letterpress wedding invitations
Chances are, before researching wedding invitations, you never had to worry about things like printing processes before. And that’s absolutely normal! Prior to planning my own wedding, I had no idea there were so many different options (let alone what each technique entailed). Since this is a common source of confusion for brides, I put together a quick list of pros and cons of the main printing styles.
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So far in the Printing Primer portion of Banter & Charm’s Wedding Stationery Guide, I have shared information about flat printing, letterpress printing, and foil stamping. Between these three printing processes, you can achieve a wide variety of styles for your wedding stationery. But maybe you are looking to incorporate a subtle gold color, not as shiny as foil stamping (or perhaps foil stamping is costlier than you prefer). Or you have your heart set on using a deep, navy blue paper – but flat printing is not available on colored paper, and letterpress inks don’t pop on a dark background. What if you want to print on something non-traditional: like a wood veneer, or tote bags for your guests’ welcome gift. This is where screen printing comes in!
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While letterpress will always be my favorite style of printing, there are some things it is simply not suited for. That is where flat printing comes in! In this installment of The Wedding Stationery Guide, I will be sharing details about the digital printing process and how it can be used in your wedding invitation suite.
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Nothing says “classic” like a crisp white envelope with traditional calligraphy in rich black ink. There is a reason this iconic combination never goes out of style: it’s sophisticated, elegant, and formal. In a digital age where texts and emails are the norm, receiving such a piece of art in the mail is a cause for celebration. The envelope is the first thing your guests see, and you want to make a lasting impression with this first look.
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Chances are you have never given much thought to envelopes. While they’re not the main focus of your wedding stationery suite, envelopes are the first thing your guests see when the invitation arrives. You want to make your first impression a lasting impression, so a boring non-descript envelope is not going to cut it. Think about the envelopes in the stack of junk mail that generally fills your mailbox. Shiny and slick, long and skinny, these envelopes are no more special than the “special offers” they claim to contain.
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Paper is one of those things that seems simple until you need to pick just one. There are hundreds of thousands of types of paper: different colors, materials, weights, textures, and finishes. All these characteristics impact the final look of your invitation, so it’s important to know just what you’re getting. I’m going to give a brief overview of the options I offer, but nothing compares to holding the paper in your own hands. Make sure to order an invitation sample pack to see them yourself!
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If you’ve been researching wedding invitations for any time at all, you’ve likely come across an image of a design with gorgeous, shiny, gold foil pressed into cotton paper. It’s eye-catching, elegant, and adds a luxurious, formal feel to any invitation suite. You’re not sure what exactly it is, or how it’s printed, but you know you want that for your wedding invitations. Today that changes! I am going to walk you through the foil stamping process and share ways you can incorporate this stunning printing process into your wedding invitation suite.
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When to order weddings invitations is a question that nearly every bride I talk to has! Today I have a quick post about the ideal time to order your wedding stationery. Plus a bonus printable worksheet – so you can figure out your personalized wedding stationery ordering timeline!
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Letterpress printing. Whether you’ve never heard of it, or you have been head over heels in love with it since you first came across it, this printing process is undeniably gorgeous. But how in the world does it work? And why is it so much more expensive than flat printing? I’m answering these questions and more in this installment of the Wedding Stationery Guide! Letterpress is my all time favorite printing process – nothing compares to its look and feel. It effortlessly elevates a traditional wedding invitation from plain to elegant, and instantly transforms a simple typographic design into a work of art.
If you’ve never had the opportunity to hold a piece of letterpress stationery, order a sample pack so you can run your fingers over the paper and see its beauty for yourself.
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So you’ve read all the books on wedding stationery etiquette, nailed down your invitation wording, and the guest list has (finally!!) been approved by both sets of parents. Your wedding planning timeline says it’s time to order invitations, so you get in touch with favorite stationery design, confident that you have all the information you need to begin. But then the stationer starts asks “what printing process are you interested in?” and you realize you have no idea.
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place! No need to panic, I’ve got the answers to your wedding stationery printing questions in this portion of The Wedding Stationery Guide.
Chances are you’ve never had to worry about things like printing processes before. And that’s absolutely normal! When I was planning my own wedding, I had no idea there were so many different options (let alone what each technique entailed). That’s why I’ve put together this primer on printing processes: so you can make an informed decision when it comes time to choose. (or at the very least, understand what your stationery designer is referring to when they say “One Color”.
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So far in the wording portion of the Wedding Stationery Guide, we’ve covered how to word your wedding invitation and your RSVP card. Next up is the Reception Card! I’ve found that this can be one of the more confusing pieces of an invitation suites. Do you even need a reception card? What good is it? Read on to find out!
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Now that you know how to word your wedding invitation, it’s time to move onto the next piece in your invitation suite: the RSVP card!
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Deciding on the wording for your invitation can seem like a daunting task! I’ve put together this post to take some of the stress out of the process, and provide sample wording for your wedding invitations. There is a lot of conflicting information out there- when in doubt I defer to Emily Post for anything involving wedding etiquette.
