Blueprint Service News
Printing 8.5x11 sizes again
January 3, 2012: The Konica is back! Ewan found a way to fit it in among the other machinery, so now he can handle small-format jobs which in the past year he has handed off to Hansen Bros. Actually, he has always handed off any major small-format jobs, but now when it is convenient to do a few small pages along with a job of larger pages, it can be done by Albion, at a savings to the customer.
Open Over Christmas, New Year's
December 15, 2011: As Christmas and New Year's are on Sundays, and the eves of both are on Saturdays, Albion will actually be open for its regular schedule during these holidays. However, since Hansen Bros. is closed some of the weekdays, call (303) 795-5369 to see if alternate pickup/dropoff arrangements may need to be made.
Ewan In Part-Time, Shop Open Full-Time
September 24, 2011: To afford to keep the shop open while the construction industry is slow, Ewan has found a part-time job teaching college students how to do printing. So far his schedule can only be predicted a few days in advance; check the shop calendar if you have a job needing Ewan's expertise. Karen will be handling the shop the rest of the time.
Another Reprographics Article
May 24, 2011: Another article based on Ewan's experience with the top three large-format printer companies.
In-House Blue Print: Comparing Xerox, KIP, and Oce Printers
Interview With Ewan
April 27, 2011: Ewan was interviewed for a HubPages article about the history of reprographics. There was so much information it turned into three articles, with probably more to come. The first one was even nominated for a HubPages award. Here are the links:
"Architecture Plan Copying: A History of Reprographics, or, Why Blueprints Aren't Blue Now"
Part One Trends and overall timeline of reprographics, and media used by architects as originals
Part Two Blueprints, bluelines, and bond
Part Three Giant cameras, plotters, and printers
Albion Has Moved
February 19, 2011: The move is complete. It seems to be an easy transition for Albion customers to drop off and pick up at Hansen Brothers now, and pay on-line. Call Ewan if any difficulties arise.
Albion Moving in 2011
December 17, 2010: In order to save costs and thus stay in business for his customers, Ewan has figured out a way to work from home, starting in February or possibly even sooner. He will keep the same phone number. Albion customers will be able to drop off and pick up at Hansen Brothers print shop on Main Street (which has the same hours as Albion), and of course emailed files will work the same as before. An antiques shop that is now on Alamo will be moving into the space at 5776 S. Rapp. In preparation for the transition, Ewan has already set up a way to pay on-line for reprographics services with a credit card. More details to come!
Pay Online for Repro Services
December 17, 2010: There is now a form on the Contact page for you to pay on-line, by credit card, for reprographics services. This feature is in preparation for moving the shop, but you can already use the form, and it means you can come pick up your prints and not have to remember to bring the right credit card.
New Calendar Page
December 1, 2010: A Google Calendar has been added to this site. This should make it easier for Ewan to keep customers informed of short-notice shop closures, due to meetings, illness, or just getting tired of talking to customers (okay, this doesn't happen too often.) You may save yourself a trip by checking the calendar before venturing out if it is icy, coming up on a major holiday, or if flus are going around.
Closure 11AM to 2PM Sep 9
September 7, 2010: Albion will be closed sometime between 11AM and 2PM on Thursday, September 9th for a phone conference.
Welcome to New Customers
September 3, 2010: The slowdown of the construction industry has hit hard on small shops printing big format. Our sources suggest that of approximately 80 shops like Albion open 5 years ago, only 15 are still listed in the phone book, and even some of those may no longer be open. Yet a lot of small contractors, architects, and engineers still need a place to get a few copies without paying through the nose. Albion welcomes any of these small businesses who have discovered there is still a construction print shop left in Littleton. Don't forget to ask for your new customer discount.
Fridays Mostly Short
September 3, 2010: Until further notice, plan on Fridays being short (usually 8-10AM), due to airshows, art commissions, and other things going on this summer/fall. But as always, if you have something that needs to be done when the shop is closed, just contact Ewan to see what he can arrange.
Oshkosh 2010
Late July, 2010: Mark Johnson watched the shop again as Ewan took time off to go to the Oshkosh Air Show. The official purpose was to volunteer with and support the Vintage Aero Flying Museum, showing off its Fokker replicas (you can buy the mugs Ewan designed here), but Ewan was able to make some contacts for his aviation art too. Of course, Ewan did not have any fun at all spending a week with a whole bunch of aircraft and aviation nuts.
