About

WHAT'S THE STORY?

LADY PILOT LETTERPRESS is a small print shop operating out of an old beer cooler in Durham, North Carolina.

We create our own brand of snark inspired by vintage imagery and design, printed on one of four early 20th century presses for that tactile feel. Nothing like a hand fed Chandler and Price from 1907 to make sarcasm classy again. It’s not your grandma’s letterpress, but it would definitely make her laugh.

WHO'S THAT ON PRESS?

EMILY WISMER is the owner/printer/writer/gopher/coffee maker at Lady Pilot Letterpress. At the age of 19, she found some letterpress type in an old barn in Michigan, and like any magical object in a children’s book, it led predictably to a fascination with arcane machinery. Really, it’s pretty much The Phantom Tollbooth. After many twists and turns, Lady Pilot Letterpress was born in Asheville, North Carolina, where Emily finally found a career that would satisfy her curiosities and contain her inappropriate wit. She’s thankful every day for her unusual job and the many friends and family who helped her get here.

LADY PILOT LETTERPRESS IN THE NEWS

Washington Post: “Don’t Tell Santa about THESE Christmas Cards”

Matchbook Journal Project

Printing with Old, New Technology

12 Days of Holiday Art: A Letter from Santa

Material Girls: First Impressions

Adventures in Letterpress

10 Anti-Christmas Christmas Cards if you’re not feeling holly and jolly