KRISTINE Arellano

Owner of Presshaus LA

Silverlake, Los Angeles, CA

www.presshausla.com
Instagram @presshausla
Pinterest

WHAT DO YOU DO?

“I help make print designs from the screen come to life in paper through letterpress printing.”

WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?

A few years ago, I started anew after I spent a year abroad. I had just quit my LA job in the non-profit sector and found fulfillment in paper and design through an apprenticeship in a letterpress workshop in Munich, Germany. I wanted to bring what I learned back home to LA, found a press and never turned back.

FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD, WHAT DO THEY USUALLY LACK?

Precision and attention to fine detail is required as a pressman. Do good, quality work and they will notice.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?

This past month I have been working on prints for Folklor LA + Ludlow Kingsley. My email inbox is open to myriad of designers, businesses and future brides who send me their files and inquires.

Yo people! There's so much more to letterpress than business cards + wedding invitations.

WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?

The projects posted on my website reflect my taste + style. My personal taste lean toward minimal chic (how cliché!) with a preference to let the tactile quality of printing shine.

WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?

Going out to cultivate collaborations for Presshaus LA. As a long shot, I wouldn't mind doing music gigs again either.

WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?

I prioritize my clients! It's a blessing and a curse. I could be creating prints for PresshausLA rather than for other people.

IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?

Fielding inquiries, creating estimates and accounting. Creating an estimate sucks up time and doesn't guarantee getting the job. I'd rather be on the press.

LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?

You can't design for everybody.

For the first 2 years, I said yes to nearly everything. In the process, I realized I can't design prints that don't align with my personal taste. I have an archive of super ornate wedding invitations that will never see the light of day from my early days.

IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?

Creating steady income + growth while staying true to my aesthetic.

WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

My favorite projects are always with clients who push letterpress printing through design. I wouldn't mind collaborating to create a special series of prints. That could be cool.

DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.

Last year, I met my dream wedding client! She was married on safari in South Africa. We saw eye to saw in taste and I designed and printed all collaterals. We were both enjoying the process from a Pinterest board to PDF proofs then to print. There were about 15 print pieces from invitations to napkins. Never had I imagined for my prints to end up as far as Johannesburg and in Vogue Magazine. She was my client for nearly a 1.5+ years and now we're paper friends.

WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?

Estimates are given on a project to project basis. Each one is unique. Projects tend to start around $400 and up.

hello@presshausla.com

HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?

An email sharing something personal along with specifics of your print is always nice.

I sometimes receive emails saying "I need business cards" and no other text. Those go straight to the trash.

HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?

Go beyond what you know. Make friends younger than you.

Kristine Arellano