About

INKY

Hi! I'm Jen (sometimes known as Inky) and I'm incapable of pulling sensible faces for the camera. 

I'm also the designer and letterpress printer behind Inky and the Beast.

After over a decade of doing a multitude of jobs that didn't really make me happy, I found my niche when a chance encounter (and my lovely, silly husband) lead to an Adana 8x5 being popped under the Christmas tree in 2013.

With my love of making things, my slow, methodical nature (and my addiction to stationery!), the art of letterpress was perfect for me. I opened my Etsy shop in early 2014, and was running micro workshops at events that same year.

Now a mother of twins (gawd help me), I have less time to take on commissions, and I focus mainly on workshops which I run from my bright garden studio.

THE BEAST

Otherwise known as the Vicobold, this half-ton, 1950s motorised printing press came into my life in January 2015 via a well-timed online search.

I rented the Vic where it stood (which just happened to be 5 minutes up the road from me!) until the Summer when the owner decided to head back to full time work and needed to sell the press on. 

Having recently been made redundant myself, and prematurely jumped into printing full time, I didn't have the money to buy this beautiful machine, and I worried I'd lose access forever.

With all my fingers and toes crossed I turned to Kickstarter, launching a campaign to buy the press and move it into a studio where I could run regular letterpress workshops. Over the course of a month 153 wonderful people pledged and spread the word and made my wish come true. 

THE STUDIO

My new space is a brilliantly bright, unusually large studio at the end of our garden in Epsom, Surrey. It houses all three presses and a rather comfy sofa, perfect for workshops and chatting about stationery over a cuppa. 

It has a private courtyard garden for fresh air in the Summer, and central heating for keeping cosy in the Winter. It even has a kitchen (well stocked with biscuits and tea).

You can visit the studio yourself by booking on to a letterpress workshop. Dates are available in the shop now!

THE WORK 

I use colour, illustration and typography to create fun and modern stationery with that deep impression that makes you go "Ooohh".

Inspired by nature and the great outdoors, the environment is never far from my mind so I use tree-friendly cotton card (it feels so niiiiiice) and vegetable based inks for all of my work.

I love to collaborate so if you have an idea or design you think would look fab as a letterpress print then get in touch!