Part Numbers

As our mission statement says, we’re mechanics, not artists. To continue that metaphor, while paying tribute to Factory Records, Independent Project Press, and the DDC, we assign a “part number” to every project.

MWE 0046
Vespa Club of Chicago Coasters
Client: Vespa Club of Chicago | November, 2024 | Qty: 30 3-packs

Coasters printed in three colors on precut coaster blotter stock.
Packed in 3-packs as giveaway at club holiday party.
(more photos)

MWE 0045
“Secret History of Chicago Music” holiday cards
Client: Bedell Family | December, 2023 | Qty: 150

Holiday cards with artwork by Steven “Plastic Crimewave” Krakow, based on his Chicago Reader Column “The Chicago History of Chicago Music.” Printed 2-sided in black, on Mohawk Superfine with matching envelopes.
(more photos)

MWE 0044
“Seymour Van Gogh” Business cards
Client: Paul and Michelle | August, 2023 | Qty: 200

Michelle and Paul in Tuscon have a camper named @seymourvangogh and they wanted “business” cards to exchange with new friends on the road. We printed these National-Forest-inspired 2-color, 2-sided cards on double-thick Flurry Natural White stock.
(more photos)

MWE 0043
Jim Moran retirement Spinvite®
Client: Midwest Ephemera | November, 2023 | Qty: 90

A Spinvite for the 2023 Hamilton Wayzgoose Print Swap, celebrating the career of master printer Jim Moran. Two colors on Colorplan stock.
(more photos)

MWE 0042
Spinvite® commemorating James Bedell
Client: Midwest Ephemera | June, 2023 | Qty: 20

A Spinvite in memory of my dad, James Bedell. His grandfather was a typesetter, his father worked for a paper company, but I guess graphic arts skipped his generation. The guy had good taste in music though.
(more photos)

MWE 0041
Spinvite® for Steve’s 70th Birthday
Clients: The Birke family | June, 2023 | Qty: 60

A three-color Spinvite label mounted on our embossed black records. We shipped these up north for a big birthday party. This marks the first time we printed on the “doughnut hole” so the Birkes got some extra stickers to seal the envelopes with.
(more photos)

MWE 0039
45 Sleeves for DJ Lammy and DJ Grover
Clients: DJ Lammy, DJ Grover | April, 2023 | Qty: 10 each

We were adjusting the Vandercook and needed to typeset something quickly to test it, so I chunked out a few of these 45 sleeves for some friends I was DJing with the next day. More are in the works!

MWE 0038
Fluckinger Cards
Client: Don Fluckinger | May, 2023 | Qty: 250 cards and envelopes

Back in college, Don and I designated ABC’s Beauty Stab as the greatest album of the eighties, a bit we’ve been sustaining for so long that we’ve convinced ourselves it’s true. When Don called to order some notecards, there was no question what they’d look like. Two colors on Mohawk’s Renewal “Wheat” with matching square-flap envelopes. (more photos)

MWE 0037
Gifford Cards
Client: The Gifford Family | April, 2023 | Qty: 800 cards and envelopes

Two folded A6 cards with matching envelopes. Card 1 features a 2-color illustration of the clients’ home, Card two is three colors, based on clients’ living room decor. Printed on Flurry Cotton.

Scootering is better with friends postcard

MWE 0036
Recruitment Postcard
Client: VCOA-Chicago | January, 2023 | Qty: 300 cards

3-color, one-sided postcard on 100#C French Kraft-Tone promoting Chicago’s chapter of the Vespa Club of America.

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MWE 0035
Berserk Bananas Game Cards
Client: Berserk Bananas | January, 2023 | Qty: 300 cards

No job is too small! This team of seventh graders wanted to answer their homeroom morning trivia quiz questions in style.

MWE 0034
“Ding Dong” Holiday Cards
Client: Bedell Family | December, 2022 | Qty: 100

2-color A7 cards, hand-typeset with wood and metal type and printed on Neenah Cobalt “Techweave” stock. Included typeset A7 envelope and “Snicklefritz” mini-zine.

