There's a particular pleasure in receiving a letter that was pressed into paper rather than printed onto it. This letter set from Midori uses genuine letterpress printing, a technique that's been in use for around 500 years, and it shows in every sheet. Metal plates are pressed into the paper with real force, leaving a fine indentation you can feel with your fingertips as much as see. No two sheets come out quite the same, since the depth of the impression and the slight variations in inking are part of how the process works, not a flaw in it.
The design is a floral border pattern, an ornamental motif that has decorated letterpress books and printed matter for generations, rendered here in a modern combination of soft yellow and grey. It reads as nostalgic without being twee, and adult enough for regular correspondence rather than occasional cards. Midori describes the aesthetic as "new classic", which is a fair summary: familiar decorative elements given a contemporary colour treatment.
The writing paper itself is soft and slightly cushioned, chosen specifically because it holds a letterpress impression cleanly and feels good to write on. Even the ruled lines are letterpress printed rather than offset, so they sit with the same tactile quality as the border design. The matching envelopes are made from a paper with a warm, slightly rustic texture, and they're sized generously enough to hold a postcard or a couple of photographs alongside your letter.
Each sheet is printed individually on Midori's own letterpress machines in Japan, which is part of why the set costs more than a standard printed notepad. It's the kind of small extravagance that makes writing a letter feel like an occasion rather than a chore.
What's included
Dimensions
Pen compatibility
A note on writing tools
Because the paper has a slightly soft, absorbent finish suited to letterpress printing, fountain pen ink can feather a touch depending on your ink and nib. A fine-point fountain pen or a water-based felt-tip will give the cleanest results. This paper isn't designed to go through an inkjet printer
Pre-order item
Soft armchair
$420.00
Select variant
Select purchase option