It's a Boy!
May 2010: Oh, all right, it's actually September, but the event happened in May. For obvious reasons, updating the shop website hasn't been the highest priority for some time. But mother and baby are doing fine, and father's attention is getting back to supporting this growing family!
Upcoming Closings at Albion Repro & Graphics
April 14 2010: The time is now upon us where there will be a lot of changes here at Albion Repro & Graphics, Ewan’s third child is due any day now. This means that in the next few weeks there will be a sudden and unannounced closing of the shop (that is unless this baby is very cooperative and arrives on a weekend). Before that event happens there will be other times I will have the shop closed to go with my wife to her midwife appointments.
Closing Schedule:
Wednesday 21 April: Closed in the morning until 11:00 at the latest.
Wednesday 28 April: Closed in the afternoon from 12:00 to 3:00.
Wednesday 5 May: Closed in the morning until 11:00 at the latest.
These closing may change depending on the birth of the baby.
The other big change will be that from now and for several months after the baby is born, if Ewan gets sick the shop will be closed as Karen just won’t be up to running the shop in Ewan’s absence. I will try to keep you informed of the changing nature of Albion Repro & Graphics through this hectic time.
Unscheduled Closure This Spring
Jan 23, 2010: Ewan's third child is due to be born May 2, 2010. However, since babies don't read calendars, be prepared for a possible unscheduled closure lasting a day or two in April or May. The shop may also be closed on some Wednesdays before that, for Ewan to attend midwife appointments.
Possible Closure Feb 17
Jan 23, 2010: Ewan has a Chamber of Commerce appointment scheduled the morning of Wednesday, February 17th. If his wife is not available then to watch the shop, it will be closed for a couple hours.
Open All Day Fridays
Jan 23, 2010: For now, Albion is back to being open 8-4:30 Fridays, to accommodate customers during the often-busy time of spring planning. Watch for future updates, however, as the schedule may change again in the summer for airshow season.
New Prices in 2010
Jan 4, 2010: After looking over the figures of the end of last year, I am reluctantly needing to raise the prices of my B&W copies. I am needing to do this as business the last few months has not been covering operating costs, so starting January 1 (OK actually the 4th) I will be raising the price of my large-format B&W.
Albion Closed the morning of January 6
Jan 4, 2010: Albion will be closed the morning of January 6th for a meeting. As this is a meeting where both Ewan and Karen will be attending we will need to close the shop for this time. If you are needing something urgent that morning please cantact Ewan and arrange for a time when he can get your job done.
New Prices in 2010
December 26, 2009: During 2009, there was a trend away from printing large numbers of big sets. Smaller sets take relatively more time and effort per page. To be able to keep serving loyal customers, Ewan is reluctantly raising prices to accommodate this trend. He believes the prices are still very fair and compare well with those of local competitors and the shipping charges of on-line printing options. Besides, no other place he is aware of has customer service as good as Albion's. Starting January 1, 2010, 18x24s will be $1.25 each for up to 200, and $1.00 for 200+. 24x36s will be $2.25 each up to 200, and $2.00 for 200+. 30x42s will be $3.25 each up to 200, and $3.00 for 200+. Call Ewan at (303)795-5369 for any questions about the new prices.
Albion closed Christmas through New Year's
December 26, 2009: Albion will be closed Christmas Eve through New Year's Day. However, since Ewan will be in the area and checking email occasionally, you can always try emailing to let him know if you need something done during this time. (Yes, Albion was closed over Thanksgiving, too, but as Albion's main webmonkey is pregnant, updating the website has been a bit neglected. But now it's caught up.)
New hours: on Fridays open only 8-10AM
Nov 12, 2009: Starting November 16th I will not be turning on my printer unless I have work to do. So if you are needing to stop by for a quick job, call me before you come in so I will have the printer warmed up for you, or you might have to add 15 minutes to the time it takes to get your job printed. I will be doing this through the month of December, which is traditionally slow, to conserve on energy cost. I am only planning on doing this through the month of December, and I will be back to normal on the 4th of January. I would also like to announce that Albion Repro & Graphics will be closed for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays from 24 December through 1 January. I will be back in the new year on 4 January.
