Blysats Presse

A cast-iron press from the 1950s sits in the window of this tiny Vesterbro print room, and on most afternoons you can watch it at work, printing cards one sheet at a time. Birthday cards, thank-you notes and wedding invitations are set by hand from drawers of lead and wood type, then pressed deep into thick cotton paper.

Lead type forgives nothing, which is why a pressed card still feels like a promise.

The ready-made cards keep their messages short and their colours soft: moss, clay, pale blue and black. Custom orders for invitations and business cards take two to three weeks, and the printer will show you proofs on paper before anything is run. Offcuts are sold in bundles for notes and shopping lists.