Aardvark Letterpress

This friendly and proficient shop is excellent. The work they are doing is stunning, very high caliber workmanship, and they are also lovely to work with. I took students from my Book Design for Photographers class here and Cary talked to us about the history of the printing press and showed us all the machines they use and what each does. He even made some of the students their own name plate as a stamp. It was fascinating and fun. I highly recommend them.

Really I like the Aardvark Letterpress. It is a unique place. I love the result of the printing. It is a great printing. I love the cards there. It inspire me to create my own business card.

Amazing service, got my business cards made in less than a day. My business cards came out like a work of art, worth the investment in yourself. Loved going through the process with Brooks, will be coming back again.

Aardvark does the most beautiful work imaginable, and the guys are great to work with. Their quality and craftsmanship are a cut above, and you feel like you’re buying paper goods (in my case, business cards) that are so different than much of today’s generic, mass-​produced printing. The work is hand done, custom designed, and ranges from the supremely elegant to the incredibly hip. Brooks is a super nice guy and is very patient and helpful with the design process; they are not happy until you are happy. Best print shop in L.A., hands down.

Being a printmaking nerd, I spend a decent amount of time next door talking with Gary at McManus & Morgan. Though I’ve heard of Aardvark Letterpress before, I didn’t know that they quite literally a few doors down. I stopped into Aardvark to check out the shop and take a look around, and Brooks gave me a little tour of the shop, and even made my name with the hot type machine and gave it a run through the press to show me how the process works.
I came back about a week later and had a small run of business cards made, and they came out really sharp. For such a hands-​on process, everything happened relatively quick; from choosing typefaces and layout then to proofing and production, it took around 45 minutes, though I had a general idea of what I wanted after looking at their samples.
I chose the thicker, premium paper for my cards, and extra surcharge over the standard paper stock is very much worth it. Both Brooks and Bill are very helpful, friendly and informative (it’s a small, family-​run shop), and are there to guide you at every step of the way.
My girlfriend ordered her business cards through one of those online printers, and she had to send them back because of a layout issue before she had them how she wanted. Although the end result was nice, there were headaches and a decent amount of back-​and-​forth with customer service to get the desired result. And there’s just something about the tactile quality and sense of craftsmanship that comes from letter pressed print media.
Aardvark has been operating since 1968, so you know these guys are here to stay. I’d highly recommend them for your business cards or stationary or correspondence needs. I’d love to get some prints made of my art some day!

The people at Aardvark Letterpress are exceptional. Cary, Brooks, and Bill were so wonderful to deal with and they made such beautiful and handcrafted wedding invitations for our two daughters’ weddings. They couldn’t have been nicer to work with or more professional. They really want their customers to be happy and these guys have sooo much patience! Our job was quite complicated but they hung in there until I was happy. I felt I was quite demanding, but they were always happy to continue to work with me. It’s so nice to know that there are still businesses out there where people are dedicated to their craft and focus on customer service. Come prepared to know what you want as there are unlimited choices. Also, one recommendation is to make sure to put tissue paper between the layers of papers of the invitation to prevent smearing/​smudging of the ink. Once we had the tissue paper, we had no issues. Highly, highly recommend.

From their letterpress machine that is so ancient and cool, to the personal service, Aardvark is a special and fascinating experience. So, if you are looking for business cards that are handcrafted and beg to be touched and cherished, this is the place to go.

Run don’t walk.
This place is the best. They made me great business cards, and I am sending tons of friends to them. They do fantastic work, super fast, did everything they said they would, and could not be easier and more pleasant to work with. I am ordering note cards and anything else I can think of from them.
Also, their shop is super beautiful, with old presses in a historic building.

Aardvark Letterpress exceeded our expectations. The printing and paper was beautiful. I would recommend their service to anyone that wants old world craftsmanship.

These guys are the coolest! They were really helpful and listened to what I wanted. They were also so accommodating.
They have quite a few options for color so you can definitely create a unique design.
Beautiful work! Would highly recommend!

This place is a throwback to another era where quality and craftsmanship mattered. Spent less money here on our complete set of wedding invitations than at comparable shops online, got more, and all with full customization. Unreal. What a gem! Support local businesses!

Aardvark’s staff was just really awesome to work with! They took in consideration my priorities, cared about my concerns and really wanted to make sure I was satisfied with what I was getting. They were very accommodating and created a great experience out of it. I will highly recommend this place!

