The Hard Decisions of Printing Wedding Invitations

Prior to buying wedding invitations, you must first discover what type you desire! With such a plethora of obscure phrases, jargon, mumbo jumbo, and technical terms to sort through, how are you going to know what's up, and which kind will look superior to the others for your wedding invitation? Some styles you might not be able to afford. Here's a guide to the many kinds of printing techniques available for wedding invitations.

A lot of people opt for engraved wedding invitations because engraving is so engraved in peoples' minds when it comes to traditional forms of wedding invitation printing. There's no pun intended there. Engraving is emblazoned, engraved, and permanently etched into peoples' minds and memories because engraved invitations are so prominently featured in historic movies, romantic comedies, and the dozens upon dozens of invitations they've received throughout their lives. It's also the most expensive option, which makes it impractical and untenable. Royalty from Europe has often used engraving for their most esteemed royal ceremonies. The basic process is that text is etched onto a copper plate, which is followed up with an ink coating and then scrubbed completely clean. The ink is is left behind in the indentations. The least rough, high-quality paper is pressed firmly against the plate, and this causes it to deform the etchings. The end effect is raised, crisp, beautiful text. There is a bruise or mark or dent left behind on the back side of the paper.

Thermography is another option. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg like engraving. The printer has ink and powder resin at his combined disposal. He mixes them with heat to replicate the raised lettering effect of engraving. The text is beautiful, shiny, and often purported to be not as sharp as engraving.

Letterpress is yet a third option. This old-fashioned technique is on the rise in some womens' minds. Bridal magazines and websites laud the amazing benefits of letterpress. The letterpress printer firmly presses inked letters or even handmade or pre-made designs into a piece of paper, forming a great indented surface. The process is continuously repeated so that the employee can form images with more than one color present. Letterpress wedding invitations have an old-world or mysterious or inspirational feel. They can also be adapted to use more formal styles. It's all up to you and your printer. Many people appreciate the tactile sensation of letterpress.

Those are the many printing styles encapsulated into one nice summary. Enjoy your selection.