Why are your prices lower than most calligraphers in Manhattan?
As
we stated on the home page, we do this out of love for the art not as a
primary source of income. Also, we're new to the market and are
not as accomplished or recognized as some of our competitors, hence we
charge less.
What kind of stationery / paper do you recommend?
Pointed
pen calligraphers love hot pressed papers on which ink won't bleed or
feather when applied. If you can't write well defined lines
on the paper with a fountain pen, we certainly won't be able
to get a clean line with a pointed nib. Also, soft papers with
super high rag content or highly textured papers may look
and feel great, but a steel pen nib will probably get hung up
on the fibers.
Always test your paper first with a fountain pen!
We recommend the following brands for paper stock, envelopes, escort cards, etc.:
I don't see any exemplars of invitations on you webiste. Will you create invitations?
Of
course. However, we are only starting our portfolio but would be
very happy to work with you in creating an invitation to suit your
needs.
What about artwork? Will you create customized artwork?
That all depends on your interpretation of artwork. Some calligraphers will
add finishing touches to each invitation or envelope, such as
handpainted flowers, fruit, leaves, cartouches, etc. These
elements, although beautiful, do add a significant amount of cost when
hand excuted for each piece. They require a great amount of
time for a small shop like ours with limited resources.
We are more than willing to discuss
and experiment with ornamental elements that are fairly rapid to
execute, but we are not trained as engravers or portraitists.
We'll be very honest with you as to our abilities when you contact us.
o you do gilding?
In small quantities, yes. If you are interested in gilding, whether flat or raised, please let us know.
How long do jobs usually take?
It
depends on the complexity of the job, the time of year (holiday seasons
and wedding season) and the current workload. However you should
count on a minimum of 3 to 5 weeks for most orders to be completed.
Please plan on booking your order several months in advance.
o you do gilding?