension, the texture, the way the light catches the impression — it’s one of those details you really have to see (and feel) for yourself.

This floral border was created entirely on my foil press — which can emboss, deboss, and foil print.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Okay, but how do I actually get one of these presses?” I put together a free guide breaking down the exact press I use, the brand + model, what I paid for it, how to budget for one, and the other supplies you’ll need to actually get started.

Comment SHINY and I’ll send you the full breakdown + details!

And stay tuned… I may have something coming soon for those of you who want to learn how to emboss on the KSF3. 👀

Does letterpress take a long time? 𝘠𝘦𝘴.

Do my feet hurt when I have to stand all day? 𝘈𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺.

Is it worth every second? 𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.

If you’re curious about this lovely (and occasionally very demanding) craft, you’re in the right place.

Comment INKY and I’ll send you my free guide to getting started with letterpress.

One of my favorite parts of running a creative business is getting to decide what I want to create — even if it looks a little different from what everyone else is doing.

When I started designing wedding stationery, I noticed most save the dates followed the same formula: a standard size, a photo, and a very traditional layout.

But honestly? I loved the idea of something simpler.

These mini save the dates are one of my favorite examples. They’re small, intentional, and designed to make an impact without needing to be oversized. They use less paper, create less waste, and the seeded paper gives them a second life after they’ve served their purpose.

And that’s the beauty of owning your own creative business.

You don’t have to wait for someone else to decide what’s “normal” or “allowed.” You get to experiment, follow your instincts, and create the things you wish existed.

Your creativity is your advantage. 🤍

Handmade Wedding Invitations 💌 Behind the Scenes

The details:
– Letterpress printed on my C&P Pilot
– Terracotta ink
– Natural handmade paper in Dusty Peach
– Rose gold foil belly bands on ivory paper

Sometimes the quiet details are what make a piece feel unforgettable.

I’ve printed thousands of invitations over the years, but the first run of a brand new design still gives me butterflies.

Weeks of mockups, tiny adjustments, paper testing, emails back and forth — and then there’s this one moment where it all becomes real. Plates mounted, ink mixed, the design pressing into paper for the very first time.

This one brought together a few of my favorite things to print: a deep letterpress impression, seeded handmade paper, and online RSVP cards (quietly one of my favorite pieces to make).

Tiny details, a lot of handwork, and a very happy printer over here 🤍

100 pulls of the lever. One stack of invitations. That’s the math nobody warns you about when you fall in love with letterpress.

Your arm knows. Your feet know. That little ache that shows up around pull 70 definitely knows.

And still, I wouldn’t trade it. Every pull is a choice to make something by hand in a world that keeps offering me faster. The impression you can actually feel. The stack at the end that’s basically proof you showed up.

This is the labor part of labor of love. Most people only ever see the love.

Been watching presses like this and wondering if you could do it too?

Comment INKY and I’ll send you my free press-buying guide — the 4 most common presses broken down by what they’re good at, where they fall short, and how to pick the right one for your space and budget.

One sheet at a time.
One impression at a time.

No giant factory. No thousands rolling off a conveyor belt.

Just paper, pressure, and a whole lot of patience.

It’s slower, but that’s kind of the point.