letterpress

We're happy to present a post from Valerie at Spark Letterpress.

Letterpress is a wonderful printing method that combines beautiful papers, ink, and a deep impression to create a distinctive stationery suite your guests are sure to enjoy. The biggest advantage of using letterpress, besides that it is just stunning, is that you are inviting your guests with something special that they likely haven't received before. We hear from so many of our clients that the invites really felt like little works of art. In addition to that, just being able to feel that impression of the design, and the fact that most letterpress companies use eco-friendly materials and practices, are additional reasons why you can feel good about your stationery.

Current Trends

We are seeing a lot of gray and metallic inks and papers being used this year. We also have been doing a lot of letterpress suites with lovely touches of metallic and pearlized foils. Foil seems to be omnipresent these days, so we are using more unique foil offerings for our clients or pairing them with fun papers or other finishing touches for a unique look.

We also recently introduced laser cutting into our repertoire of services that has been a huge hit with our client base. We are dressing up a lot of simply done suites with classic typography or imagery by adding a laser cut wrap or belly band. It keeps the overall look of the suite in the classic realm but gives you that wow factor when a guest receives their invite.

Keep reading for tips on fonts, imagery, and adding on to your wedding suite!

Whether you're a bride-to-be, frequent letter writer, or proud new mama, letterpress stationery and invitations are one of the most elegant ways to share your good news with your friends and family. Unfortunately, these invitations also cost significantly more than other stationery, due in part to the arduous work involved in the letterpress process. Luckily, now even budget-strapped letterpress lovers can indulge, thanks to a new stationery collaboration from The Pressroom & Company.

Spark Letterpress has partnered with a select group of talented stationery designers to offer a variety of beautiful stationery, including wedding invitation suites, all letter-pressed by Spark. The timeless designs, many of which are exclusive to The Pressroom & Company, offer a beautiful and beautifully affordable way to announce your upcoming nuptials, new baby, or other happy life event.

With services including die cutting, drilled holes, custom monograms, custom-illustrated maps and artwork, and eyelet settings, you can personalize your invitations or stationery to your liking. Prices for wedding invitations start at $850 for a one-color, four-piece set of 100 invitations, and you can order a sampler kit for $15. Check out all of the designers, options, and possibilities for your personalized letterpress cards or invitations on The Pressroom & Company.

Confession: I am a huge font nerd. And like most vintage geek collectors, I am always on the hunt for old timey tech. While I have a pretty decent collection of vintage typewriters, I knew the only way to pay proper respect to my passion for typography was to learn letterpress printing.

After taking months of workshops and making my own set of unique greeting cards, I finally felt like I conquered the massive machines and their rows of movable type. As a thank-you, my guy surprised me with a beautiful letterpress necklace ($75) I'd been coveting from Brooklyn-based jewelry designer, Erica Weiner.

Font nerds, get excited! The necklace is an actual piece of movable type from a hand-cranked Vandercook Proof Press. The type was saved from being melted down, plated in gold, and hung from a brass chain. You can order a single letter of the alphabet or go the route of my guy, and get two initials for you and your beau. If you're not big into gold, don't worry — silver is an option too.

Want to send a friend a mid-Summer note? To capture that feeling of lazy long days and mid-afternoon bicycle rides, send her this Bicycle Card ($3). This gocco-printed card is blank inside, so you can scribble away to your heart's content. Need some other summery cards? Check out some of my other favorites here.