A monogram on a leather bag is either the thing that makes it yours or a small permanent regret, and the difference is mostly down to finish and placement. Here is how to get it right.

How it is done

Individual brass letters are set into a type holder, heated to around 100 degrees, and pressed into the leather under a screw press for a few seconds. The heat and pressure compress and darken the leather fibres, which is why a blind press is visible without any colour at all. Foil sits a thin metallic layer into that compression. It is the same process bookbinders have used for centuries and it is permanent.

Choosing the finish

Blind on everything, is the short answer, and particularly on anything you will carry for years. Foil is lovely and it does eventually wear at the edges of the letters on a panel your hand touches, which is why we put foil monograms on the inner panel by preference. If you want foil on the outside of a bag you use daily, gold on a dark hide wears most gracefully.

Placement

Inner panel is the default and the one most people are happiest with long term. Front face is a stronger statement and it works best on plain, structured bags with an uninterrupted panel, a satchel or a briefcase. Do not put a monogram on the front of a soft slouchy bag: the panel moves and the letters distort.

Lead time

One extra working day on top of the normal one to two, so two to three days before it ships. We email a confirmation of the exact characters before the press is set, and you can change them up to that point.