When I bought my first press, I was six months out of my apprenticeship at a local printshop, Blue Barnhouse, six months into my marriage, and 2 months in to a job at a law firm that I already ached to leave. On my lunch breaks I would draw in my sketchbook, put together plate orders, call paper distributors, and work on my tumblr blog. I named what I hoped would turn into a business “Mink” after my maiden name – Minkin – and I named my press “Esmeralda” after a character that my maternal grandmother performed. When I got off work I would go to Esmeralda’s makeshift home, also known as my parents’ garage, and scrub and oil and clean all of her nooks and crannies. Finally, after a couple months of gathering supplies and planning, I inked my own press for the first time. It was good. It was love.
After selling a handful of cards, someone on etsy reached out to me about a custom job. It was exhilarating. More jobs continued to come in until, the following year, we began to design a backyard studio with a plan to spend my work week there instead of the law firm.
Then a baby. A son: Asher. Then a move, with a new studio in an old outbuilding at our new (old) home. Then a new press, a Heidelberg Windmill, which amazes and inspires me daily (though I have yet to name her). Then a daughter: Isla.
Now it’s been eight years since I bought my first press and began working with clients on their wedding invitations, business materials, and all kinds of other prints and announcements. If you have a project you’d like to begin, I vow to approach it with the same care and awe as I did the first time I inked my press.
It is still good, it is still exhilarating, it is still love.
Nicole Minkin Lissenden
Testimonials
Flawless taste + creative genius + 100 year old press = the best paper goods in NC. We couldn’t have asked for a more lovely, more timeless, or a more personal wedding suite than the one Nicole created for us. Her taste is impeccable and the execution is stunning. Go with Mink Letterpress if you want invitations you and your guests can cherish forever!
— Lizzie C.I really enjoyed working with Mink Letterpress. Excellent customer service but more importantly, stunning work. Nicole is a master of her craft, able to innovate on the fly. Highly recommend!
— Susan I.
Excellent attention to detail and impeccable designs. Nicole is a joy to work with, and a real creative treasure. Our wedding invitations were stunning – we received so many compliments on them. Nicole provided us with just the right amount of guidance as we chose the design, wording, and layout of our save the dates and invites. We will certainly look to Mink Letterpress for all of our future letterpress needs.
— Suzannah R.
Nicole with Mink Letterpress was an absolute pleasure to work with on our Wedding Invitations. Every step of the process was made as easy as possible, from the initial designs, pricing, proofs and revisions, to the on-time delivery and beautiful final product, it was a breeze. The attention to detail and quality materials really stand out from the competition and we are thrilled with how they turned out!
— Leslie F.
For our Asheville wedding, my fiance and I wanted to keep it local and Mink Letterpress was the perfect match. Our wedding invitations couldn’t have been more perfect and working with Nicole at Mink Letterpress from design to execution was extremely easy considering we were planning the wedding from out of town. The quality of our invitations was outstanding and we’ve received so many compliments on them so far. We hope to work with Mink Letterpress again in the future!
— Megan M.
Nicole at Mink Letterpress is such a pleasure to work with. Recently she designed some beautiful wedding invitations and programs for me – they all turned out just as I had envisioned. I am so grateful for the wonderful work that she does. This is certainly not the last time I will be working with Nicole, she is the one to count on for all of your high end letterpress needs!
— Emma Z.