A Look at Some Different Letterpress Wedding Invitations
I was going back through some photos of past projects we created here at Percolator Letterpress and thought it might be a good idea to give an overview of some terms you might hear while considering letterpress wedding invitations.
Letterpress Ink and Impression – This is the essence of letterpress printing, which is ink printed on soft cotton paper like Crane’s Lettra. Letterpress printing allows for the paper to make direct contact with an inked form to transfer the image. It is a popular technique to add some pressure to the transfer to create a deep impression in the paper. This is what gives letterpress wedding invitations their texture when you run your finger over the letters.
Letterpress Blind Deboss – This is basically the same process that I outlined in the letterpress ink section above, except with a letterpress blind deboss, there is no ink! The image or text is deeply impressed in the cotton paper and the contrast of light and shadow reveals the image. It can be a subtle and elegant way to create a unique wedding invitation.
Deckle Edge Paper – This really refers to the paper type rather than the letterpress printing process. When paper is made, pulp and water are framed up in a box called a deckle. The water drains out the bottom of the deckle and the pulp dries into a sheet of paper. (This is a little simplified, but gives a good idea of the process.) The edges of the paper are usually trimmed with a blade to create a straight edge as seen in most paper. However, if you skip the trimming, you are left with the rough edge from the deckle. In this example, we foil stamped the image on the deckle edge paper, but we can also use letterpress ink to create a stylistic, rustic, handmade invitation.
Foil Stamping with Digital – This last example is definitely a more modern approach to letterpress. This save the date combines a digitally printed photo of the couple with gold foil text. It is a very attractive way to incorporate a full color digital photo with a letterpress printing process.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to create your letterpress save the dates, invitations, and stationery. I’ll post some more letterpress examples and descriptions in future blogs. Feel free to contact us to get started on your letterpress project. We’d love to hear from you!
Custom Letterpress Design: Percolator Letterpress Co
Review by Paige C