Closed Friday October 2nd
September 29, 2009: I will be closed all day on Friday 2 October, and I will not even be available for the by appointment work you might need. I have been working long and hard this summer and as I have family in town this weekend it makes for a nice short getaway, if only for a day. And as I am already closed from 10:00 onward I really am not missing much, but I am sorry for any inconvenience to you by being closed the other two hours of Friday. I will be back to my usual schedule next week.
Wednesday schedule changes
September 29, 2009: There is the great probability that there will be time on one Wednesday a month that I will be closed for up to three hours during the day. We are expecting our third, and there will be times I will want to go with my wife to her prenatal visits. We will try to arrange things to minimize any disruption in the shops opening hours. And if you come to the shop anywhere from late April through May and find it closed with no sign on the door, then that will mean we had a baby that day and I should have the shop open again the next day (if so I will most likely be dead tired so please be kind).
New hours: on Fridays open only 8-10AM
July 17, 2009: In order to work on graphics without interruption, Ewan will be closing the shop early on Fridays. But you can still pick up jobs from 8 to 10AM. And, if there is something you really need on a Friday afternoon, he will open by appointment only. Call him at (303)795-5369.
Ewan still available but in the back
June 27, 2009: As Ewan is figuring out the intricacies of a dye-sub printer, discussing t-shirt and mug deals with air museums, and trying to catch up on all his commissions to draw airplanes, fire trucks, etc., you may see Ewan's wife Karen watching the shop for him a lot, and his small boys saying hi to all the customers. Most days, Ewan is actually at the shop, just working in the back, so if you have a question or a complicated set of copies to do, Ewan can still take care of it.
New dye-sub printer
June 27, 2009: A new dye-sub printer and heat transfer press has arrived at the shop. Dye-subs can be somewhat fiddly, so it may take a bit to get it doing all it's supposed to. Eventually it should mean Ewan can put any design you want on a mug, a t-shirt, a cap, a plate, a clock, a clipboard, and a whole bunch of other things. Dye-subs are particularly good for photo-quality and short runs, so you could get, for instance, your child's picture on four mugs for the grandparents, or a company-logo hat for the three employees of your small business. Ewan will be putting some of his airplane caricature designs on t-shirts, mugs, and maybe some "aviator scarves". Stop by the shop to see what these things look like.
Albion to be closed June 19th
June 10, 2009: Ewan was quite impressed with the help he got from 15-year-old homeschooler Mark Johnson back in April. But Alexander as a three-year-old homeschooler is probably not quite up to the job without help from Daddy. So Ewan will be shutting the shop down while he and Karen attend the Colorado homeschool convention on June 19th.
Lower prices for 18x24s and 30x42s
May 29, 2009: After reviewing the cost of paper, Ewan is restructuring his prices to match. 30-inch and 24-inch paper used to be more expensive than 36-inch, but now they aren't, and they aren't any harder to work with on the new machines Ewan has. So as of June 1, Ewan is reducing the prices for 18x24 and 30x42 to the same square-foot price as 24x36s. Also, prices will be the same for the first 199 and reduced after that, since most customers who have more than 100 sheets also have over 200 sheets.
Closed Memorial Day Weekend
May 19, 2009: Albion Repro & Graphics will be closing at noon on Friday 22 May and all day Monday 25 May for the Memorial Day weekend. We encourage you to remember the vetrans who have served and fallen to ensure our freedom this coming weekend.
A space-themed sample website
May 9, 2009: If customers try to find your information on the web, what do they see? To market yourself better with a artistic website, take a look at what you can get for a few hundred dollars. Decide what you need and contact Ewan.
Albion open part of April 10
March 24, 2009: Ewan may shut down the shop early on Friday, April 10th so as to get to the airport in plenty of time (see previous news item).
Ewan to be away, Albion to be open
March 24, 2009: Ewan and family are going to England in the middle of April. (Let Ewan know if you need him to bring you some Marmite or anything.) However, Albion will be OPEN! Mark Johnson will be spending several days in the shop in late March and early April learning the ropes. From April 13th to 24th, he will be in charge. Mark should be able to do any general printing jobs, but if you have plotting or anything else unusual or complex, talk to Ewan ASAP. Meanwhile, stop by, meet Mark, and ask him about string quartets, milking, and beekeeping.
