The Aesthetic Union

Studio, shop, gallery, a stone’s throw away from Heath Ceramics and Blue Bottle Coffee. Go-​to destination for the curious minds and print lovers.

I just attended the «soft opening» of the Aesthetic Union, a new fine letterpress printery run by James and Risa. (James used to be the letterpress printer at Hello! Lucky before striking out on his own.) The shop boasts two huge Heidelberg windmill presses plus all kinds of other vintage printing equipment. It was a treat to see the main Heidelberg in use, up-​close!
The Aesthetic Union does other printing besides letterpress, such as silkscreen, linoblock and mimeograph, and both James and Risa have great graphic design skills to augment their printing skills. James says that they’re going to offer letterpress printing classes, which I’m excited about taking. They can do business cards, holiday cards, wedding invitations, stationery, bookplates — all kinds of things. I had them lay-​out and print some invitations for me and the results were even better than I had hoped!
The shop doesn’t just do printing, it also sells printed booklets, notebooks, cards and other printed goodies that you can’t find anywhere else (most of them by local artisans), as well as an amazing selection of classic pencils, pencil sharpeners, and so on. The counters are made of the decks of an old tugboat, there are nautical antiques here and there, and the blue and yellow walls make it a wonderful space to wander around in. Countless gift ideas came to mind. The Aesthetic Union is a destination in itself, but the building also boasts a Blue Bottle Coffee, and is right next to the big Heath Ceramics studio and store.
Anyone with an appreciation for great design, handcraftsmanship and things that last should definitely check out the Aesthetic Union!
UPDATE: I’ve now had the opportunity to commission a few printing jobs from James and I have to say that his results exceeded my expectations! Not only was the presswork perfect (with a nice deep impression on the beautiful cardstock he chose) but he did the lay-​out with an eye for balance, legibility and impact. Take a look at the photo I added to the gallery; it’s the invitation card with a Masonic design in a rectangle and the phrase «You are cordially invited to…»

First of James and Risa are both amazing people, visit their shop and buy all their things! Creating my business cards with James was a great experience. James is very easy to work with and has an unmistakable aesthetic. Since I live in Los Angeles I worked with James remotely and I can vouch for him being prompt with email responses. I definitely recommend working with James if you want to create something unique and memorable.

First time having letterpress business cards made for me. Some friends in SF recommended James. Because I live in NJ I thought this was crazy. I’ve looked locally and there are some nice shops but my friends really raved about this place. James was very helpful and we exchanged a few emails and then I sent him my template following his guidelines. So, I sent him my file and he got to work. I got an email when he finished up my cards saying they look great. A few weeks later I had them in my hand and boy did they ever! Thank you James! Awesome job! I’ll definitely be recommending your shop to others. Thank you!

James made me some custom cards for my business that he designed as if he was able to read my mind and then printed beautifully after my approval. James was professional, friendly, and clearly an expert in his craft. Highly recommended!

I was fortunate enough to have James design invitations for an event I threw and I could not have been more impressed with his work. The skillful way the folks at The Aesthetic Union blend old and new technologies to create something one-​of-​a-​kind for you is awesome, and the prices are eminently reasonable, especially when you consider not only the labor that goes into the production, but the artistic skill and technical prowess that underlie the whole operation. Can’t wait to use them again!

James is the owner here. He’s very sharp; a true craftsmen. I won’t be going anywhere else.

The Aesthetic Union, conveniently located around the corner from droolworthy Heath Ceramics and a Blue Bottle Coffee outpost, is a great stop for anyone in need of classic writing desk hard goods (notebooks, cards, etc), expert handling of a print project, or just some visual fuel. Two gorgeous Heidelberg presses and a curved tugboat decks repurposed as counter? Yes!
Partners James and Risa have a great set-​up and I look forward to sending my next print project their way! Until then, I’ll stop by for friendly hello, the wittiest greeting cards I’ve come across in a long time, and to see what’s on the presses.