Letterpress Wedding Invitations

Why Is Letterpress So Expensive

The reason why letterpress invitations are so expensive can be explained by the process used to printing them.

A custom metal plate has to be fabricated with the design and words of your invitation, then the heavy stock paper is hand-fed into a specialized press where the inked metal plate presses into the paper an indentation with your words and design.

This process gives your invitations a tactile quality and feel that simply cannot be replicated by any other method.

What is the difference between engraved and letterpress invitations?

There are a few key differences between engraved and letterpress wedding invitations:

• Engraved invitations involve etching words and designs into a metal plate, then printing from that plate. This creates an elegant, depressed impression in the paper with crisp fine lines. Engraved invitations are more formal and traditional.
• Letterpress invitations involve printing from raised typeset letters arranged into text on a letterpress. The physical impression of the type into the paper creates a debossed texture. Letterpress can range from formal to more casual styling.
• Engraved invitations typically only have one color, usually black. The engraving itself creates the contrast on the page. Letterpress invitations can be printed in multiple colors.
• Engraved invitations are usually more expensive, as the engraved plates take more time and skill to create. Letterpress is more affordable for most budgets.
• The engraving process usually takes more time, so engraved invitations should be ordered further in advance. Letterpress invitations have a quicker turnaround time.
• Engraved invitations have an elegant, classic style that lend themselves well to black-tie formal weddings. Letterpress can work for formal or more casual weddings depending on the design.

So in summary, engraved invitations involve an intaglio printing process that creates formal, monochromatic invitations perfect for very traditional weddings. Letterpress uses raised type to imprint texture and color for a wider range of formality and budget.