There are so many choices to make when ordering custom invitations and stationery.  Our consultant is  well versed in the popular printing methods of the day and is happy to help you decide which style is best suited to your needs.

The quality and impact of engraving is undeniable.  An engraved invitation or announcement carries with it the distinction of tradition and elegance.  Developed during the 1700’s, engraving produces raised text or design in a matte ink finish.  This process uses a copper or steel plate, referred to as a die, onto which text and artwork is etched.  Each invitation is then stamped into an inked plate, leaving a slight indentation, or bruise, on the reverse of the paper.  Traditionally, the finest examples of engraving were shown on 100% smooth cotton paper, but textured and colored papers are increasingly popular with decidedly modern appeal.

Once used to reproduce the words of poets, philosophers and scholars, letterpress printing is enjoying a renaissance in the printing world and is widely used to express the romantic sentiments of matrimony and other occasions.  The process actually predates engraving for the printing of text.  Metal type and art are set into a frame and ink is applied to the surface of the type.  The type is then pressed into a soft, embossed or highly textured paper.  The results are at once simple and elegant – with a unique look and feel.

Thermography is a relatively new printing process involving a resinous powder that is melted over flat printed ink.  The result is raised lettering that simulates engraving, but leaves a slightly glossy look to the type.  No indentation is made on the paper.  Although there are visible differences to the end product, thermography can be a beautiful and economical alternative to engraving.

Lithography is simply flat printing.  It is flush with the paper.  It is commonly used for pieces that require double-sided printing so that there is no interference with other marks that have been placed on the paper.

Similar to the engraving process, blind embossing is accomplished with a steel die, but no ink is used.  Instead, the paper itself is stretched and pressed into the plate.  The result is raised text with no color and a reverse indentation visible from the back.

Note that different printing processes can produce variations in ink color.  Engraving and lithography typically produce true colors, where as letterpress can soften color and thermography may muddy color due to the thermal process.