Tattoos, non-toxic inks, and tugboats – a uniquely crafty combination for a successful business. In my search to find San Francisco-based small businesses that use traditional letterpress machines, I stumbled upon the Tug Boat Press website. Originally, I was simply seeking out more information about the letterpress process since I wanted to give it a try myself.

With any new hobby that I hope to dive into, I ponder if there is a sustainable, eco-friendly option to embrace. To my surprise, Tug Boat Press has embraced the green aspects of printmaking by using soy inks and handmade, tree-free, and recycled papers. Started in the mid-90s, TBP has been printing custom nature- and alternative-inspired wedding invitations, business cards, and fine artistic prints in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.

Not one to shy away from a chance to learn more about this unique business and creative art, I talked with Tug Boat Press’ founder Jonathan Palmer recently about green business, the lost art of letters, zombie greeting cards, and more – keep reading for all the juicy details!

What about printmaking is so intriguing and engrossing for you?

Jonathan Palmer: I fell in love with printmaking (especially intaglio) in college. I started as a painting major and then, after my first semester etching, I was hooked; I switched majors and continued my studies and practice. I also had a fantastic professor, Don Cortese, whose passion for the art rubbed off on me. The intriguing part of printing for me has always been the process. There are so many steps to reach an end result and once you are there, it’s like magic. Every time a proof is pulled, you are rewarded with a visual imprint of your progress.

The beauty of a hand-written letter is even more powerful these days because of our instant response, e-mail obsessed society. Do you see yourself working in a dying industry or do you foresee a resurgence in paper arts on a large scale?

Jon: To be honest, I’m not sure if the papermaking aspect of my business is part of an industry at all. There are so few handmade papermaking studios in the U.S. (or the world for that matter) yet it is a craft that has survived the test of time. It is such a unique and beautiful medium; there is no reason for it to fade off into history. After all, history has been literally written upon it. For me, I do it because I have always had a love for the zen aspect of pulling a sheet of paper. Printmaking processes are very toxic in nature. With paper, I freed myself from acid baths, mineral spirits and the like and was able to play in water and pulp. So, to get back to your question, I see myself in a very specialized industry that takes years of training and is truly a labor of love. If there will be a resurgence, I would hope larger recycled paper companies influence the toxic and polluting pulp mills into changing their ways. There is no longer a need to be cutting trees; there is just greed.

Of all the letterpress houses I found in San Francisco, yours is the only one that openly promotes and exclusively uses organic, handmade, recycled, and tree-free papers, as well as soy inks. What lead you to want to make such a strong environmental message with your business?

Jon: I had toyed with starting a print/paper studio for over fifteen years. I had gone back and forth as to how I would stand out, what would work, [and] what wouldn’t. Then, it was a solo walk in fog and drizzle on my favorite beach at Point Reyes. I used to hike a lot (when I didn’t have to work 11 hours everyday) and often clean up whatever beach I was hiking on by picking up as much trash as possible. Well, one day while collecting random and strange shaped washed out objects from the beach, I stopped for a moment to watch the vultures circling over something that was dead or dying. I thought (I don’t know why at that particular moment) that the name “vulture paper” would be a cool name for an all recycled handmade paper shop. It kind of took off from there. I have always tried to eat mostly organic foods, I have the utmost respect for our mother [Earth] so why not create a business that I have dreamed about starting and making it sustainable? It wasn’t really to compete with others but I guess it has given me an edge.

So, I have had no intention of spreading a message but I believe that if something can be accomplished in a more environmentally friendly way, then so be it. By using only organic and recycled papers, along with soy based inks, I have very little impact on the environment. I also use vegetable oils for cleanup.

As far as soy inks, I have struggled with how I feel about them. All soy inks currently being sold still have petroleum in them! I use them all the time, but they are much more difficult to work with because they are so goopy and the colors aren’t always as rich or dense. I have read about one manufacturer in my research that makes 100% vegetable-based soy inks, but they are not being sold on the market yet. Soy inks works great for offset lithography, but with letterpress, the printing process is much more refined. So, my frustration lies with the ink industry. When soy doesn’t work, I employ rubber based inks which are guaranteed to work well; I never use oil based inks.

Do you believe that, even as a small business, making a clearly green impact is helping to make a difference for all business?

Jon: I don’t know if Tug Boat Press will impact, affect, or change anything or anyone. I want to do my small part in the larger picture of things and create a beautiful product from sustainable means. If someone else is influenced by the path that I have chosen, great!! I think more and more companies are starting to be more environmentally conscience, but we can always do more.

From looking at your design portfolio, it is clear that nature is a continued inspiration for you creations; do you find customers flocking to you for that same reason?

Jon: I myself have always been inspired by nature. I feel at peace when hiking through the woods or meditating on the beach – I feel alive (my dog does too). When I am not in nature, I just want to get back into it. I’d say 70% of my customers pick “nature-oriented” designs; others buy my papers because they are organic and recycled; and then there are some customers that are interested in having me print a design of theirs on papers they choose. I believe the ladder customers choose my company because of the quality of my printing that they see on samples that I have sent them.

Do you find it surprising or refreshing that the bulk of your businesses looks to be for wedding invitations? Why?

Jon: No, I don’t find it surprising because I have marketed myself that way. There are very few ways for a new company like mine to survive. Weddings were the best way to make money doing something that I enjoy. I am an artist at heart and hope to someday be able to expand into a larger printing facility where non-toxic etching and silkscreen can be done as well.

Out of curiosity, I must ask: why name your company after a tugboat?

Jon: Names, names, names -they are hard. In fact, they can be a total pain in the ass. I went through quite a few and honestly can’t say that I was 100% on Tug Boat either. I have come up with better ones since but, to answer your question, I was walking along the pier, saw a tugboat, and came up with the idea. I have always liked tugboats because they are strong little workhorses that are reliable and kinda cool looking. You have to understand what a struggle it was for me because I grew up listening to a lot of punk rock, industrial, goth, and metal music. I was a body piercer for nine years and I am covered in tattoos. I love printing and making paper, but the idea that most of my income would come from wedding invitations, where I’d be dealing with brides, made me think that I couldn’t have a name like “reigning blood invitations.” Most of the names I thought of weren’t always on the light side of things, but they gave me a good laugh. I have only had to come up with names for bands that I have played in, songs that I have written, or artwork that I have created. The name ["Tug Boat Press"] was ultimately a marketing tool.

Do you have any other nifty, secret projects in the works that you could hint at?

Jon: Well, speaking of the darker side of things, I have a line of greeting cards in the works. Some are quite attractive letterpress designs, [while] the others are called my “dead cards”, made from 100% recycled papers. They will all feature original, hand-drawn zombies and creatures, yet have a “happy” message.