Hey!
We’re so glad to see you here again!
We love putting these posts together for all you lovely people & we’d like to thank you so very much for reading, enjoying & loving every bit of it! 🙂
Our goal is to educate and help you make decisions for your invitations (even if it’s not right then and there) with as little stress as possible & we sincerely hope that we’re being of service to you guys!
So, our topic for today is one of the most interesting & fun parts for your invitation design, and we’re really excited to give you all this information, that can help you!
The quality & types of printing details can totally make or break your look!
And in this post, we are going to go over the most commonly desired printing types for wedding stationery.
Hell yeah!! Printing processes can be pretty confusing.
We get a lot of questions about these differences, so we thought we would put together this handy guide for your reference.
So, what is REALLY the difference between digital, letterpress, offset, foil, or any of the other options presented before you?
Let us help break it down for you in the most lay-man language, that is easy to understand.
Let’s get straight into it!
Also do visit our ‘Etsy Shop‘ for DIY Save the dates, Invitations & Stationery Templates that are available for quick edits and instant downloads:
Please click here : https://www.etsy.com/in-en/shop/CustomizingDIY
Screen Printing / Raise printing
Screen printing is a base printing technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto the material, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil.
One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multicoloured image or design.
If the same artwork is printed over & over again multiple times, it gives a raised look & hence we would refer to it as raise printing, which is just a variation of screen printing.
Traditionally the process was called screen printing or silkscreen printing because silk was used in the process.
We normally would not recommend more than 3-4 colours for this process!
Screen printing, works really well for textured papers as well.
It is one of the most economical processes & works well for small as well as large quantities.
Works really well for : a matte look, keeping the texture of the paper intact, 2 tone patterns.
What you see in the below images is a solid colour along with gold printed on top of it.
Offset printing :
Offset printing is again a base printing technique where your inked image is transferred from a plate, to a rubber blanket, and then to your paper.
It allows for unlimited colours, and is perfect for when you want large sections of solid colour.
It does not disturb the surface of your paper, meaning your invitation will be flat and smooth. If you want a lot of colours in your design, and want the printing quality to be as high as possible, this is the option for you!
This process works well for a high quantity to avoid colour variations & also makes it cost effective.
Works really well for : layers of gradation, watercolours, ombre looks, florals , etc.
Digital printing :
Digital printing is the best option for those with lower quantities & again acts as a great base.
Digitally printed invitations are often printed using a colour laser printer, or an inkjet. The quality of the printer will be higher than what you can get at home, but the cost per piece is slightly more than offset printing, but it allows you the same level of flexibility that offset printing does.
That being said, you’d be surprised at what could be accomplished with choosing the right paper stocks, and we think it’s a great option for secondary cards – you can get all the bells and whistles on your invitation, and round out the suite with digitally printed cards.
Works really well for : layers of gradation, watercolours, ombre looks, florals, etc. but for a smaller quantity
Foiling :
Foil stamping is perfect for those who want to add a little bling to their invitations!
A heated die is stamped onto the metallic foil, making it adhere to your paper, leaving a shiny, solid impression.
Foil can be added over & above any of the printing methods discussed above – whether it is screen, offset or digital – foiling sits really well on all.
There are some beautiful metallic foil colours, for e.g. – rose gold, silver, bronze, pinks, blues!
It is one of the most popular process for invitations as it adds all the lovely festive vibe to the prints.
We are absolutely obsessed with foils & we use it in almost every card.
Works really well for : adding glitter / bling, to highlight details, festive look
Letterpress :
Letterpress is a printing technique dating back to the 1400s.
A print is made by ‘pressing’ an inked plate into paper, creating a deep impression in the paper, and providing a textured and classic feel for your wedding invitations.
We believe that letterpress adds a level and quality of craftsmanship that is hard to replicate, and once you hold a letterpress invitation in your hand, you’ll see what we’re talking about.
If you want your invitations to include gradients, photos, or designs with more than three colors, letterpress is not for you.
If you love texture & want something that feels very special, and have a limited color palette, you should consider letterpress printing.
Works really well for : textured papers, 3-dimensional feel, clean fonts
Embossing or de-bossing :
Have you ever run your hand over a print that has bumps and it almost pushed into or over the paper?
You almost can’t help but touch them; the raised relief is as appealing to your eye as it is to your fingertips.
Embossing has a similar effect. Embossing (and its opposite, debossing) are two techniques used to either impress or depress the design into paper.
These popular print effects are ideal for giving your print piece a fresh, contemporary look — and when combined with other base print techniques & effects like foil stamping, embossed designs can transform a great piece to a luxury one.
Works really well for : seamless patterns, highlighting motifs, 3-dimensional look
#Protips :
– Get an idea of all the kinds of printing your designer can offer, & try to mix & match them to add your personal style.
– Some designs do not need to much of printing detail. If so, try to keep it simple.
– Handmade papers / Seed papers do not make for great printing bases for all printing types. If you are using those papers, be sure to stick to 1-2 colour printing as the inks may blotch due to the nature of those papers.
There are many more printing methods like laser cutting, electro-plating, UV printing, etc., but the ones discussed above are most popular with our brides & grooms!
Hopefully this helps you get a better understanding of the various printing types out there.
You can mix & match printing types or keep it cohesive throughout all your functions & events.
If you need help choosing, the designer should be able to guide your decision and pick the best fit for your style & vision.
We know you don’t live in the same printing world as we do & it’s our job to help you figure out what you’re looking for with as little stress as possible.
The best part of hiring a custom stationer is that they are able to talk through it with you – so use them! 😃
We love it and will never steer you wrong. ❤️
Do you have any questions about other printing methodologies?
