Client Loyalty

In this third of the 10 part mini-video series Nancy Sharon Collins, stationer extraordinaire, offers an example of why her clients are loyal.

In 2001 she was featured on the Martha Stewart Living show that landed one of her earliest and most faithful clients.

This series was directed by Lizzy Marietta, videographer by Danilo Skeen, and the music compose by Peter J. Bowling.

The Importance of Custom Monograms

In this second of 10 mini-videos, "Nancy Says", Nancy Sharon Collins says that she thinks custom monograms are important and that they hold a direct relationship to graphic design

Fall Monogram & Letter Writing Classes

Monogram and Letter Writing classes given by Nancy Sharon Collins:

•     10/1/16 Monogram Class, 10am-noon, New Orleans
•     11/3/16 Letter Writing Class, 6-8pm, Charleston, SC
•     11/12/16 Letter Writing Class, 10am-noon, New Orleans.

Departures Features Hand Engraved Monograms

Departures features hand engraved monograms, here’s a quote...

     ‘In order to create her breathtaking bespoke ciphers—a combination of letters woven into a personal mark—Nancy Sharon Collins begins with a consultation, either in her by-appointment New Orleans studio or remotely. “It’s something between going to a shrink and to an architect,” she says. Ultimately, the process yields a custom emblem designed to last a lifetime.’

Engraved Stationery and Color

Hand engraved stationery presents unique printing issues when working with color papers and inks. This is why Nancy Sharon Collins recently authored three articles published in PRINT magazine about dealing with color reproduction. The series presents a brief punch list of best practices, for clients, printers and designers, when dealing with color on press. It also discusses differences, and challenges, of evaluating color on the screens of our devices versus literally going on press with the printer to watch what happens with ink paper in real time.

Example of hand engraved social stationery photographed and used in advertisements and on the internet. © 2016 Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer.

1. The first article introduces the notion of color matching systems for print, specifically for one-color jobs in low-tech processes such as stationery engraving. This article goes into the history of color matching systems, too.
2. The second article talks about color responsibility and explains some of the best practices summed up in the final article... 
3. The final article elaborates best practices and lists them. These include discussing your print job with (depending upon who you are) the printer, designer, and or client. Sharing expectations with each other, sharing printing specifications, and going on press.

Archived Articles

Hand engraved “Thank You” cards by Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer.

Looking back through the online archives of magazine and pop culture coverage, Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer maintains an even presence in the venerable world of hand engraved stationery.

This fantastic article by Lynn Yeager in Travel & Leisure, and other archived articles demonstrate.

Mrs. Collins continues to be the subject of popular culture as this list of magazine articles attest:

• April 2016 Town & Country
• Winter 2016 Martha Stewart Wedding
• January 2016/December 2015 Garden & Gun
• October 2015 Veranda

Additionally, Mrs. Collins is not shy about penning her own well earned wisdom regarding all matters having to do with printing ink on paper. Here are some articles authored by Nancy Sharon Collins recently for PRINT | HOW magazines, stalwart chroniclers of design culture:

• The Visual Culture of Color
• Culture Matching Systems II
• What Not to do in Your Own Self Promotion

Letter Writing Class

Join Nancy Sharon Collins and other letter writing and paper experts Tuesday-Wednesday, May 17-18 with Switzerland County Historic Society Conservator’s Holiday on the picturesque banks of the Ohio River in Historic Vevay Indiana.

During this year’s annual  Conservator’s Holiday, Mrs. Collins’s will provide the ever popular “How to Write a Letter” workshop, the notorious “Mrs. Collins Regrets”, and the infamous Calling Card presentation originally given in 2014. Seating is limited, so reserve your spot now by contacting the Director, Martha Bladen, for your reservation, directions, and further information: 812-427-3560.

5/7/16 Monogram Class

Students hand drawing monograms with pencils on tracing paper.

Saturday, May 7 at Gallier Historic house in New Orleans French Quarter, experience how monograms are hand drawn then walk away with your very own pencil sketch of it (that you yourself have drawn!)

