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Wedding invitations - what role does print play?

After a wedding date is set, one of the most important matters to take care of is the invitations and how to make them impress the guests.



This can be a complicated decision since there are so many choices. Couples need to consider whether they want to print their own or use a professional printing company, and whether they want the look to be traditional or contemporary. There is no right or wrong here, but the main issue is that they should represent the couple's personality and help to set the tone that the wedding will take.



In terms of printing techniques, letterpress is currently the most popular form of creating wedding invitations. The print is usually indented and raised very slightly, and it is typically used for more traditional looking invitations printed on bulkier paper, such as that made with cotton fiber. To print these invitations, a metal plate is carved, set by hand, and pressed into the paper. In most cases, it only uses one or two tones and is usually printed on lightly colored paper. Due to the care and precision involved, the process can take from two weeks to two months.



Other techniques for printing wedding invitations include digital printing, which is the fastest method and uses thinner paper. Offset printing sees the design transferred to an etching plate, which gives the most paper options. Couples looking to really individualize their invitations could try methods like foil stamping and embossing. Each of these has a different turnaround; digital can take only a few days while embossing can take just as long as letterpress.