If so, leave us a comment, and we’ll do our best to answer your question!
Should you have any feedback or want us to cover any particular topic, feel free to let us know!
We lovingly invite you to subscribe to our blog for upcoming articles & future blog posts.
For any further questions, we’re just an email away & we will try to help you resolve any queries you may have!
We can be reached on info@customizingcreativity.in
You can take a look at some of our latest work via these links :-
Website : www.customizingcreativity.in
Instagram handle : instagram.com/customizing_creativity
(don’t miss out on our IGTV series for further insight into this topic)
Facebook page : Facebook.com/dishamehtadesign
We’d love for you to #startyournewbeginningwithus
Until next time,
Disha & Harsh Munshaw
Customizing Creativity
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The market is flooded with a plethora of printing methods/styles to beautify wedding invitations. Each printing style has its own benefits and unique way of printing. Choosing a suitable printing method can be a tedious task for people who have no idea about the available wedding invitation printing styles.
So here are some trending and most popular invitation printing methods by 123WeddingCards to help you choose the best one for your wedding cards and wedding stationery. Get all the details about them and get some inspiration for your own invitation printing.
It is the most popular, advance, and trendy way of printing wedding invitations today. It is fast, easy, economical, and looks just as good. A digital printer is similar to a laser printer; the only difference being that the former is bulkier and uses more space. The digital printing method can be used with a variety of papers, producing a range of bright tones and shades. They are cost-effective with a single card costing as low as $1. This is the fastest of all methods, taking only a few days.
The digital printing method is done in two variants:
It is the modern, sophisticated version of the first printing process in the world. It is similar to block printing but uses metal plates dipped in ink to impress ink on paper (in reverse), forming a beautiful composition. Letterpress printing requires a thick, soft and firm base. Thus, cotton papers the best-sought option. Letterpress printing, however, is made for use with only one ink at a time. This means that cards can be printed with one ink at a time and multiple inks would require multiple attempts at printing. As a result of this, each card costs up to $1.50 – $2 extra per print. But the cost isn’t a hindrance for couples who can go to any lengths for that unique touch to their cards.
Letterpress printing uses a technique called overprinting which uses two colors at a time. The colors create a combined color where the two colors merge. For example, where red and yellow merged, orange was the result. It is a labor-intensive process and can take up anywhere from two weeks to two months.
The latest trend in wedding invitation printing is foil-stamped invitation printing. It is also called ‘dry painting’ because of its ‘no paint’ policy. It is similar to letterpress printing. The only difference is that it uses foil which sticks to the paper base with an adhesive medium. Foils are available in every color of the rainbow spectrum.
They are a bit costly than regular printing methods but the lustrous charm is totally worth going for! After all, who doesn’t want a royal touch? Foil printing is the most expensive process of all and is often outsourced. It can take anywhere from ten business days to two months.
This printing method is also called an offset printing method or lithography. This also results in a flat print, just like digital printing. However, digital printing is limited to only four primary colors- cyan, yellow, black and magenta. That’s when spot color photography comes into the spotlight because can use up to twelve colors. Like letterpress printing, every color print requires a fresh set of metal plates. The cost per card adds up to$1.50. This requires slightly more time than digital printing which can extend to a few weeks because each order calls for making customized metal plates.
This is another technique, which gives a 3D look to your card. Also called embossed printing, it uses metal plates which are dipped into colored ink and then impressed on the paper – a depression forms on the front and there’s an indentation on the back of the card. The letters get an embossed touch. It uses a stiff and soft paper base. The ink has to be thick so that light-color ink can show up on dark papers and vice versa. Tissue paper is used to protect the print from smudging.
It requires a specialized set-up that focuses only on engraving. Each card can cost up to $20 if your order is small. But you can also win a hefty discount for a large order. The entire process can take up to two to six weeks to complete.
It is the modern mix of spot color printing and engraving. As the name goes, thermography uses heat to melt color and then letters are engraved on the paper. The color is actually a resin-based powder which is heated. When dried up, it gets a soft, shiny and plastic-like smooth touch. The choice of colors is limited to 12 but it is the best if you’re looking for embossed color and print.
Also, there are no grooves on the back of the card. It doesn’t cost a heavy price but each color has to be paid separately. It completes quickly – within a few days.
Screen Printing is the most common printing style used in invitation card printing. It is a printing procedure where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, apart from in areas made watertight to the ink by a blocking model. A blade is stimulated across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate shortly along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed. One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multicolored image or design.
There are various terms used for the Screen printing technique. Usually, the process was called silkscreen printing because silk was used in the process. It is also known as serigraphy, and serigraph printing. Currently, synthetic threads are commonly used in the screen printing process.
One of the most in-demand wedding cards is screen printed wedding invitations. This kind of wedding invites is adored by millions across the world. If your wedding is near and if you are also looking for someone who can craft impeccable silk screen wedding invitations then do connect with us. For a better idea about how your silkscreen wedding invite would look like, you can visit our online portal and get the glimpse of your would-be invitation cards. When it comes to screen printing, the best type of design is with one or two colors where there will be no delicate lines or small fonts.
One of the best kinds of screen printed marriage cards comes with metallic or white ink imprinted on the color paper. You can also choose the cotton stock as your second option. There are plenty of other things on which you can imprint your silkscreen wedding invites apart from paper and it is, think wood veneer, tote bags, tea towels, etc.
These are the top seven (plus two!) methods of printing wedding card invitations in Los Angeles. Each type beautifies the card in a unique way, giving it your own personal touch! Choosing a perfect print for your wedding invitations can be cumbersome but that’s what sets the base for your entire wedding.
Remember: Your wedding invite sets the first impression of your entire wedding celebration.
Happy wedding!