The Perfect Usage of the Letterpress Wedding Invitation Cards

Letterpress was invented by Johannes Gutenberg more than five hundred years ago. It was first used in printing the Bible. Since then it has evolved a lot. Designing a wedding card can be a fun or a stressful process. Everyone wants a wedding card designed in such a way that all the guests remember it for years. Most of them are aware of the method letterpress printing.  In this method, a raised surface is first inked and then pressed into a piece of paper giving it a three-dimensional texture. It not only looks good but it also feels good too. Each letterpress wedding invitations cards are done individually. It allows for a slight change that makes each card a unique one. 

Anyone who has shopped for a wedding card knows that it is a hectic affair. Choosing from a variety of printing process which includes digital, embossed, offset and many more is a task altogether. Someone might want an elegant and classic style but cannot understand which process to opt for. This is when letterpress comes to help. Letterpress printing is an elegant and classic way to invite guests to a formal party. Almost every brides and groom consider this method for the invitation for their guests. It is a classy way to print a wedding card, programmes, menu cards, order services as well as reply cards and thank you notes. One of the main reasons is a couple opt for this printing because it gives a deep impression. Any other kind of printing techniques cannot really have such kind of deep impression.

Expensive- The letterpress printing is an artisan craft. It totally depends on the skill of a laborer. The plate which is used to press the text is also included in the cost price. Labor costs are also included in it. Each piece of the stationery requires the press to be torn and set up again. Even, the printer goes through the same breakdown and set up the process for each ink color. The printers hand feed the papers into the press. The press cannot be done from an ordinary shop that is the reason why letterpress wedding invitations are so costly. They are operated and owned by artists who do the design and printing work also. This means that the customer is not only paying for the printing cards but also for the layout and design.

Paper used- A variety of paper can be used to this print method. Many printers and couples want the idea of 100% cotton papers, as it will be soft in nature. The softness of the paper allows for a crisp printing to look and feel good. Besides this paper do not contain any wood fiber. So letterpress print method can be eco-friendly also. Recycled and organic papers are mainly used for a letterpress invitation.

Time needed- The time needed to print a letterpress totally depends on the company. A small mom and pop printers take up to 5 to 7 weeks to deliver the final product. A larger company can print the wedding cards and invitation within few days. Since an invite should be sent before a month of the big day, the order should be placed in advance. At least 3 months before the wedding date the order should be done with all correct information. Always take one of the prints to the post office to be weighed. This way the couples will know the amount of postage that will be needed.

However, the couple should be very careful while choosing the printer. First, they should try to order for a sample printing before going for the bulk printing. This will help them to understand the quality of the printing. If a couple wants to print photos in the cards they cannot do it in this process. In a letterpress printing, no photos can be printed. Still, if they want their photos to be printed they have to go for some other printing processes also.

Conclusion

The wedding invitation is the core foundation of the wedding ceremony. The invitation is the first glimpse the guests will get about the occasion. There is nothing more beautiful than letterpress wedding invitations, making it a perfect choice for the special affair.

Facts About Letterpress Printing

Letterpress has been replaced by offset printing for most purposes, but not all. When it comes to elegance, letterpress printing still commands a price. People love to print wedding and other invitations, business cards etc in letterpress. The gravity of those elegant impressions surpasses the levity of offset printing. Despite being expensive, people love to flaunt those impressions on cards that signify defining moments in their lives. It evokes a sense of nostalgia. The engravings convey a message and the events are etched in the memory of recipients. Letterpress printing can be the perfect solution to your printing needs whether it is wedding invitation, business car printing or something else. 

Types of Letterpress Print

The Letterpress printed material boasts of tangible prints. There are various ways in which such tangible prints can be imprinted on papers. Simply speaking there are various types of such prints. Letters can be embossed, debossed or blind. Your preference and significance of the occasion or purpose are the two things that determine the type of print. So the letters may have a stamping effect with a raised texture or a depressed texture. The raised letters are known as embossed ones and the depressed letters are known as debossed ones.

Embossed Printing

To print such letters the letters are pressed upwards from backside. It obviously leaves a debossing effect on the backside and an embossing effect on the upper side. 

