Designer Profiles Features

TALIA BROMSTAD
Bromstad Printing
@bromstadprinting.co

Aesthetic of the Line? Sweet and silly, a little irreverent. Whimsical illustrations of flora, fauna and felines printed with risograph to lend a playful, retro feel.

Current Bestseller? Birthday Strut. This confident cowboy cat never fails to tickle. Something about their big hat and boots and sweet expression is pure delight, the red and blue inks vibrating off one another.

Personal Favorite? Hello There My Friend. I love a ”just because” card! I had a vision of this curious cat’s face distorted through a fishbowl as they gaze at their fishy friend. The final product turned out exactly as I had in mind. It’s just a humorous little hello, a little prompt to break the ice and reach out to someone.

Surprise Hit? Remember Strawberry Notepads. While I definitely favor drawing cats, some of my biggest hits are non-cats, which sort of makes sense because if I’m going to draw something else, I better do a really good job of it. The bright yellow paper of these notepads and the red glue on the edge combined with the simple strawberry illustration makes these really attractive as a desktop accessory, almost like stationery candy.

Iconic Selection? Rarest Bloom. A cute little illustration of my rescue cat Sylvia, complete with her clipped ear, but paired with the flowery yellow ruff and the sentiment, “You’re the Rarest Bloom.” It becomes a special missive about celebrating imperfections — fitting for risograph, which is all about those subtle “flaws” that make each print unique.

Favorite Color? Pink! It’s not the most popular ink color in my palette, but I continue to hang on to it because it’s such a charming color, ideal for kitten toe beans.

Current Design Obsession? 1960s children’s book illustrations, especially those of Roger Duvoisin. There is a simplicity but also exaggeration to the animals in particular that I find inspiring. The printing standards of the time often dictated two- or three- color images for the books, which is really aligned with the limitations of risograph printing. It’s fun to see how illustrators created whole worlds and stories with a limited palette.

Favorite Flower? A gardenia’s white petals are so elegant in their floppiness. But even more, I love their scent. If I see gardenias in bloom, I will cross the street to shove my nose in them immediately.

Favorite Indulgence? Watermelon-flavored Sour Patch Kids.