Six Reasons to Get Personal

Lost in (cyber) space? Six Bay Area letterpresses are staging a pen-and-paper revival with their custom designed stationery.

1. MONKEY BUSINESS
These personalized wood-type note cards by Paper Monkey Press in Berkeley are hand set in a 100-year-old antique press, and with new ink colors like Caribbean Blue (shown here) and Merlot, they’re hard to resist. $25/set of 25; papermonkeypress.com

2. GET LUCKY   
This vintage-inspired custom-monogrammed French Garden card by SF stationer Hello!Lucky packs a heavy dose of flower power. $375/set of 50; 415-355-0008, hellolucky.com

3. GRAY AREA
Erik Olsen and Trina Hancock, cofounders of Gryphon Stationers, a Web-based stationery company in Hayes Valley, specialize in designing elegant event invitations, but it’s their understated Blackberry Vine custom-monogrammed note cards that have us all tangled up. $375/set of 100; 415-565-7125, gryphonstationers.com

4. TAILOR MADE
Using the Dress No. 110 card by Pancake & Franks in San Francisco—printed, along with the company’s other stationery offerings, on 100 percent recycled paper with soy-based ink—as a brunch invitation guarantees that guests will arrive wearing their Sunday best. $5.50 each; pancakeandfranks.com

5. ITALIAN JOB
Since the lovely Ciao Bella card from Petaluma’s Dauphine Press comes with a built-in compliment, use it wisely to soften the blow of “good-bye.” $12/set of 6; dauphinepress.com

6. ROYAL TREATMENT
The Crown Black monogrammed motif from Iomoi in Danville is an insignia fit for a prince; paupers can opt for the line’s more affordable e-stationery. $68/set of 20; shopiomoi.com

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