How do I get started with you?
Download our price list to get an idea of what your project will cost. Not everything under the sun will be on there but it will give you a good idea of what to expect. Getting started on a project is as simple as e-mailing or calling us to book your spot in working with us, making your first deposit, sending us your ideas/inspiration, and sitting back with a nice cup of tea while we’re hard at work! (We’ll probably have tea on our end, too.)

How will we keep in touch with each other?
We use a handy dandy program called Basecamp to keep in touch with all of our clients. It allows us to communicate each step of the way, send files, and share inspiration all in one place! It also includes a calendar where clients will be able to keep up with our due dates. This way, no one will ever be in the dark! We also talk to a number of clients on the phone and occasionally meet people for coffee to discuss a particular project in person. We’re always here when you need us!

How quickly do you work?
Our standard timeframe is 2-3 weeks on any project. However, timelines vary from client to client since it depends on how large and extensive the project is, as well as how many changes a particular person wants throughout the process. Generally though, our rule of thumb is one business week between every edit requested. So if you tell us to change your cat illustration to purple on Tuesday, we’ll have your fancy new cat to you by the following Tuesday. We do not work on weekends and rushed work costs extra (anything within one week turnaround is considered rushed).

For printing (wedding invitations clients and such) our timeframe depends on your quantity. Generally it will take 1-2 weeks for us to process your order since we are printing, cutting, and packaging up everything one at a time by hand. There is great love and care involved and we promise it’s worth it! Please keep this in mind when ordering any printed goods so as not to rush us at the most important part—making them real so you can send them to your beloved family and friends!

Do you use stock images/photography?
No, everything is created by us in-house. The only exceptions are bought digital fonts (which we rarely use anymore, since most everything we do is hand-drawn) and collaborations (in which case we always credit the other artists).

Do you re-use illustrations from previous clients for new clients?
No, everything is one-of-a-kind from scratch because that’s the way we roll! For most projects we also pass off the rights to the client, only reserving the right to display the work in our portfolio.

Do you offer wholesale or consignment?
Absolutely! We ship goods worldwide! If you’re interested in selling our goods at your shop, e-mail us and we’ll get the ball rolling!

Do you offer letterpressed goods?
We recently installed the newest member of the TPS family, our letterpress, a circa-1880 Golding Pearl #8 refurbished by Dock 2 Letterpress of Webster, NY, and we’ll be taking the rest of 2011 to develop our printing skills. We aim to offer our letterpress goods and services starting January 2012.

How did you come up with the name, “This Paper Ship”?
Joel moonlights as a creative writer, and a few years back he came up with the name for his future small-scale publishing company. For him it symbolized his writings as the creative vessel being pushed forward by God. When we decided to give working for ourselves a go, Ashley thought the name would also be fitting for a design studio. The meaning still holds true as we sail along through this crazy adventure as small business owners!

Want to ask some questions of your own? Check out our fun Q & A on formspring!