Online usually orders ship within 3-5 business days of the order being placed. Please see Policies for additional information.

If you are not completely happy with your order, please return merchandise within 15 business days of the date of receipt. We will issue you an exchange or refund (excluding shipping costs) once we receive the returned item(s) in its original condition and packaging. Used, opened, or final-sale items cannot be returned. Please see Policies for additional information.

Smudge Ink products can be found in over 900 retailers around the country and worldwide. Our retailers range from small boutiques and independent bookstores to florists, art supply stores, and more. Curious if there’s a retailer near you? Contact us and we can send you a list of where you might find our products. Or, head right back into our online store and shop away!

Yes! Please visit Wholesale for more information about becoming a retailer.

We design and print everything from letterpress wedding suites, birth announcements, holiday cards, and party invitations to personal and corporate stationery. If you would like to learn more about our custom design services or schedule an appointment to discuss a letterpress project, please visit our custom page to submit an inquiry.

Yes! We often work with other designers who are looking to have their work letterpress printed. If you would like to learn more about our printing services or schedule an appointment to discuss a project, please visit our custom page to submit an inquiry.

Letterpress printing is a form of relief printing where a raised image, usually a plate, is set into a press, inked, and then pressed into a piece of paper. The raised surface makes an impression in the paper, creating a lovely, three-dimensional effect. The process to set up the press for printing, hand mix and apply the inks, and make sure the inks are aligning just right (known as registration) is an extremely involved process that requires patience and an expert hand. And keep in mind this process needs to be repeated for each color. It truly is a lovely craft, the results of which no other form of printing can match.

Offset printing operates on the principle that water and oil-based ink do not mix. The images to be printed are created on the computer and then “burned” onto metal plates using a chemical developing process similar to photography. The metal plates are mounted on cylinders on the press and dampened with water that adheres to the areas without images. The ink is added next, one color at a time, where it sticks to the areas with images. The image transfers from the plate to the blanket cylinder. The paper is fed between the blanket and impression cylinder. The resulting printed piece is flat to the touch, unlike letterpress.