GENERAL
I primarily collaborate with companies and PR agencies, but I also enjoy working with individuals. Don’t hesitate to contact me by email at hello@sandaletter.ch or via my contact form. I’d be happy to discuss the feasibility of your idea.
When I’m not at my studio in Bern or visiting clients, the best way to stay updated on my activities is to follow me on Instagram and Facebook, or contact me via email at hello@sandaletter.ch.
Very simply:
- Initial phone/email contact where we discuss your idea.
- I send an email including the quote with the digital mockup and the contract.
- I finalize the digital mockup with any changes you request.
- You confirm the order by returning the signed contract.
- I proceed with the creation, and the magic happens!
- You receive the invoice by email within 7 business days following the event.
Each of your projects is unique, making it difficult to provide standardized pricing. Below are my starting rates, depending on each project:
- Signage (Welcome boards, etc.), Chalkboards, and Storefronts: from CHF 80.-
- Hand-calligraphed place cards: from CHF 2.50 per piece
- Engraving in the studio (excluding postal charges): from CHF 10 per piece or hourly billing for large quantities.
- On-site engraving at events: from CHF 100/hour (other pricing formats are available and can be discussed—half-and-half formula, pre-order formula, etc. Don’t hesitate to write to me via the contact form to discuss the best option for you).
Unlike a font, which is meant to be repeated, or calligraphy, which is about the art of beautiful writing, lettering involves the creation and drawing of letters in a unique style. In other words, lettering means hand-drawing letters to build texts and express a particular style or emotion. It is often highlighted by composition/layout and decorations accompanying the text.
A bit of history is in order… Calligraphy is defined as “the art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush.” There is a difference between beautiful writing and calligraphy.
A calligrapher aims to make their writing attractive, using skills that follow historical writing styles from the past.
Many historians trace the beginnings of calligraphy to China, where writing was done using bamboo brushes and papyrus paper. However, calligraphy also seems to have deep historical roots in many other parts of the world. In Europe, for example, calligraphy appeared as Latin writing painted on Roman walls around 600 BC, before being refined for use in religious texts.
Today, this ancient art form is still very popular, with many artists embellishing handwriting with beautiful ink strokes. There are several styles: English calligraphy, Spencerian, Madarasz, and modern calligraphy, which Sanda Letter currently practices.
ENGRAVING
For a word, it takes about 2-3 minutes per item, including the time for gilding. At events, it can take 3-4 minutes, including interaction with visitors. For floral or other illustrations, the time can vary from 2 to 20 minutes depending on the surface and the complexity of the motifs.
Engraving with a pen engraver emits a slight noise, similar to a small rotary tool. It is more consistent but much less noisy than using a chisel. Also, the more rigid and resistant the material to be engraved, the louder the noise will be.
Proper engraving requires good conditions. Thus, only a chair or stool and a flat surface (table, workbench, etc.) that can accommodate the engraving equipment (equivalent to the space of a shoebox) and visitors’ items to be engraved are necessary. Note that the higher the expected traffic, the larger the table should be to place items without accidents (object falls). For my engraving pen, access to a power outlet is required.
For hand engraving, materials such as metal, glass, plastic, wood, and even clay are suitable. As for plastic, due to the wide variety of textures and the engraving result, it is advisable to send test items or perform tests before the event to ensure the desired outcome.
Except for some exceptions (notably for plastic surfaces whose textures vary greatly), all surfaces can be colored after engraving. The filling choices are gold or silver, which highlight the engraving on a wide range of supports. Do not try to color an aluminum surface with silver, you might be disappointed.
Unfortunately, no, as there is a risk of explosion during or after engraving. The glass under the pressure of the gas reacts to the rotations of the engraver and can crack at any time. However, bubbly bottles can be beautifully customized using gold markers or bottle paint, which beautifully enhances the bottle.
The advantage of pen engraver (hand engraving) over machine/laser engraving lies primarily in its adaptability: By hand, you can engrave on certain spots that the machine cannot reach, and there is no need for thousands of tests to calibrate the engraving (the artist’s eye and skill are generally faster than the machine). This option is ideal, especially at events where various objects need to be engraved.
In summary, machine/laser engraving is certainly more precise than hand engraving (unfortunately, I’m not yet Robocop) and remains faster than hand engraving for series engravings… BUT when it comes to adaptability and creativity, especially for live engraving events, hand engraving is the best option.
CHALKBOARD
Of course! For every collaboration, after our first contact, I send my clients a digital version of my proposals, where you can see the result in its final environment and give me your feedback.
The first two revisions are possible without additional costs. Starting from the third, CHF 20 will be charged per revision to rework the digital version according to your needs.
CALLIGRAPHY
From the shape, paper color, ink, or pen/fountain pen used, all the place cards I create are entirely personalized to better suit you. You can share your inspirations with me, and we will bring them to life together. The bonus? I do not limit myself to paper supports! Calligraphing original place cards such as semi-precious stones, tiles, or shells are projects that interest me a lot, so don’t hesitate to be creative.
STOREFRONT
No worries! Some paints are made to be temporary, while others are designed to last. In my case, I work with an intermediate solution that has several advantages. I use acrylic paint, which is more resistant than chalk markers often used for storefronts and chalkboards, which are too fragile. The acrylic paint used resists water splashes and hand or object contact, and at the same time, it is easily erasable if needed with a sponge, hot water, or window cleaner.
Absolutely! Once dry, acrylic paint resists water splashes well. If you are a plant store, rest assured, you can mist your wonders without fear of erasing your Sanda Letter-made storefront. Unless you scratch the paint, your designs will not budge if a curious hand touches your storefront. Moreover, I paint the storefronts from the inside to ensure maximum durability.