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In today’s installment of the Wedding Stationery Guide I’m going to walk you through the various pieces that make up your wedding invitation suite.
The main invitation and the response card are the obvious pieces, but what about everything else?
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Addressing your envelope. Sigh. Are you dreading this task for your wedding invitations? Or maybe you completely forgot about it? Perhaps you’ve thought ahead and know you’re going to use a calligrapher (like Nikki from Made by Meer whose gorgeous work is featured below) to address the envelopes for you, or I’ll be printing the addresses for you.
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Every design in Banter & Charm’s collection can be customized to perfectly to create personalized wedding invitations just for you! The sample designs are just a starting point; make it your own by choosing the colors, wording, fonts, papers, and envelopes. These signature options are included in every order! You can also choose from an array of premium options. This is where you can take your invitation suite from exceptional to extraordinary! Hand calligraphy, custom maps, unique die cut shapes, double thick paper, edge painting, envelope liners, and more.
I want you to have all the options you desire (and none of the ones you don’t need), so if you have any questions about the available customizations, please get in touch!
The following versions of the Hope design show some adjustments you can make to personalize any collection wedding invitation design.
The first version is the original design, shown in 2-color letterpress (Powder and Pewter) on 110# Fluorescent White cotton paper.
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Last summer I started a “Wedding Stationery Guide” series on the blog to showcase the customization options available for Banter & Charm’s wedding collection. Over the next few months I’ll be continuing the series: talking about envelopes and fun add ons like envelope liners, edge painting, and custom maps.
Since it’s been a while, I thought it would be great to recap the Wedding Stationery Guide so far.
Printing Methods An overview of the three printing methods offered at Banter & Charm: Flat Printing, Letterpress, and Foil Stamping.
Papers All about the colors, weights, and texture of paper.
Inks colors can be complicated! This part of the guide took three posts to cover.
Ink Colors: Part I Ink and color basics.
Ink Colors: Part II Tips for choosing your colors.
Ink Colors: Part III “Non colors” : white and blind impression.
The “Fonts” portion of the guide was split into three posts as well.
Fonts: Part I Types of fonts.
Fonts: Part II How changing a font can change the look of your invitation.
Fonts: Part III Tips for choosing fonts for your invitation.
Sizing and Shapes Standard sizing for invitations and inserts, and the die cut shapes available.
That’s all for now, but check back soon for more information and tips on customizing your wedding invitations!
When browsing invitation designs, you will probably notice that most are available in a standard 5″x7″ size (also know as “A7” size). Although other sizes are certainly available, Banter & Charm follows tradition and offers all invitations and save the dates in the standard A7 size. Why? Well, there are a few reasons but the main one is envelopes.
While paper is easy to trim to different shapes and sizes, envelopes come in specific sizes. In order to offer a wide variety of colored envelopes and the pretty envelope liners that go along with them, it’s best to stick to the standard sizes available.
Our 4bar response card fits inside the 4bar size envelope (5.125″x3.625″).
Additional sizes are available for items that aren’t mailed individually: Insert cards are offered in A6 size, A2 size, 4bar size, and Mini size (business card sized). We also offer a 2″ square size that can be used as a seal or favor tag, and a 3.875″x 9.25″ size for programs and menus.
DIE CUT SHAPES
You can add a unique finish to your stationery without changing the size by choosing a die cut shape!
A custom die is used to trim the paper into various shapes. Standard options are shown below, but custom shapes are available.
Check back soon to learn more about the customization options available at Banter & Charm!
You can find all the posts in this series here: The Wedding Stationery Guide
In this third installment of the Fonts portion of the wedding stationery guide, I’m going to share some tips for choosing the fonts for your wedding invitation.
When I designed the wedding invitation collection for Banter & Charm, I spent a great deal of time finding the perfect font to match the style of
each designs. However, there are plenty of other fonts to choose from if you’re looking for something a little different. Maybe you’d like a more casual look, or you don’t care for the way your name looks in a particular script. No matter the reasoning, you can customize the fonts shown in any wedding stationery designs.
Please keep in mind that fonts are an integral part of every design. While I will work to make your desired font look great, not all fonts or font combinations will be a good fit for your design. If you’re unsure about a choice or combination, feel free to ask for advice. I’m also happy to provide a proof of a few different font options so you can see how it looks before making a final decision.
You don’t have to be a type nerd to notice that some fonts pair well together while others don’t.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting fonts for your wedding invitations.
Choose one simple and easy to read font for the main text, and then choose a more decorative accent font for text you want to highlight (like the bride and groom’s names, venues, or headings on insert cards). Generally, this means you’ll pick one font from the serif or sans serif category, and one from the script, hand drawn, or display categories.
Hopefully these tips will help you choose the perfect fonts for your wedding invitation suite! Make sure to check out Fonts Part I and Fonts Part II in the wedding stationery guide for more information.
