THE WEDDING PLANNERS

From Where Did Those Wedding Invitations Come?

Letterpress printing has surged in popularity beginning in the late 1990’s as magazines like Martha Stewart Weddings began using more and more letterpress invitations in their photo-shoots.  Many companies that were able to catch this new trend still thrive today. Why? There is simply nothing that compares with the beauty and detail, be it a Wedding Invitation, baby announcement, personal stationery or a holiday photo card. The craftsmanship and skill required to set-up these antique presses and really master this art is impressive to say the least. And that is really what you are paying for though the cost for wedding invitations has come down considerably.

As the popularity of letterpress has grown, more and more novice printers have started their own businesses in garages nationwide. If you decide to use letterpress stationery for a wedding invitation, save the date card, stationery, or birth announcement, make sure you get what you pay for. Many of these startups are green and the material they produce shows it. Print and paper quality can be big issues. One way to ensure a quality product is to order samples from several different companies and see how thick the papers are they use and if the printing is slurred.

Many companies also offer eco-friendly papers, usually made of cotton and printed with vegetable based inks. I know of one company that uses solar power to power their presses. Turn around time is also another consideration. I have seen smaller companies turning an order around in 4-6 weeks and some of the larger ones in 5-7 days without sacrificing quality.  If you like to do things yourself and are a designer you can easily submit your own design for printing.

Thankfully with this new interest in printing and design there’s really no doubt that letterpress products are here to stay.

About the Author

John Peterman is a writer and blogger who discusses topics such as wedding invitation design and wedding event coordination, along with specific topics such as letterpress invitations,  wedding invitations and wedding stationery.

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