MWE 0033
“…With Your Host” Notepads
Client: Calvin Bedell | October, 2022 | Qty: 8 pads

A birthday gift for an aspiring game-show host. Blue hand-set Airport Gothic and Kaufmann on Speckletone, 8 tear-off notepads bound with bookbinding glue.

MWE 0032
HWT Wayzgoose “Inked Up” Spinvite™
Client: Midwest Ephemera | October, 2022 | Qty: 100

Our entry for the 2022 Hamilton Wayzgoose print swap. 3-color label, custom sleeve, and perforated jukebox tabs. More details on the blog soon!

MWE 0031
Slaughterhouse 28 Goodie Bags
Client: Slaughterhouse Chicago | August, 2022 | Qty: 220

Goodie bags for Chicago’s annual motorscooter rally. Printed in magenta and black on kraft paper bags. Printing on bags with inconsistent seams/folds was tricky, but they came out better than I’d hoped.

MWE 0030
Finn Bradley Stationery
Client: Finn Bradley | May, 2022 | Qty: 100

A college graduation gift, hand-set in Copperplate with Art-Deco ornaments. Printed in a custom metallic green on “Soft White” Flurry double-thick A2 cards, with matching envelopes.

Boyann Business Card

MWE 0029
Social Cards
Client: Boyann Bedell | March 13, 2022 | Qty: 100

A batch of hand-typeset social cards, printed by MK on the Kelsey press on the dining room table.

MWE 0028
Jack R. H. Underwood Stationery
Client: Maddy Underwood | April, 2022 | Qty: 100

A gift for the client’s brother, who’s heading off to college in the fall.
Hand-set 12pt 20th Century Bold on “Soft White” Flurry double-thick A2 cards, with matching envelopes. More photos

MWE 0027
2022 Graduation Announcements
Client: Various | April, 2022 | Qty: Various

Hand-set 2-color graduation announcements on double-thick Flurry Cotton cards with school-color ribbons, wax seal, and matching envelopes. More info/order

MWE 0026
AEMP Bookplates
Client: Almost Every Month | May, 2022 | Qty: 200

Hand-set 3-color bookplates on Colorplan “Natural” label stock. Patreon Bonus for supporters of Almost Every Month, a podcast about Hobonichi planners. Available here | More info

150Gross Glass business cards

MWE 0025
Gross Glass Business Cards
Client: Henry Gross | February, 2022 | Qty: 2000

Mini-business cards for glass artist Henry Gross. Hand-set and printed in a wide variety of colors on a wide variety of papers.
More photos

MWE bizcards

MWE 0024
MWE “Random Cutz” Business Cards
Client: Midwest Ephemera | January 8, 2022 | Qty: 100

Quick-and-dirty cards whipped up on the Kelsey Press, with 72pt Lydian and three different vintage cuts: “Swami,” “Bachelor,” and “Carboy”

Midwest Ephemera Patches

MWE 0023 a-b
MWE Logo Embroidered Patches
Client: Midwest Ephemera | December 2021 | Qty: 100

2.25″ Embroidered patches featuring MWE logo. “A” is black and white, “B” is red and gold. More info/order

Invitations for Seiler Family

MWE 0022
Seiler Birthday Card
Client: Seiler Family | November 2021 | Qty: 60

Hand-typeset 80th Birthday invitation; 1-color 2-sided with matching imprinted envelope

Bedell holiday spinvite

MWE 0021
Bedell Family Holiday Card
Client: Bedell Family | December, 2021 | Qty: 126

Holiday card for our family, and the first finished Spinvite™, featuring a custom-printed and numbered sleeve, and a customized MWE0015 title strip.

Pencil Revolution cover

MWE 0020
Pencil Revolution #24 Cover
Client: Pencil Revolution Press | November, 2021 | Qty: 150

Cover for Johnny Gamber’s monthly pencil report, printed in Warm Gray 10 and Silver on charcoal cover stock. More info/order

Alzheimer's Association postcard

MWE 0019
Workforce Management Postcard
Client: Alzheimer’s Association | November, 2021 | Qty: 120

2-color 2-sided postcard for the Alzheimers Association’s Workforce Management team.

