A Beginner’s Guide to Invitations in Australia

For anyone who is looking for high quality birthday or wedding invitations Australia offers an endless range of options to choose from. The country is home to a large number of printing houses that specialize in a variety of different printing methods and can deliver the most beautiful invitations that will exceed your expectations.

Australia – The Home of Quality Printing Houses

A casual Google search for the term ‘Invitations Australia’ generates nearly 50 million results, which is mind boggling to say the least. It goes to show two things. Firstly, there is no shortage of reputed printing houses in Australia, which is evident from the different names that show up on the Google results pages. Secondly, a large number of Australians rely on the internet to choose a printing house to get their invitations printed, rather than relying on recommendations from friends and family.

This is good news for you, because the larger the number of options available, the more are your chances of finding something that meets your needs and budget.

Special Occasions Need Special Invitations

Any special and memorable occasion – be it a wedding, birthday, anniversary, or simply a party you throw to celebrate something – needs invitations that are just as special. You pay great attention to the food, venue, transportation, and other such aspects of the occasion, why not pay the same attention to the invitations as well?

Regular invitations are usually not a good choice, no matter what the occasion is. They are flat, unappealing, and there is nothing about them that really stands out and grabs your attention. There is nothing unique or personal about them either, as they all pretty much look the same in terms of print quality, texture, and the kind of paper used. You really could not differentiate one kind of invitation from another even if you tried.

Fortunately, for those who need really special invitations that stand out from the rest, there are a couple of options available in the form of letterpress invitations and foil stamped invitations.

Letterpress Invitations

Letterpress is a printing method in which a plate containing the text and artwork to be printed is pressed against a sheet of paper with great pressure, producing beautiful, deep impressions on the surface of the paper. Just about everything in a letterpress invitation catches your attention – the bold patterns, the rich texture, the amazing visual definition, and the deep impressions.

Foil Stamped Invitations

Foil stamping is a process in which a heated metal plate, which contains the text and images to be printed, presses a foil against a sheet of paper. The foil usually contains an adhesive, which gets activated when it comes into contact with the hot plate, as a result of which the foil fuses to the surface of the paper. Gold and silver are the two most popular options when it comes to foil printing, since they add an element of sophistication and class to any invitation, but other colors are available too.

When it comes to foil stamping and letterpress invitations Australia is undoubtedly one of the top markets for two reasons. Firstly, there is a genuine demand for letterpress and foil stamped cards and invitations as many Australians prefer them over regular invitations. Secondly, Australia is one of the countries where printing houses have still kept the grand old tradition of letterpress printing alive, even after so many years.

If you are in the market for invitations for special events, you generally have two choices – you can either choose one from the catalogue or opt for a personalized invitation. The former takes very little time as all you have to do is visit the nearest printing shop, take a look at the models and samples they have in their catalogue, and choose something you like.

If you opt for personalized invitations, you need to put in a little more time and effort. You need to talk to the graphic designer and tell him your idea of a special invitation. The designer will work with you and come up with a sample invitation for your approval. If you like it, they can get it printed in a few weeks. These invitations are really one of a kind, as they are made to your very specific requirements – right from the paper to be used to the kind of fonts, colors, artwork, and design patterns to be used. They are custom-made in every sense of the word and are a perfect choice for any special occasion. 

An Introductory Guide to Foil Printing Invitations in Melbourne

Foil printing invitations are the in-thing today. More and more people are opting for foil printed cards for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays, as they believe that these beautifully printed invitations embody the festive spirit of the occasion and make it more special. What makes these cards so special? Let us take a look. 

What Is Foil Printing and How Does It Work?

In order to understand what makes foil printing invitations so special and different from ordinary invitations, you need to know the process behind printing them. 

For foil printing, you need three things – an engraved metal plate which contains the text and images to be printed, a thin strip of foil, and a sheet of paper or card. The strip of foil is threaded into the printing machine. The card is placed underneath the foil. Once everything is in position, the metal plate is heated. The hot metal plate then presses the foil against the card with tremendous pressure. Due to the enormous pressure, the text and images on the plate get indented on the surface of the paper. Due to the heat, the foil gets fused to the surface of the paper and the colour from the foil bleeds on the indented surface. 

Generally, gold and silver foils are used in foil printing as they look a lot shinier and glossier than any other colour. However, copper, rose, and other bright colours are also used extensively these days to give the invitations a vibrant, colourful look. A thick sheet of paper or card is used, as lighter, thinner materials cannot withstand the amount of pressure applied during the printing process. 

Some printers also use a slightly different method of foil printing. In this method, the sheet of paper or card is first embossed with the text and images. The embossed section is then foiled using the same process as above. 

Why Use Foil Printing Invitations?

• Foil printing does not use ink at all. The foil is directly fused on to the surface of the paper. It is great for printing on dark or coloured paper. With traditional printing, the colored paper could react with the ink and change its colour slightly. As a result, the look and feel of the invitation could be different from what you had initially imaged. With foil, there is no such risk and the colour of the foil can be exactly reproduced on the paper.

• Foil printed invitations are gorgeous. The foil, which is infused to the surface of the invitation, looks glossy and shiny and makes the invitations look classy and luxurious. The best part is that unlike ink, the shine and gloss of the foil does not fade away quickly. 

• Foil printing is one of the oldest methods of printing. By opting for foil printed invitations, you are actually playing a small, but important role in the revival of the age-old printing method. It is always a good thing to do. 

Foil Printers in Melbourne

When it comes to foil printing Melbourne offers you a wide range of options. There are a number of printing presses that specialise in foil stamping and printing and can print anything from wedding invitations to business cards, brochures, and stationery items. 

Printers usually have a graphic designer, with whom you can discuss your ideas and tell him exactly what kind of invitation you are looking for. If you already have a clear idea of what you need, you can tell him and ask him to come up with a draft. If not, you can ask him for suggestions, take a look at the catalogue they have, and choose something you like. 

Once the discussion is over, the designer works on your ideas and comes up with a rough draft, which is basically a replica of the invitation that you want printed. You can take a look at it and approve it. If there are any changes to be made, you can notify him of the same. Once you give the final approval, the invitations get printed. 

One thing you need to remember is that foil printing invitations are different from regular, digitally printed invitations in the sense that a huge amount of time and effort goes into them. So, you need to tell the printers exactly what you need – down to the last detail – so that they can get everything right in the first attempt.