A couple weeks ago I reviewed the different font options available for Banter & Charm’s wedding collection. Today we’re going to talk about changing fonts in designs, and how it affects the overall look and feel of the invitation suite.
I’m going to use the Merriment suite in my first example. This design uses only one font, but the type is set at an angle (although it can be changed to straight across if you prefer!). The original design features Script 3 from Banter & Charm’s font guide. It’s a sweet, calligraphy inspired script with loopy flourishes.
Now let’s look at the same design using a different font. Option 1 is shown with Hand Drawn 1 . This script is also calligraphy inspired like the first. It’s a little more casual and rustic, but overall the design still has a similar feel to the original.
Option 2 uses Formal Script 3 – a more flourished and formal script font than the original. Now the design is feeling more elegant and traditional, but it still works well. It’s also important to note that the text is somewhat harder to read because this script is fairly ornamental.
Now let’s try some non-script font. Option 3 uses Miscellaneous 8 – a hand drawn sans serif style. Although this has a completely different look than the original design, it still works great! Option 4 uses Serif 1, a traditional serif font. It doesn’t resemble the original at all! It also feels a little off with the type set at an angle. I probably wouldn’t recommend this font for this particular design.
Next we have four versions of the Hope wedding invitation, using different script fonts for the names and venue, but the font for the main text stays the same. Each version is subtly different than the other, but they all have the same sweet, romantic feel.
Hopefully these examples will help you see how changing the font can impact the overall look and feel of the design. Font change is included with any wedding invitation order, so feel free to browse the Font Guide and try something different.
Next time I’ll be sharing some tips on selecting fonts for your invitation suite!
You can find all the posts in this series here: The Wedding Stationery Guide
So far in the Wedding Stationery Guide, we’ve reviewed the printing methods offered at Banter & Charm, learned a bit about invitation paper, and gone over ink color options. Now it’s time to start talking about the actual design and layout of the invitation, and since fonts are such an integral part of the design I thought we’d start there!
Today I’m going to review the font options available at Banter & Charm, then we’ll talk a bit more how you can personalize your invitation fonts later on.
There are hundreds of thousands of fonts out there, so to keep things simple, we’ve put together a catalog of our favorite fonts for wedding invitations. Other fonts are available though – so if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, please ask!
First up are serif and sans serif fonts. These styles are the workhorses – they are versatile, come in different weights and cases, and are ideal for large blocks of text when legibility is key. I recommend that you choose one serif or sans serif family to use for the main text throughout your wedding stationery.
Now we have some more casual script fonts. A little less embellished than the formal scripts, these styles tend to be easier to read and a bit more modern looking.
You can find all the posts in this series here: The Wedding Stationery Guide
In the first part of the Ink Colors portion of the Wedding Stationery Guide, I shared some ink color basics along with tips on how to accurately preview your colors. Part II of the ink colors series included helpful suggestions and considerations for choosing your colors. Today I’m going to talk about some very special “non colors” : white and blind impression.
In the first part of this Ink Colors series of the Wedding Stationery Guide, I went over a few things that impact the way an ink color looks, and how to accurately preview your colors. Today I’ll share some tips on choosing your colors.
Check back soon for the third part of the ink colors guide where I’ll share information about some very special “non colors”: white and blind letterpress!
You can find all the posts in this series here: The Wedding Stationery Guide
Now that we’ve reviewed the printing methods offered and learned a bit about invitation paper, it’s time to talk about ink colors!
When you first started your wedding planning, you likely thought about your colors. What color dresses the bridesmaids would wear, what color flowers you’d carry, or what color table cloths you’d use at your reception. Since your invitation is the first look your guests will have at your wedding style, it’s natural to incorporate your wedding colors into the invitation suite. (Or not! That’s totally fine too!)
Much like the color options available for your dresses or table cloths, Banter & Charm also has a set palette of ink colors available for wedding invitations. We’ve carefully selected a range of 62 standard ink colors for flat printing and letterpress. You can also choose metallic silver or metallic gold ink for letterpress orders, or pick from gold, silver, or rose gold foil for foil stamp orders.
You can find all the posts in this series here: The Wedding Stationery Guide
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When I updated Banter & Charm’s website earlier this year, I added a page dedicated to all the customization options that are available when you order your wedding invitations. Over the next few weeks I’ll be showcasing the different options and sharing a bit more information here on the blog.
All designs in Banter & Charm’s wedding collection can be customized to perfectly fit your style. For no additional cost, you can change the print method, paper and envelope colors, ink colors, wording, and fonts from what is shown in the sample design. You can also customize the layout of the design elements, change the wording, add or remove design elements, and rotate the design.
You can make your wedding invitation suite truly unique by adding special touches like die cut shapes, envelope printing, edge painting, double thick paper, custom maps, envelope liners, belly bands, or custom postage. These options are available for an additional cost.
I’ll be sharing an in depth look at these options over the next few weeks. I hope you’ll check back to find out more!
View the rest of the posts in this series here: The Wedding Stationery Guide