Open President's Day
February 9, 2009: Albion Repro & Graphics will be open Presidents' Day, February 16th, and will be happy to talk about President Washington and President Lincoln with any customers interested in history.
Closing a bit early February 10
February 9, 2009: Albion is closing half an hour to an hour early on Tuesday, February 10th (3:30 or 4PM). That's in order to go to Denver's Home and Garden Show to see what Denver's architects and designers are doing. Perhaps Albion can be of use to some of them.
Closed for Lunch Tuesday January 20th
January 19, 2009: Albion Repro & Graphics will be closed for about one and a half hours around noon for a very important lunch meeting. Don't worry this is not the start of a new work schedule for Albion, this is just this one day, we will be back to our regular hours on Wednesday. I am sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused you.
Ask about cookies
December 2, 2008: Sometimes Fridays are getting busy enough that although there are cookies for the customers, Ewan forgets to set them out. If it is Friday and you don't see cookies, feel free to ask whether there aren't cookies today or they are just hiding!
Christmas and New Year's
December 2, 2008: Albion Repro & Graphics will be closed over the week from Christmas to New Year’s. This is a traditionally slow time of year, and having served you diligently over this year, Ewan needs a time away from the shop for some much needed R&R. He will be back on Monday January 5th rested and ready to serve you in the new year.
Albion closed day after Thanksgiving
November 24, 2008: Albion is closed on Thanksgiving, of course, but plans are to also be closed the day after Thanksgiving. If you have a job that absolutely must be done that day, contact Ewan to see what arrangements he can make for you. Also let Ewan know if you come up with a job for the week between Christmas and New Year's, as Albion will probably be closed then, too.
Furnace problems Nov 24th
November 24, 2008: The shop is having problems with the furnace not coming on today. Cold temperatures will hurt the machines, so Ewan is working to get that fixed today even if it means being closed for short periods (half an hour?) during the day. Ewan hopes the problem will be solved today but it could extend into tomorrow.
Cookie Fridays
September 19, 2008: Fridays are when people often leave early for the weekend, especially near long weekends, so they are usually relatively slow days at Albion. So if you want quick service, your best bet is to come in on a Friday! To encourage and appreciate Friday customers, Albion will have homemade cookies available on occasional Fridays. Which ones? That would be telling--you'll just have to come and see! (Actually it's because with two small boys at home, Ewan's wife finds it dangerous to promise that anything will happen every single week.)
Albion to be at Friends Crafts Fair October 4th
September 19, 2008: Albion Design Centre has reserved a booth for the Friends Crafts Fair at Ketring Park next to the Littleton Historical Museum. Ewan will be showing his aircraft caricature T-shirts, caps, and magnets, and various other items. If it rains as much as it did during the Western Welcome Week craft fair, however, never mind the fair, just come by the shop on some other day to see the crafts!
Albion Repro & Graphics will be closed August 22nd through the morning of August 27th
July 23, 2008: Due to flooding in the mid-west this spring, our trip out east was canceled as the train we were to travel on went no further east then Denver. Well the line opened up two days to late for us to go, so we rescheduled the trip. We will now be closed from Friday 22nd of August through the morning of Wednesday 27th of August. This will be during the DNC convention, so things might be slow in town as it will be difficult to get around with all that is scheduled to happen here. I hope that this will not be too much of an inconvenience for you. .
Western Welcome Week Craft Fair
July 23, 2008: Albion Design Centre will be represented at this years Western Welcome Week craft fair on 16 August in Downtown Littleton. The booth will be at the west end of Main St. and will be showing the Aircraft Caricatures and Childrens’ Portraits by Ewan Tallentire. This will also be an opportunity to talk to the artist about his work and what he can do for a portrait for you of your child, or a caricature of your favourite airplane. The Aircraft Caricatures are expanding to include T-shirts and Caps, so stop by and see how the caricatures translates to wearable art. Ewan Tallentire will also be able to answer all your questions about the work we do at Albion Repro & Graphics, which is just around the corner on Rapp St. For more information on location, parking and all of the other activities for Western Welcome Week, check out their website at www.WesternWelcomeWeek.org.
Albion Repro will be open Monday July 7th due to flooding.
