I believe that birth announcements are about as close as graphic design gets to fine art. Birth announcements are pieces which are designed from the heart with very little in-process critiquing done by the client.
And you can’t love a client, and wish to do right by them, any more than you can a new-born baby.
Allan Peters has done right by his client with his beautiful design of this card announcing the birth of his son. Printed 2 over 1 on 190 pound blotter paper this piece makes it clear that this kid is going to get all the love he deserves and that his parents are going to sweat the details.
And the blotter paper may be indicative of things to come.
Here is a piece that I printed back in about 1898 after first carting our new Chandler and Price platen press up the hill to the print shop from the railway station. The color palate was all the rage that year and the cut was an electrotype block which I purchased from Messrs. Badoureau and Jones of Fleet Street in London.
Some deep impressions and some lighter impressions work together in this piece to give this it a multi-layered look.