Letterpress Wedding Invitations
When it comes to luxury wedding invitations and stationery it doesn't get much better than letterpress.
In our Worcestershire studio we run a traditional restored press that was first made in 1892 - so all pieces are made individually by hand, with mechanical power only. We even mix ink by hand too to Pantone colour shades.
Our letterpress designs cover traditional and contemporary styles, offering couples a flawless and memorable introduction to their special day.
Using beautiful and tactile cotton cardstock, letterpress makes a unique deep impression for statement pieces.
Scroll below to see all of our luxury letterpress designs where you can click or tap to find more information about each of our designs.
Colours and Options
Papers
Ink Colours
Liners & Jackets
Wax Seals
Letterpress Options
For both our hot foiling and letterpress invitations a number of choices are available to make your invitations truly unique. From combining print methods to choosing the right cardstocks, papers, envelopes and embellishments, we'll ensure that your invitations are something to be treasured by your guests.
Choose your pieces
All of our invitation designs are "semi-custom" by default, which is that all wording is entirely customisable in proofing to suit what you need to say and how you'd like to say it.
And this extends to the pieces you want your suite to include, you can opt for a single invitation card only if required or include up to three inserts with the option of guests responding to you digitally, or traditionally with a return envelope.
Print Methods & Cardstocks
Letterpress invitations are very flexible and can be used in a number of ways. You can opt to have letterpress for all pieces, add blind debossing or embossing, and so on.
You can combine different cardstocks for different print methods and create understated or colourful schemes depending on the style you're looking to achieve.
Many couples treat the main invitation as the "hero" piece by having this letterpressed on heavy stock, paired with digitally-printed inserts which also keeps control of your wedding stationery budget without losing impact.
Venue Illustrations
Letterpress invitations work beautifully with custom venue illustrations.
Partnering with a trusted artist we can have your venue created in a sketch style enabling it to be letterpressed.
Alternatively artwork can be crated in a watercolour style making it a lovely choice for envelope liners, vellum jackets or inserts.
We can also create watercolour maps which can be especially useful for overseas or weekend weddings.
Envelopes & Liners
Standard white matt envelopes are included with all orders on a complimentary basis but we would tend to rccommend a handmade approach to your envelopes when what's inside is so luxurious.
Handmade envelopes provide a choice of colours in either a straight or diamond flap. They're unlined as standard and we can include either a plain coloured liner, or a choice of beautiful fine art liners (all of which are also available as vellum jackets to match).
Styling & Addressing
You can opt for your invitation pieces to be provided only or combine with a number of styling options from paper belly bands, plain or printed vellum jackets and handmade wax seals all available to add an extra touch of luxury.
Letterpress also really suits the use of luxury ribbon and whilst we don't provide this ourselves, we can point you in the right direction if you want to use silk, chiffon, velvet or satin ribbon to bundle up your invitations.
For addressing - and if you don't trust your handwriting! - we can address all of your outer envelopes that will match the main invitation design for a consistent style. And as we run white ink printers there's no ugly labelling of darker envelopes.
Assembly
Assembly and envelope stuffing is also available as an upgrade where your suites are fully-assembled and packed in addressed envelopes ready for you to send to your guests saving you time.
Choose your pieces
All of our invitation designs are "semi-custom" by default, which is that all wording is entirely customisable in proofing to suit what you need to say and how you'd like to say it.
And this extends to the pieces you want your suite to include, you can opt for a single invitation card only if required or include up to three inserts with the option of guests responding to you digitally, or traditionally with a return envelope.
Print Methods & Cardstocks
Letterpress invitations are very flexible and can be used in a number of ways. You can opt to have letterpress for all pieces, add blind debossing or embossing, and so on.
You can combine different cardstocks for different print methods and create understated or colourful schemes depending on the style you're looking to achieve.
Many couples treat the main invitation as the "hero" piece by having this letterpressed on heavy stock, paired with digitally-printed inserts which also keeps control of your wedding stationery budget without losing impact.
Venue Illustrations
Letterpress invitations work beautifully with custom venue illustrations.
Partnering with a trusted artist we can have your venue created in a sketch style enabling it to be letterpressed.
Alternatively artwork can be crated in a watercolour style making it a lovely choice for envelope liners, vellum jackets or inserts.
We can also create watercolour maps which can be especially useful for overseas or weekend weddings.
Envelopes & Liners
Standard white matt envelopes are included with all orders on a complimentary basis but we would tend to rccommend a handmade approach to your envelopes when what's inside is so luxurious.
Handmade envelopes provide a choice of colours in either a straight or diamond flap. They're unlined as standard and we can include either a plain coloured liner, or a choice of beautiful fine art liners (all of which are also available as vellum jackets to match).
