Fathom’s new space began with numerous degraded joists that required replacement. This inspired the multi-level approach.

The various platforms will contain an antique letterpress circa 1885, an area for client meetings, a “design pit,” a vintage pinball machine, and more. It will be a lively space for lively ideas.

Mechanicsburg, PA is a lovely small town with conveniences like free parking as well as a thriving retail, art, and restaurant scene—and even establishments for taking high tea or enjoying a therapeutic herbal foot bath! Fathom will be located right on East Main Street: a Victorian home for the family and a separate, spacious building for Fathom in the back.

The new office will have ample space for Fathom’s design activities as well as room for our expanded offerings in Photography and Letterpress Printing. The house will also include a greatly improved space for Nelly’s art studio.

In July, Fathom will be the proud owner of a letterpress from the 1800s known as an Old Reliable. (As the press is still working after nearly 125 years of service, “Old Reliable” seems a prophetic name!) This 1,000-pound machine is a big step up from our wooden hand-press and opens options: we can produce jobs in-house or send jobs out to the 1950s Windmill press, depending on complexity and work volume—all the while creating printing plates in-house. The result: the doors are blown wide open in terms of the kinds of letterpress-printed materials we can produce for our clients.

Of course, we also continue to use modern printing methods, whatever it takes to produce great work.

About those services… We’ve always offered great design (logos, brochures, web sites, advertising). Now, we also officially offer photography and letterpress printing.

We’ve done photography in support of design projects for years, but now we are offering it as a stand-alone service. We think you’ll agree that our photography portfolio speaks for itself. You will see artful wedding photography in the portfolio—along with more serious subjects.

Letterpress printing is also being offered. Letterpress is the kind of printing used “back in the day,” comprised of movable metal type ala Gutenberg, Ben Franklin, etc. It is treasured by many because the image is sunken into the paper and because most anything can be printed on—thicker, hand-made papers; even wood and old cereal boxes! Fathom has a self-designed “hand-press” for short runs and proofing, with a chase that is removable and compatible with a 1950s Heidelberg “Windmill” Press. The collaboration has proven most fruitful. Fathom also has the capability of producing photopolymer printing plates in-house—so in addition to hand-set metal type, we can also produce plates to achieve any conceivable design.

Traditionally, letterpress is prohibitively expensive because acid-etched, metal plates had to be produced for any sort of custom design. By producing plates in-house (in an environmentally sensitive manner), and by being able to proof and run short jobs right here, we have opened this tactile and beautiful printing method to the masses (and also learned a good deal about the origins of our craft).

And finally, we have plans for a new, expanded office space that serves our clients even better. More news on that shortly…