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Seed Packet 1920 — Cover

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.

Learn more about the Seed Packet 1920 style

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

Background
Surface
Primary
Secondary
Accent
Text

Typography

RyeHeadings
Goudy Bookletter 1911Body
Sorts Mill GoudyMono
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Styles similar to Seed Packet 1920

Also inspired by print & type, with a close feel.

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