Oblation Papers & Press was founded in 1989 by Ron and Jennifer Rich.  In 1998 they opened the retail space for which they are well known within the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon.  The reach of their business is really quite impressive – not only do they offer a well curated retail shop in the front of the space, they also house an urban paper mill, letterpress print shop, custom invitation gallery and design and produce their own line of wholesale goods that are warehoused and shipped from this very same location.
| Storefront |
Love the current window display – nothing says Portland quite like a cute bicycle and a few raindrops.
| Retail Space |
Oblation stocks a selection of the finest stationery and gift items. They also offer an impressive selection of European accouterments to add an extra special touch to your correspondence.
| Custom Invitation Gallery |
Their custom letterpress offerings include: Classic Wedding, Baby, Correspondence and Black & White Wedding portfolios.
| Wholesale Line |
Oblation also offers a comprehensive wholesale letterpress card and gift line. The collection is stocked in stores worldwide and is also available in their online shop.
| Urban Paper Mill |
Papermaking is where Ron and Jennifer got their start in the business. Oblation continues this tradition by producing their own cotton paper using recycled remnants from the garment industry. Their handmade paper is perfectly suited for letterpress printing.
| Letterpress Print Shop |
Oblation has six platen presses in their studio. At this time, the print shop is entirely operated by women. Oblation’s printing practices include the use of wind power, soy inks and recycled cotton.
Thanks again to Oblation Papers & Press for opening their doors to me and allowing me to share their story and space.
Photo Credit: Carina Murray
“Behind the Scenes: Oblation Papers & Press” is a guest post by Carina Murray of Crow & Canary