Debossed Printing

In such prints the letters are pressed from the upper side. Like in embossing effect this also produces a debossing on the uppeside and an embossing effect on the backside.

Blind Printing

In this type of printing, ink is used to produce the effect. So what you get is just an impression of letters in ink. There is no effect on the opposite side. This is the type of letterpress print that most people look for. 

The letterpress print evokes a sense of proximity to the recipient be it a business card, an invitation or anything else. You can create a number of different effects with the help of letterpress print. Each of them has a different appeal. Most people prefer the debossed or embossed prints for printing items like visiting cards. On the other hand, the blind effect is popular in wedding cards and other invitation cards. 

Contemporary Letterpress

Though the print has kept its nostalgic flavor intact, the method of printing has undergone a sea change. Printers no longer use the wooden or metal blocks for letterpress printing. Instead they use polymer plates which can be carved out in different forms and colors. The polymer plates are prepared separately for different sets of letters. This is done photographically. In the first stage the letters and the embellishments are designed in computer. Yes, this is now done in computer. This obviously widens the scope for designs and embellishments. After the design is finalized, a printout of the same is taken on a film. This is then used a negative photographic plate for developing the polymer plate. Next a polymer plate is taken and it is dipped in a water-soluble and light-sensitive synthetic material. It is then kept against a clear support and the negative film is kept in front of it. Next, UV light is made to pass through the film and onto the polymer plate. As a result, the portion of the plate that is exposed to the UV light gets hardened up, and the rest of the material is washed away. The hardened portions of the plate become raised surfaces and give shape to the letters, ornaments and designs. The polymer plate is now ready to print embossed, debossed or blind letterpress printed material on invitation cards, greetings cards, business cards etc. If you need the same material in different colors, you need to prepare different plates for different colors.

Owing to the use of computer in designing, you can have rich designs, patterns and ornaments on the cards. This enhances the beauty of the card. You can also get exquisitely designed letters through computer.

Requirements of Good Letterpress Printing

You need good quality tactile paper with rich texture for Letterpress Printing. This is all the more required for the embossing and debossing effects rather than for the blind printing effect. You also need to design the photographic plate in good resolution. Otherwise, the debossing or embossing effect won't be clear.

Expert Advice on Business Cards

A vital source of information which clients tend to overlook is a business card. 

The moment you hand over a business card to someone you are handing over your brand. Ideally, you would want to showcase your business in the best light.

You have to consider that it happens to be the oldest form of printing. It can be inked, raised and the reverse images could be pressed against the paper stock. You can describe letterpress cards as clean and crisp with bold icons. For display of spectacular typography, it is famous. Since it is a handpicked home of art a lot of time along with effort is involved in the process. Being handmade the value of the product is on the higher side.

Content

To a business card content happens to be very important. Obviously, you would want to include your contact information, but there should not be too much of it. It needs to be concise and should include your name, contact details along with your website. You can include your personal information and this boils down to your personal decision. Do not commit the folly of including social media information on the card as it would look too crowded.

Design

Another important aspect to focus on your business card is the design. It is a piece of your brand and for this reason, it should match your logo. In case if you plan to put photos on your card, the chances of updates are going to increase.

If you want your business card to stand apart from the crowd, then the design would help you to achieve that. Spending some amount extra will help you reach there. If the card is of good quality, clients are likely to form a favorable impression about the business and the brand.

Letterpress

Letterpress business cards have off late become a lot popular. From business cards to wedding invites they have made profound impacts. A strong reason for such an impression is that it has been around since 1800’s. The process began with a handset type incorporated from wood and metal. In due course the standard went on to become polymer plates. One of the unique features of letterpress business cards is that you print each color in a separate manner. All these prints are undertaken one at a time. 

Uniqueness is provided by the layered look. Once the plates are prepped to the base of the press a plate is attached. Then the rollers are inked. The quantity of ink happens to be important. If too less is provided you are going to have a messy printout and when it is too much a solid look will not be portrayed. Then the paper is rolled through. Once this process is over you are going to design color for each and every color.

