*** From the Archives ***

This article is from November 24, 2010, and is no longer current.

CreativePro.com 2010 Gift Guide

Return to page 1 of the 2010 Gift Guide.
Stuff for Your Brain

Seeing Outside the Box Cards ($19.95). Limber up your brain by looking at the cards and describing what you see. It’s a valuable–and fun–exercise in perception.

Typeface Flash Cards ($25). For a more rigorous mental workout, test your font know-how with these typographic flash cards. Earn bragging rights if you can name all 25 fonts in the pack.

Johann Gutenberg and the Printing Press ($26 hardcover, $6.95 softcover). The inventor of the movable press gets the modern treatment in this graphic novel. We always knew he was a superhero.

The Handy Book of Artistic Printing: Collection of Letterpress Examples with Specimens of Type, Ornament, Corner Fills, Borders, Twisters, Wrinklers, and other Freaks of Fancy ($40). Printing in the nineteenth century was redolent with ornate typographic embellishments. This beautiful book resurrects an era of ostentation that’s been quelled by today’s minimalism. Perhaps it’s time for a revival.

Hamilton Wood Type: A History in Headlines ($20). Hamilton Wood Type in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, is a living history of wood display typefaces–the museum houses 1.5 million pieces of type representing 1,000 styles and patterns. See a small sample of the collection, learn the history of wood type, and support the museum by giving this book to your favorite publication designer.

White Noise Pop-up Book ($22). This phenomenal pop-up book is a showcase not only for the author’s visual imagination, but also for the printer’s’s mechanical skill. Be amused by the former, then amazed by the latter. Here’s a great explanation of how 3-D books are produced.
Stuff for Your Wall

Type Drawer Photo ($30). This sweet photo works on two levels: as an homage to metal type and as an example of a process-color screenprint.


Letterpress Leica Camera Prints ($20 single camera, $35 trio). Let’s face it: Digital cameras lack the character of their film counterparts. These prints of a Leica embody the visual appeal of old-school cameras. Me likey Leica!

Ansel Adams Quote ($16). Words from the master are letterpress-printed as a reminder that photography is more than just clicking the shutter.

CMYK Print ($19). You couldn’t ask for a more direct expression of the printing process.
IKEA posters (price varies). We all know that IKEA sells good design at low prices, and this year the Swedish juggernaut has some nice–and cheap!–posters for creative professionals.

Bild: Numbers ($12).

Bild: Graphiques ($12).

Olunda: Alphabet ($39.99).

Type Poster ($200). This exquisite monoprint is produced at Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest letterpress print shops in the nation (dating to 1879) and part of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The harmonious imagery and production is another example of printing that walks the walk as well as talks the talk.



Letterpressed Letters ($40 each). Lovely letters in a variety of styles and attitudes are drawn by lettering artist and illustrator Jessica Hische. These are the epitome of initial caps!
Stuff for Your Body

Icon Watch ($70). The nouveau retro appeal of this watch lies in its resemblance to the icons of ’80s video games and early Macs. Who knew bitmaps could look so cool and contemporary?

Multifont Belt Buckle ($45). Cast from old metal type in lead-free pewter, this belt buckle is detailed enough for designers and abstract enough for fashionistas. Don’t be surprised if people start looking intently at your belly.

Camera Belt Buckle ($38). The black-and-white image of an old film camera is printed on leather, then highlighted with blue and cream. This buckle is the next best thing to wearing your heart on your sleeve.

Camera Cufflinks ($118). French-cuff shirts have a timeless elegance, so why not pair them with cufflinks that have a similar appeal? Like the camera they’re modeled after, these handcrafted sterling silver cufflinks bear the patina of time.


Helvetica Tie ($25).
The Helvetica revival continues with this microfiber tie. It’s perfect for client meetings or for occasions when you want your favorite font to be front and center.

Eurostile T-shirt ($25 to $30, depending on style and fabric). Swim against the Helvetica tide with a t-shirt proclaiming your preference for Aldo Novarese’s Eurostile. The font name is set in a text block explaining its style, origins, and usage.

.psd T-shirt ($25-$35 depending on style and fabric). Whether you’re an artist, a photographer, or designer, you know how important the .psd file extension is. This straightforward t-shirt says it all.

Pantone Color Chip Pendant ($14.50). Super colorful pendants fashioned from an old Pantone swatchbook make for lively necklaces. The hardest part will be specifying the color. Sound familiar?


Metal Type Necklaces ($34 brass) . Metal fonts destined for the smelter becomes delicate necklaces. Because the slugs hang vertically with the character face down, the word or letter chosen isn’t obvious except to those who can read upside down and backwards.

Camera Lens Necklace ($70). A glass-end view of a camera lens is fused onto glass in this unusual contemporary necklace. The graphic is striking yet the image is elusive.
Just for Fun

CMYK Skateboard ($135). Carve, grind, and do Ollies with this skateboard deck. You’ll show your true colors–CMYK, of course–as you master the kickflip. Rad, dude.


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  • Anonymous says:

    I can’t believe the variety of gift ideas with this article. Thank you very much! It will be hard to decide what to give as a few gifts and what to get for myself! :)

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