In this hands-on class examples of vintage monograms, lettering styles and engraving will be on display–students will learn to make new symbols, traditional monograms, and letterforms using these historic pieces as inspiration. By tracing, combining then retracing existing forms, new, totally original designs, monograms and letterforms will be created.

For anyone tech-curious or savvy: The class will discuss bringing sketches into digital format, vector (Adobe Illustrator) versus Photoshop (raster) will be compared. Additionally…the super secret special “Ah Ha!” moment Illustrator trick will be revealed whereby an actual monogram can be digitally rendered in 10-15 minutes (no kidding!).

This class focuses on drawing with pencil on paper. Additionally, no contemporary class would be complete without touching on digital applications, but the majority of our time will be hand drawing. A direct link to register can be found here.

Members of this class will not only take home their very own, custom, monogram sketch,  they will learn where to get 2 FREE digital fonts created from old engraver’s lettering styles created by Monotype (the largest, oldest font development company in the world) that were.

Bring your laptop! Or come without one, either way it will be engaging, educational, and fun.

Color Matching Systems II: Color, color matching systems, and best practices.

(Above is the author’s late model color viewing system.)

Color management, how do we do this? PRINT magazine uncovers best practices for printing color in a series of articles by stationer extraordinaire, Nancy Sharon Collins. Check out articles #1. and #2 .

Article #1 covered basic color management history. In the second article, Collins discusses best practices in printing color, how stationers (and printers) deal with color management, including expectations and challenges...on both the client and designer side. Article #2 offers best practices for  matching and talks primarily about this in for non-4-color, RGB, or CMYK applications.

The Visual Culture of Color

Color is integral to printing and thinking about visual culture. But how does it work? Read the first in this three part series about color in PRINT|HOW by Nancy Sharon Collins, stationer extraordinaire.

Town & Country Features Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer

Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer’s onion skin letter papers are featured in April Town & Country magazine (page 80).





Once the paper of choice for discerning letter writers, statesmen, and socialites, onion skin stationery is less than half the thickness of regular computer paper and just a tad heavier than tissue.

True onion skin has not been manufactured in this country for approximately 40 years. Lucky for well-healed letter writers that Mrs. Collins had the foresight to purchase and store thousands of white, water blue, canary yellow, and orange sheets and is once again creating gossamer stationery for contemporary use.

In this luxury line, each envelope is made by hand and fully-lined in the European tradition. Because of its cotton rag content, onion skin is magnificent when hand engraved, and especially suited to bespoke hand engraved monograms (for which Mrs. Collins is so well known!)

Contact Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer directly for details about creating onion skin stationery of your own hand engraved with a couture (bespoke) monogram. And if your in a hurry purchase our packet of 5 folded onion skin notes and matching, completely hand made envelopes.

Martha Stewart Wedding covers Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer LLC

Onion skin wedding invitations, full-page editorial am Martha Stewart Wedding, winter, 2016.

Featured now, page 230, gossamer translucent engraved onion skin wedding invitation by Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer LLC.

The invitations or 280 GSM, 100% cotton rag card stock, hand ordered, as are the cotton content onionskin overlays. Matching envelopes are hand lined in delicate pale gray tissue paper. Engraved onion skin is available only at Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer

Onion skin in Garden and Gun

Winter 2015 Garden & Gun magazine features onion skin stationery by Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer.

Turn to page 58 for a look at Nancy Sharon Collins, Stationer LLC hand engraved monogram on our very proprietary onion skin letter papers.

Not only is the monogram first drawn by hand (with a real pencil a real paper), it is then engraved—by hand—onto a half inch thick steel die. After this, a 2-hour “make-ready” is required on the engraving press. Each incredibly delicate sheet of onion skin is placed in the press—one by one—individually and by hand.

Needless to say…this process is not for the faint of heart. The results, however, are absolutely unique and astoundingly beautiful.

Available now is a hand made Packette of 5 onion skin envelopes and matching , french-folded sheets exclusively available here! (Monogram and engraving additional.)