ARB Letterpress is a full production commercial letterpress shop in Kansas City that specializes in letterpress, foil stamping, embossing, die cutting and bindery finishing work. ARB Letterpress was founded by shop owner Jan White.
Jan worked in a print shop bindery her first year of college with an older gentlemen that ran a Heidelberg Windmill. After working there a while they began to train her on the Windmill and that was her first introduction to the letterpress industry. She learned how to handset type for envelopes, letterhead and business cards and she fell in love with craft. Letterpress allows us to be creative with something tangible - letterpress let’s us get our hands dirty and create beautiful pieces.
After several years of traveling and career changes Jan ended up back in the print industry where she eventually learned how to run more equipment like Kluges and Heidelberg Cylinders. Once the last place she worked closed it’s doors, the timing seemed right to start a business of her own with her husband Brad where they became experts in foil stamping, die cutting and embossing. After several years perfecting those trades, Jan started to miss the art of creating and putting ink on paper with handset wood and metal type.
An opportunity presented itself to buy a small letterpress printing shop and that was the start of a renewed love of the printing process. She acquired a Gordon printing press and a lot of type and old cuts. The love of setting type and creating art on paper had grown. The result is incredible of course, but in her opinion the process is equally as great.
Address:
1527 Atlantic Street, North Kansas City, Missouri, 64116, United States
