Talk about a career change: A year ago, Sean Brown was working a cattle ranch in the southern Utah mountains; today, the Kirkland native is the proprietor of new Pike Street Press, an all-in-one letterpress design studio, custom-print shop and gallery tucked under the bustling Market hillclimb.

“I learned how to letterpress while in Utah and started a printing press, but shockingly, there weren’t a lot of people buying. Then again, it was mostly cows,” Brown says.

Now he prints custom invitations on the behemoth press in his open workshop.

Coaster sets (four for $10) and beautiful bookmarks ($3) are spread out on a rustic worktable. Brown also designs elegant, modern wedding and party invitations on cotton or recycled heavyweight. And hung on a clothesline-style wire is an array of local art (ranging from $50 to $300), such as Nate Stottrup’s stunning intaglio cutout prints, along with other paper pretties, including hand-printed calendars ($65) and gift cards ($3–$5).

Pike Place Market Hillclimb
1510 Alaskan Way at Pike Street
206.971.0120
thepikestreetpress.com