I found this business when I was looking to make new and unique business cards. As soon as I walked in, I was impressed by their authentic and original machinery. I could tell by their samples that they printed on thick high quality cotton paper which was just the style that I was looking for.
Founded in 1968, the original owner and his son still run the place and Brooks, the son was kind enough to give me a rundown on how the print pressing worked.
As I waited for my samples to be made I observed Bill, the print master even hand trims some of the work to tweek it into perfection. Just by seeing what goes on during my wait, I could tell that much craftsmanship goes into making the product. This sets this letterpress apart from other typical printing companies.
It’s quality over quantity here and I think its worth it if you want something unique and special.
Brooks was very professional and detail orientated and made sure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed and showed me the in between process before confirming on the final design. It’s worth the wait to know that you won’t have overlooked mistakes and typos.
Not to much surprise, I was very happy with the final product and will definately come back for future printing^^

Haven’t worked with them yet, but I’ve just been e-​mailing back and forth for pricing and they’ve been not only responsive but very professional and helpful.
Will continue to update this as I go, but would love to do business with them if the costs line up.

They did an excellent job with my business cards! I was able to see the entire process today and let me tell you… There’s a lot of work put into it. They were very patient me and very professional. I will definitely come back for more cards in the future.

This is the most satisfied with a business I have ever been.
I got business cards printed up by them. They made sure everything was exactly as I wanted, including the right ink, lettering, spacing — even improving my simple design on the computer to fit their letterpress style. They were patient with every step.
The cards came out *perfectly*, however initially it was the wrong thickness of card stock — a simple human error. Instead of blaming me, Aardvark apologized, fixed the mistake, and replaced the cards free of charge. They’re the best business cards I’ve ever had, made by talented, sincere, professional, cordial, and humble people who love what they do, and don’t treat customers like crap. That’s a rarity in this town.
A+

I used letterpress service from these guys about 5 months ago. A bunch of experienced and professional artists!
I don’t remember all of their names, but Casey helped me design my business card, along with a lot of good advices, and the other two gentlemen both helped me with the actual making of the card.
I have to say I’m very satisfied with the press and color of the card, not to mention they adjust it for you so patiently until you’re satisfied, what more can you ask?
And yes, there is more! They even make me extra temporary ones while my cards are in making so that I can go on my business trip with something in my pocket to give out with!
I will be back!

I called Aardvark in need of some minimal, helvetica letterpress on some 200lb+ paper and I am SO GLAD that I went to this place.
Brooks walked me through the entire process by letting me draw my own proof and showed me examples from their beautiful gallery to get my cards exactly how I envisioned them. It was an artistic, collaborative experience.
On top of that, Brooks showed me exactly how the machines work – melting the lead to create my own signature press and I was even able to take one home with me! Going to Aardvark’s is more than just going in and placing an order – it’s an educational experience.
Fair prices, and for this quality and time put into your pressing, you will not be disappointed. You will walk home with a special piece of art that you will cherish forever.
Five Stars. Waddup.

These guys are the best! So sweet and patient. Brooks the owner is amazing.
Came here with little knowledge of how I wanted my business card and they helped me from start to finish — from color to font to sizing. They even know what’s appealing to the eye, etc.
Letterpress is one of the only forms of class left in the paper world, go here if you want to stand out with your invitations or business cards, and spend far less money than the other couple letter press shops in this town who rip you off.
Aside from their great work, just standing there watching the 1830 year machines click is a blast to the blast.
Trust these guys!

I couldn’t be happier with my experience at Aardvark Letterpress! I walked in with almost no idea what kind of business cards I wanted. With so many paper choices, fonts, colors, graphics, and other decisions to be made, I was overwhelmed and in need of guidance. Luckily for me, I met Brooks! He is THE BEST! I told him a little bit about myself and my business and he knew exactly what I didn’t know I wanted! Within minutes of walking in completely clueless, he was melting down lead and explaining to me how letter pressing works as he created a sample card for me right before my eyes. I couldn’t believe it; the sample completely exceeded my expectations – and on the first try, too! :) So Brooks printed a few hundred on the spot and sent me on my merry way. Again… couldn’t be happier!
Now aside from my totally enjoyable experience working with Brooks, the shop is also really great. They have never-​ending options for creating whatever, their customer service is top notch (obvs), they have beautiful quality craftsmanship, AND fair prices.
Do yourself a favor and go to Aardvark Letterpress… you’re welcome!