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Wedding Stationery Guide: Letterpress Printing

Printing Primer· Wedding Stationery Guide

6 Feb

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.

letterpress printing for wedding invitations


As part of the Wedding Stationery Guide, I’ve put together a primer on printing processes to clear up some of the confusion that comes with ordering wedding invitations. See other posts in the series here: Printing Primer

Letterpress is an artisan printing method that results in a deep impression on soft cotton paper. It’s a time honored technique, making it perfectly suited to producing elegant and traditional letterpress wedding invitations.

peach lace letterpress

In letterpress printing, ink is transferred from a raised surface to paper using pressure. Originally, printing was done using wood type set by hand. While some printers still use movable type, all the invitations I offer are printed using a custom made printing plate. This means I can create custom designs on my computer using the typefaces and embellishments you choose.
movable wood type for letterpress

Once the layout for an invitation design is finished, the digital artwork comes to life when it’s made into a polymer plate. A separate plate is created for each ink color used in the artwork. Ink is applied to the plate, paper is hand fed through the printing press. The plate is pressed into the paper, creating an inked indentation.

vintage letterpress

Letterpress inks are mixed by hand, printing plates are manually aligned, and old presses have their quirks. This is all part of the beauty of letterpress, and means that there will be slight variations between the pieces in your order.

hand mixed letterpress inks
Blind letterpress (also referred to as “blind impression”, “embossing” or “debossing”) is the technique of letterpress printing with an un-inked plate to press a design into the paper. The result is a subtle texture without color. Because a separate printing plate is made for blind letterpress*, it counts as a “color” for pricing purposes.
blind letterpress lace on cotton paper

Letterpress is a labor intense process. Most of the costs are in the set up, so the cost per piece for low quantities is high. Conversely, the higher the quantity the lower the cost is per piece.

Letterpress printing is best suited for two or three color designs with minimal ink coverage. Soft cotton paper allows for the best impression, but letterpress is also available on smooth paper stocks (there will just be a less noticeable indentation in the paper). The letterpress collection showcases designs that are perfectly suited to this classic printing method. I’m happy to adjust other designs to work with letterpress printing too!

Letterpress can also be paired with foil stamping – as seen in the Delicate design below, featuring blind letterpress with rose gold foil stamping.

Hopefully this post and the photos gave you a better understanding of letterpress printing. However, I think letterpress needs to be seen in person to be truly appreciated! Head over to the shop and order a sample foil wedding invitation so you can run your fingers over the deep impression in the paper and see its beauty for yourself.!

Previous Post: « Signature Spotlight: Debonair
Next Post: Wedding Stationery Guide: Foil Stamping »

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MEET SARAH

Hello! I´m Sarah - I am a mom, wife, and stationery designer living in southwest Michigan. I believe in God and good manners, love beautiful typography, adore traditions, and am infatuated with pretty paper.
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ABOUT ME

I’m Sarah, and I create tailor-made wedding stationery for brides that need a simple, classic invitation design with just the right amount of personality.

Banter & Charm is a Michigan wedding invitation design studio based in St. Joseph. Not local? I serve brides throughout Michigan and northern Indiana, Notre Dame, Chicago, the Midwest, and across the US. Read More…

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BANTER & CHARM

205 Main Street #331
St. Joseph, Michigan 49085
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banterandcharm

I'm a mom, wife, and stationery designer specializing in classic and elegant letterpress wedding invitations based in southwest Michigan

Sarah Guse Brown
Trying to decide on the perfect finishing touch fo Trying to decide on the perfect finishing touch for your invitation suite? Put a bow on it 🎀 ⁠
It's a great way to hold all the pieces of your invitation suite together, and while this white ribbon is lovely it's also available in a rainbow of colors to match your wedding palette!⁠
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Oh navy blue 😍⁠ This sophisticated and classy Oh navy blue 😍⁠
This sophisticated and classy invitation suite may be from a few years ago, but it still makes my paper loving heart happy every time I see it! Metallic silver letterpress on super thick navy blue card stock is just the beginning! @katiewhitcomb captured this perfect close up (and aren't the bride's earrings stunning as well?!!)⁠
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#basilicabride #notredameweddings #venueND #letterpress #customweddinginvitations #customstationery #weddinginvitationdesigner #classicinvitations #invitationdetails #formalwedding #foilinvitations
Thinking about sending your first Christmas card a Thinking about sending your first Christmas card as a married couple this year? Or how about letting your holiday card do double duty as a save the date announcement? I've got you covered with Banter & Charm's 2023 holiday collection! Follow the link in bio to see a variety of Christmas save the dates and newlywed holiday cards!⁠
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#holidaycards #mintedartist #mintedholiday #sendmoresnailmail #ourfirstchristmas #firstchristmas #christmascard #snailmailrevolution
Yes I know, it's not even Halloween yet - let alon Yes I know, it's not even Halloween yet - let alone Thanksgiving - but if you're planning on sending save the dates in the next few months, why not make it a Christmas card / save the date?⁠
Or what better way to celebrate your first married Christmas, than with a Christmas card showing off your wedding photos.⁠
Visit the link in my profile to see a round up of my favorite First Christmas cards for newlyweds and holiday save the dates.⁠
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#holidaycards #mintedartist #mintedholiday #sendmoresnailmail #ourfirstchristmas #firstchristmas #christmascard #snailmailrevolution
Unique, out of the ordinary invitations are great Unique, out of the ordinary invitations are great and sooo much fun to design, but I'll always have a sweet spot in my heart for a classic and traditional design. There's a reason some things never go out of style - whether it's a little black dress, the perfect shade of red lipstick, or a perfectly typeset letterpress invitation, they all have a timeless aesthetic that will look classy, not dated, 20 years from now.�⁠
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#banterandcharm #iloveletterpress #designisinthedetails #monogrameverything #southernbride #southernwedding #thedonnellyhouse #alabamabride #customweddinginvitations #letterpressinvitations #customstationery #classicinvitations
Incorporating a bride’s color palette into her w Incorporating a bride’s color palette into her wedding invitations has become one of my favorite puzzles to solve! There are so many ways to combine colors through the various pieces in an invitation suite, and something as simple as using a colored envelope for the RSVP card can have a huge impact on the overall look.⁠
Looking for ideas on how to use your wedding colors in your invitation suite? Head over to the blog for more tips!⁠
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Nicholas and Victoria's invitation suite for their Nicholas and Victoria's invitation suite for their wedding in Philadelphia featured so many of my favorite things! Wax seal ✔️ Vellum ✔️ Foil ✔️ Venue Illustration ✔️ Colored envelopes ✔️ Hand calligraphy ✔️⁠
Absolutely in love with how it all came together 😍⁠
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#banterandcharm #venueillustration #venuesketch #customweddinginvitations #letterpress #onmydesk #behindthescenes #wip #letterpressinvitations #customstationerydesigner #goldfoilweddinginvitations #fineartwedding
This invitation suite for Alison and Anthony's wed This invitation suite for Alison and Anthony's wedding at Congress Hall in Cape May, New Jersey, was filled with so many stunning details 😍 From the silver foil and black letterpress to the monogram wax seal and edge painting, nothing was overlooked. ⁠
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#fineartweddings #capemaywedding #customweddinginvitations #stationerydesigner #designisinthedetails #dailydoseofpaper #weddinginspo #detailshot #invitationideas
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