You need to take note of the fact that it happens to be a tactile printing procedure. On the flip side, it is not ideal for large buckets of color and you would need to print it with a limited color palette. In addition, it works out to be an expensive way of printing.

Types of impressions

•    Embossing- between a two-sided die, you can raise the image and then press paper. No ink is transferred during the process. On the back portion of the paper, a reverse will be left behind

•    Debossing- No form of ink is transferred in this procedure. A depressed image is created where on a double-sided die, the paper is pressed.

When you are about to design a letterpress business card, keep in mind the choice of a color. The color could change and this depends on the paper stock being selected.

To conclude, turnaround time, cost along with flexibility are some of the main reasons why It is not a chosen mode of printing. As the cost of manufacturing each plate is on the higher side, the cost of printing shoots up considerably. It is a time-consuming process as a single palette can go on to print one color at a time. If you choose it, it does promise some extraordinary for sure. In the form of letter press business cards something close to perfection is achieved.

A Guide To Designing The Right Invitations Australia Card

Australians’ love for active life punctuated by celebrations is well known. They really like to gel well with relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and friends on such occasions. Occasions too, are not very few; they are aplenty. Whether it is a birthday, a baby announcement, a bridal shower, a Christmas party, a corporate event, an engagement, Halloween, pregnancy announcement, wedding or something else, Australians just love to invite their near and dear ones and spend some happy time together. Nevertheless, conjuring up an event and making it happen are two different aspects. There is no dearth of events. If there is none, you can just send a Thank You card. Yet, when there is an occasion to celebrate, you need to prepare for it. There is so much to decide about. The occasion, the person involved with the occasion, the date of celebration, the venue et al need to be decided before sending invitations. 

Finalize the Details First

When you are sending invitations you just need to make sure that the occasion, the date, the venue and all the other relevant details have been finalized. You need to be meticulous regarding these details. Once these are decided you need to proceed to designing the invitation cards.

Invitation Cards!              

E Cards, mails, Facebook posts et al are fine, but when it comes to inviting someone, the appeal of the ageless invitation cards is unparalleled. Invitation cards have a affable flavor that speaks of personalized consideration. This is even more pronounced when you write down the name and mailing address of the recipient yourself. Electronic greetings, mails, facebook posts etc lack the individualistic flavor that is so omnipresent in invitation cards. This is a big reason why the demand for paper card Invitations Australia is increasing.  

Designing the Card

Invitation cards set the tone for the occasion. They also act as a kind of reminder for the occasion. But to serve the dual purpose you need to design the card with the right spirit. The card needs to set the stage for the occasion and help the recipient get into the groove. So the design, the embellishment, the stamp, the color et al should be unique to the occasion. There must also be something that can relate the card to the sender’s occasion to celebrate. Now, you have two ways to do this. You can either dictate your requirement to a invitations Australia company and get a custom-designed card or you can do it yourself. In either case though, you have the freedom to add embellishments, designs or stamps to make it unique or more affable and vibrant. 

If you are the DIY Kind 

If you love to get involved with designing a card, it is necessary that you are aware of the basics that you need to take care of in order to design nice and appealing invitations Australia.

Clarity 

This is the most important aspect of designing and printing the card. It must be clear about the occasion, the person involved with the occasion, the date and the venue. Some other information that you may need to put in clearly may be things like dresses to wear, things to bring, RSVP details etc. So clarity is the first stage in designing invitations Australia. 

Good ink 

When you are printing is yourself, make sure to use good quality ink. Poor quality ink can just ruin your whole endeavor. It may get smudged and just deface and destroy the card. So if you are doing the printing job yourself, make sure to use good quality ink.

The Right Card Stock

The card stock has a lot to do with printing good invitation cards. If you don’t use good quality card stock you may end up with a defaced card even if you use very good quality ink. So the quality of card stock is an equally important aspect.

Put a Stamp 

A stamp is a unique way to identify and recollect the occasion. You can get stamps for every occasion. There are the Love to Celebrate stamps issued by the postal department in 2016. These stamps cater to a wide range of occasions. You can get birthday cake as well as balloon stamps for birthdays, handprint stamps for baby showers, red rose heart stamp for Valentine’s day and many more.