Letterpress wedding invitations have been popular for decades, if not centuries, and only continue to rise in popularity despite the fact that the big old presses have long since ceased to be manufactured, and the craft is now kept alive solely thanks to a small number of passionate artisans. The artisanal movement that has gained increasing traction over the last couple of decades has seen antiquated letterpress printing techniques return to the forefront of trends in the fashion, luxury, and event industries, where an emphasis on craftsmanship, tactility, and experience are key.
Letterpress prints are created by using inked metal or polymer plates on traditional old presses to create impressions on paper that often have a perceptible and tactile depth. Interestingly, letterpress was once used for the mass-production of books and other printed materials, and because many of these are double-sided formats, the marked depth of impressions was actually undesirable - whereas today, the aim is often to make them as deep and “impressionable!” as possible.
A MODERN TAKE ON LETTERPRESS WEDDING INVITATIONS
Our wedding stationery collection The Poet is an homage to this age-old technique - an attempt to showcase the enduring beauty of letterpress with simplicity, purity, and a touch of minimalism to bring it into a more modern context. Inspired by the unique typesetting of language poetry, traditionally longer wording and paragraphs are here broken up into smaller phrases and intentionally spread out across the page. The reader’s eye is invited to explore the formats slowly, at once taking in the information and the intricate textures of the cotton paper and letterpress impressions.
Letterpress wedding ceremony invitation from The Poet Collection
The Poet collection heavily uses the serif typeface Garamond, which was originally designed around the same time as the invention of the presses, and specifically intended for this printing method. We chose to also introduce a more modern sans-serif typeface in a few places, which together with the playful alignment of text, makes the suite and these traditional components fresher and more suited to a modern celebration.
We also often aim to refresh traditional wording and make it slightly more poetic, adding “beneath the stars” for instance, to the often seen phrase “Followed by cocktails, dinner, and dancing.”
These letterpress wedding invitations suites also often contain at least one piece that is digitally printed on translucent vellum - again adding a modern touch and creating a unique story through the combination of old and new print techniques and layouts.
TEN THINGS you need to know about LETTERPRESS WEDDING INVITATIONS
If you are looking to treat your guests to truly special and memorable invitations and other stationery pieces, letterpress is definitely the way to go. But here are TEN things you need to know.
INVESTMENT
Letterpress invitations are significantly more expensive than digitally printed options, and certainly a sizeable investment compared to sending out electronic save the dates or invites.
PRINT RUNS
Every color or tehcnique is a separate print run, so if you are looking to save as much as possible, sticking to a single ink color or process is usually the most affordable option.
TIMING
Because letterpress print shops are usually small businesses with a lot of ongoing projects at any given time, it is important to enquire early and begin working on your invitations at least 6-8 weeks ahead of your mailout date.
PAPERS
Letterpress printing requires specific fine papers, which may often require a little extra time to source depending on the selected colors. Most printers will keep a small batch of the most often used shades, but if you’re looking to add pops of unique colors that will match your event styling, again - ensuring you leave enough time for this is essential.
SET-UP
Because of the highly manual and time-consuming set-up process in letterpress printing, most printers do not offer hard proofs, and larger quantities tend to work out more affordable than small batches. If you’re planning an intimate celebration and only need between 10-20 invites, this may not be the right print technique for the job.
QUANTITIES
Again, because of the set-up process, you should always confirm the quantity you order will be enough to cover last minute additions and keepsakes for both families. If you reach out at a later date to order a handful more, the printer may not be willing to take on such a small job, or will charge a significantly higher unit cost.
PRINT PLATES
Because print plates are made of your designs out of metal or polymer, letterpress is usually only suited for single print files - not for pieces that require personalization, variations, or different guest names for example. If you’d like to add guest names to a letterpress menu, these may be doable digitally beforehand, or handwritten by a professional calligrapher afterwards.
IMPERFECTIONS
As the whole process is highly manual, and printed on very old presses, there may be slight imperfections or inconsistencies from piece to piece. Usually they’ll print a good amount of extras to be able to discard any visible imperfections, but part of the charm of letterpress invitations is precisely in the perfect imperfections.
PROOFING
Always make sure you read through the print proofs carefully and ensuring there are no typos before approving for print. A printer will often go ahead and order the print plates immediately, so if you reach out a day or two later with an edit, they will need to reorder and bill for new print plates.
EXPERIENCED DESIGNER
And lastly…always, ALWAYS, hire a designer who has experience designing for letterpress. Your sweet fiancee may be a talented website designer, but this is a whole different ballgame.