Styling & Addressing
You can opt for your invitation pieces to be provided only or combine with a number of styling options from paper belly bands, plain or printed vellum jackets and handmade wax seals all available to add an extra touch of luxury.
Letterpress also really suits the use of luxury ribbon and whilst we don't provide this ourselves, we can point you in the right direction if you want to use silk, chiffon, velvet or satin ribbon to bundle up your invitations.
For addressing - and if you don't trust your handwriting! - we can address all of your outer envelopes that will match the main invitation design for a consistent style. And as we run white ink printers there's no ugly labelling of darker envelopes.
Assembly
Assembly and envelope stuffing is also available as an upgrade where your suites are fully-assembled and packed in addressed envelopes ready for you to send to your guests saving you time.
How to Order
Due to the number of combinations available for letterpress wedding invitations we only take orders on a quotation basis.
Letterpress pieces are included in our sample pack. You can also book in for a no-obligation consultation and you can find our price list outlined below, too.
Letterpress Wedding Invitations - FAQs
How do I place an order with you?
Orders for letterpress and foil press save the dates, invitations and stationery are placed by quote only, so we'll create the order for you.
Whilst our standard digitally-printed work can be configured and ordered directly from the website, these traditional print methods open up more customisable options.
You can request a quote by contacting us or by booking in for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your requirements. Pricing isn't hidden, however, as you can find our price list available to view above.
How long does it take?
Orders require both proofing and production.
Like our digitally-printed designs proofing consists of three rounds; the initial draft (up to 5 business days) and two subsequent revisions (up to 5 business days each).But for production, foil press and letterpress has an extended production period of up to 3 weeks.
Both our presses require specific and extensive setup and testing to make sure we're going to get a perfect print for each piece. And as printing is done piece by piece, you'll need to leave us extra time compared to standard digital printing.
How long your order takes up to those three weeks will depend on quantities, items included and the number of handmade elements, along with your position in the queue at the point of signing off your proofs.
Do you offer a bespoke service?
Absolutely. The term "bespoke" means different things to different people and our designs are very flexible with regards to layout and wording.
But whether you're looking for a ground-up approach, you just want to incorporate a venue or map illustration (which we can design for you), or your own custom monogram that you've already had designed, then we can help.
The only thing we - currently - can't do is print a complete design that you already have.
Please note that bespoke design does come with additional costs, so please contact us to discuss if not stated on the website or in our price list.
Can you print my artwork?
As above if you've already had some artwork (venue, map, monogram, etc) commissioned then we may be able to use it.
But we will need to check the artwork in advance to make sure it can be used for the print method(s) you'd like and that the file is formatted correctly.
Please contact us if you want to incorporate your own artwork into our designs. Please note this does classify as bespoke work so additional charges will apply.
Do you have a minimum order?
The minimum order is currently set to 30 for foil press and letterpress save the dates and invitations.
Whilst we will provide a service for orders less than this, your order will be at a rate of 30. This enables us to both meet the minimum requirements of our suppliers but also account for the setup time of the press(es) and wastage that occurs during this setup and testing.
Can you foil press or letterpress a QR code?
Yes; we have tested this and it works absolutely fine. Additionally if you have your QR code digitally printed then this will also work in white ink on darker cardstock.
Can I see a physical sample of a specific design?
For the sake of time and cost all of our sample packs are currently pre-made in advance with a range of items across a number of our designs, so it's not a guarantee that a specific design will be in the pack.
Do you offer foil press and letterpress for day-of stationery?
Whilst not shown at time of writing we will be able to offer smaller items for the day, such as menus and place cards, for example.
However please note that because a plate requires engraving for both methods we cannot foil press and letterpress individual items, so for example place cards would be a repeated motif or monogram with the names digitally printed.
I'm on a budget, how can you help?
Foil press and letterpress is an investment so it is more expensive than digital printing.
However, many couples pair digitally-printed inserts with foil or letterpress invitations to keep budgets under control and the overall result is still wonderful, with the invitation itself taking centre stage.
Additional advice would be to keep information concise where you can and, if possible, use a wedding website for a lot of your long-form, conversational wording. This can ensure you can put more of your budget into the styling of your invitations.
Is hot foiling the same as digital foiling?
In short, no.
Digital foiling is where a design has a standard print which then has foil applied to the printed area. This gives a flat finish and, in our experience, inconsistent results.
By contrast hot foiling (or foil pressed) involves a magnesium or brass plate that is heated. Each piece is then printed by pressing the foil into material, creating a luxurious deep impression at the same time.
It takes longer and is a more traditional approach but we like to think it's worth the difference!