July 1, 2008: Albion Repro & Graphics was scheduled to be closed all day on July 7th, and the morning of July 8th for a trip out east. But due to the flooding in the Midwest our plans have been changed, and we will now be open both of those days. We will still be closed on the 4th of July as we celebrate the colonies gaining their independence from the crown. The trip will probably be rescheduled for some time in late August or early September, we will keep you informed. Please keep checking this page for updates on this and other events going on at Albion Repro & Graphics.
Albion closed July 4-7
May 22, 2008: Albion will be open through July 3rd, but closed over the Fourth of July weekend and the following Monday. The shop will open late on Tuesday July 8th, probably in mid-morning, but should definitely be open by afternoon. Again, this probably won't affect customers too much, but if you'll need something done during those times, talk to Ewan as soon as you find out.
Substitute days in June
May 22, 2008: On June 12th and 13th, Ewan will be at a conference and his wife Karen will be running the shop. Karen has been trained in shop procedures, but if you have a job that needs expert attention, you may want to schedule around those days.
Half-day closing before Memorial Day
May 22, 2008: Plan ahead now for summer holiday closings. Albion will close half a day early before Memorial Day weekend, i.e. closing at noon on Friday May 23rd. This should not impact customers too much as things are usually slow right around holidays. If you have something you really need done that afternoon, call ASAP to arrange something!
New graphics-quality plotter arrives
April 29, 2008: Just in time for the grand opening, a new high-resolution plotter has arrived at the Albion shop. The old plotter was designed for architectural color plots, and did well with lines and shapes, but this plotter can also handle renderings without getting grainy. Stop by to see a demonstration of the difference! This should be especially interesting to landscape architects, who can now get good printouts of their designs. Other architects may use this capability to print out a rendering of the finished building. The really good news--the quality is up, but the price is the same!
Grand Opening and Cheese-Rolling Celebration May 5th
April 17, 2008: To start off the tradition of celebrating odd holidays, Albion Repro & Graphics' grand opening will be Monday, May 5th, in honor of Stilton cheese and the Stilton cheese-rolling festivities in the village of Stilton, England. Please visit to sample some Stilton cheese, to try rolling (other) cheese, and to see what's new at the shop.
Albion up and running at 5776 S. Rapp
April 16, 2008: The doors at Albion Repro & Graphics have been open for a couple days now, and finally the shop has a sign, although it is still a temporary one. The real sign may not be up for a while as it has to be approved by the city. In any case, you can recognize Albion as the shop with the red airplane windsock flying in front of it. The move went smoothly except for some computer problems on the 15th, but the jobs that got behind are all caught up.
Albion closed April 14th to set up at 5776 S. Rapp
April 11, 2008: Albion Repro & Graphics will be moving over the weekend to 5776 S. Rapp St. The shop will be closed Monday to allow time for safely moving the KIP and to get the Konica colour copier networked. On opening Tuesday morning, Albion should be able to offer more and faster services. A new KIP is on order to come in later in the week to make service still faster and more reliable.
New website, e-mail, FTP site
April 9, 2008: Albion Repro & Graphics's new website is http://www.albiondesigncentre.com/repro. The email is designs@albiondesigncentre.com, which should solve the recent problems with reliability on the vantech@prolynx.com address. In case of any remaining problems, or for especially large files, Ewan also has an FTP site; contact him to access it.
Vantech sale papers signed
April 9, 2008: Ewan Tallentire and Dennis and Diana Van Dellen have signed the papers selling Vantech to Ewan. The shop will as of today be officially operating as Albion Repro & Graphics. Plans are to move this weekend to 5776 Rapp Street, just around the corner. The shop will be open (but maybe a bit disheveled) on Friday, on Main Street, will be closed on Monday the 14th, and will open Tuesday the 15th on Rapp St. Check this page frequently for the latest updates.
Color copies now available
March 31, 2008: Albion Repro & Graphics now has a Konica copier that will do letter, legal, and ledger color copies. It can also do 12"x18" copies, which means that now 50% reductions from a 24"x36" are possible. It is networkable, so once the equipment is settled in the Rapp Street property, some of the machines can be tied together to make printing from a file more convenient. All this means Albion can now do more kinds of color copying and for lower prices than before.
