About Seed Packet 1920
A 1920s seed packet is a throwaway wrapper that has to sell and instruct at the same time. The face is one chromolithographed tomato or zinnia printed past the point of plausibility, with the variety name arched over it in wood type or copperplate script. The back is letterpress: planting depth, row spacing, thinning distance, days to germination, ruled into a table small enough that you hold it to the light.
Nothing here is precious. The stock is unbleached manila, the colours are flat overprints that drift a hair out of register, and the ornament is whatever rules and banners the job shop had in the case. This system keeps that split intact — a loud face, a dense back, and no empty margin pretending to be taste.
- Origin
- Philadelphia and the seed houses of the northeastern United States
- Era
- 1900–1950; centred on the 1920 packet and the mail-order catalogues around it
- Key figures
- W. Atlee Burpee · David Burpee · Paul de Longpré · Alois Lunzer
- Movements
- chromolithography · trade cards and advertising labels · American job printing
Seed Packet 1920 design spec
Colors
Typography
The other 11 sections — buttons, cards, spacing, motion, techniques and more — open once you unlock. Download the DESIGN.md or send it to your AI in one click. Unlock once, yours forever.
Sign up nowStyles similar to Seed Packet 1920
Also inspired by print & type, with a close feel.