MWE 0018
Zines of Denial #1 Cover
Client: M.K. Bedell | August 8, 2021 | Qty: 60

Designed by M.K. Bedell. Covers for a Car Seat Headrest fanzine, printed with rhodamine red/reflex blue ink on a variety of Astrobright papers. Also printed a few coasters!

MWE 0017
Cookie Tags
Client: New Rose Catering | August 7-8 2021 | Qty: 1200

2-color, 2-sided mini tags for cookies

Thomas Haluda Prayer Card

MWE 0016
Prayer Card for Thomas L. Haluda
Client: Haluda Family | Date: July 2021 | Qty: 150

2-color 2-sided prayer card in memory of Thomas Haluda.

MWE 0015
Jukebox Title Strips (“Hexagon” style)
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: December 2021 | Qty: open run

Top-quality jukebox title strips, first run is traditional red on heavy Superfine stock, future runs will feature different colors, papers, and designs.

Kimono Steve business card

MWE 0014
Kimono Steve business cards
Client: Kimono Steve | Date: July 2021 | Qty: 100

Business cards for Kimono Steve’s ill-fated 2021 Scooter Cannonball cross-country adventure.

WMKB Membership cards

MWE 0013
WMKB Letterhead and Member Card
Client: WMKB | Date: August 14, 2021 | Qty: 50

Two-color-on-Astrobright letterhead and membership cards for the WMKB internet radio fall “Fun Drive.”

MWE 0012
MWE Parts Label
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: in progress | Qty: open run

Labels to match the parts envelopes, will go to production as soon as we can find the right-colored label stock.

MWE parts envelope

MWE 0011
MWE #3 Parts Envelope
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: April 2021 | Qty: open run

Packaging for NOS jukebox letters and samples.

MWE #10 envelope

MWE 0010
MWE #10 Parts Envelope
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: April 2021 | Qty: open run

Packaging for Alphabet kits and other small projects.

MWE roll decals

MWE 0009
MWE Roll Labels
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: March 2021 | Qty: 100

Labels to be included with orders

MWE 0008
Seeburg AY Lettering Kit
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: April 2021 | Qty: open run

Lettering kit for Seeburg Jukeboxes
Reproduction Seeburg P/N 509088 Type RACK-1 Remote Alphabet Kit. More info/order

MWE 0007
Seeburg SC-1 Lettering Kit
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: February 2021 | Qty: open run

Lettering kit for Seeburg Jukeboxes
Reproduction Seeburg P/N 509088 Type RACK-1 Remote Alphabet Kit. More info/order

MWE 0006
Seeburg LPC-480 Lettering Kit
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: April 2020 | Qty: open run

Lettering kit for Seeburg Jukeboxes
Reproduction of Seeburg P/N 509072 Type ACK-2 Alphabet Case Kit. More info/order

MWE 0005
Seeburg LPC-1 Lettering Kit
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: April 2020 | Qty: open run

Lettering kit for Seeburg Jukeboxes
Reproduction of Seeburg P/N 131240 Type ACK-3 Alphabet Case Kit. More info/order

MWE 0004
Seeburg 45 Strobe Disc
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: In Progress | Qty: open run

Strobe disc to calibrate Seeburg jukeboxes, based on original Seeburg P/N 487388R. Available as soon as we get around to die-cutting them!

Spinvite™

MWE 0003
Spinvite™
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: April 2021 | Qty: open run

Did we predict the numbering system would get mixed up? We made it all the way to “3.” After assigning that number to the “#1 Shark” pads, we also used it for the black debossed paper record that’s the basis of our Spinvite™ system. (Specific Spinvites have their own part number.)

#1 Shark Notepad

MWE 0003
“#1 Shark” Notepads
Client: Tracie Bedell | Date: May 2021 | Qty: 5 pads

Our first print project on the new press was a birthday gift for Tracie: five 60-page notepads featuring her legendary shark drawing. The pads were backed with chipboard and brushed with padding compound.

MWE 0002
midwestephemera.com
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: March 2021 | Qty: 1

The very website you’re looking at is our second project, it’s always changing and growing, but it’ll always be #0002 in our hearts.

MWE 0001
Classified
Client: Midwest Ephemera | Date: In progress | Qty: TBD

We’re saving the first part number for a project that’s been in the works since the day we decided to buy a press, stay tuned!