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Pressing Matters

Give your invitations artistic elegance with letterpress printing.

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THE OLD SAYING that you never get a second chance to make a first impression can easily be applied to wedding invitations—they are, after all, the first glimpse your guests will get of your ceremony and reception. For sheer elegance with a touch of the artistic, nothing surpasses letterpress invitations.

“When printed by skilled artists, letterpress invitations have a delicate, tactile quality that makes the invitation feel like a work of art,” says Sabrina Moyle, cofounder and chief executive officer of San Francisco-based papery Hello!Lucky.

“The thing that most sets letterpress printing apart is the fact that it is a small-scale, artisan craft. Each invitation set takes several days to design and print, and the labor involved is reflected everywhere in the finished product,” Moyle notes. “Because of this, letterpress has more in common with fine art than commercial printing.”

As with all fine art, the materials used in letterpress invitations play an essential role in the final product. Paper and ink are of the highest quality, producing an end result that exudes elegance. “The paper used in letterpress tends to be thick, 100 percent cotton fine art printing paper—the highest quality of paper on the market and softer than the commercial papers used for most invitations,” says Moyle. “We’ve had clients compare the feeling of the paper to cashmere.”

San Diego paper stylist Amber Cambridge of Amber Chic agrees. “Letterpress printing is the essence of luxury. It adds depth and gives greater visual interest to the style of any invitation,” she says. “This beautiful old-world style of printing now gives a modern and sophisticated flair to stationery.”

Over the years, the letterpress stamp has become increasingly robust because of the changes in paper preferences. Stacey of India Ink Papers in Little Italy explains: “The old style was to kiss the paper, to hit it lightly. Now the style is to hit it as hard as you can because they’re using heavier paper and making a really deep impression.”

Another beauty of letterpress is its versatility, adds Mel Lim, founder and designer of San Diego-based JOY by Mel Lim. “Letterpress allows us to experiment with materials other than paper,” says Lim. “In our studio, we use an old-fashioned, muscle-powered, hand-fed platen letterpress circa 1920s that allows us to print on pretty much anything we think is unique and out-of-the-box for our discerning clients.”

Lim employs the letterpress on paper, balsa, veneer, fabric such as silk, satin, suede or napkins, and prints with soy inks, recycled fibers such as chipboard or kraft paper, or even 100 percent cotton rag for eco-conscious clients. “That’s why letterpress is special: It allows us to create unique, handmade pieces for every type of occasion, without the limitation of materials.”

Ink, too, comes into play when creating the perfect, precise letterpress invitation. “The ink used for letterpress must be hand-mixed, which takes a little more time than just opening a paint can, but also allows you to exactly match the color of the ink on your wedding invitation to the bridesmaid’s dress fabric swatch,” says Erika Firm, of San Diego-based Delphine fine stationary and design.

Of course, incorporating elements of the wedding, such as color and theme, is as important in letterpress printing as with commercial printing. Yet, with letterpress, the creative options—and the designers’ unique stylistic methods—are almost endless.

Invitation design by Delphine

“Our fall weddings are using warm brown hues of the season, and the styles will remain modern, clean and simple but will have a classic twist to them,” Cambridge says. “Our clients are seeking unique embellishments to really finish the entire invitation suite, so we are pairing our cotton tissue wraps with soft suede, silk and satin ribbon. To add that extra special touch, brides are sending out their invitation suites in our new cotton invitation box. The entire package creates an exquisite invitation suite for any guest to receive.”

With letterpress, the creative options—and the designers’ unique extra special touches—are almost endless.

Says Firm, “When designing a letterpress invitation for a client, I always talk to them first about seemingly random things: their favorite band, clothing designer, flowers or place to shop. Answers to these questions often lead me in the right direction as far as getting to a design concept they will love. I also ask about the event: colors, reception style, reception location, time of day, the dress and type of flowers the bride will be carrying. I also try to include unique touches for the couple, such as lily flowers for a bride named Lily or a save-the-date card designed like an airmail envelope for an overseas wedding.” One bride wanted her invitations to be the specific shade of green of her favorite toothpaste, so Lim went to the press with a toothpaste sample in hand until they got the perfect color.

There are certain kinds of designs that lend themselves to letterpress, adds Stacey. “Obviously, you can’t letterpress a photo, only line art,” she says. Use it to achieve a hand-crafted, artisan look that also feels pleasant to the touch. “The ink soaks into the paper and there is a lift where the letter gets pressed in. It’s definitely tactile.”

Hello!Lucky’s Moyle adds that the personal touch is what makes a couple’s invitations fit so perfectly into the vision of their wedding day.

“Whether we’re starting with an existing design in our portfolio or creating a new design from scratch, the bride and groom’s vision and personal style guide us through the process. We never create the same invitation twice,” she says. “Details we’ve included for clients include patterns from family heirlooms, monograms, personalized wax seals, hand-illustrated maps, ink colors and papers that match fabrics being used in the wedding, multiple languages representing the cultures of the bride and groom, and more. The invitation sets the tone for the entire wedding day and should be a personal reflection of the bride and groom, so we give considerable thought and creativity to making it both appropriate and unique.”

While there are fluctuating trends for letterpress invitations, including color choices and a push to be more environmentally friendly, the designers all agree that the beauty of each invitation lies in its individuality.

“We hope for each piece we create for our client to be timeless,” says Lim, “and to last through all the trends.”

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