The Stationers Guild

Those determined to design an original wedding invitation to memorialize that happy event frequently look at countless wedding invitation samples and printing solutions before choosing their particular wedding invitation.

Several years ago there seemed to be a definite regional bias in the selection of printing. Bridal couples from the West Coast seemed to prefer letterpress and the ones from the East Coast generally prefered engraving.

Although this regional tendency still remains, both printing methods still entice discriminating bridal couples who enjoy the delicate hues and modern types of letterpress printing and the timeless opaque colors of engraved wedding invitations.

The growth in letterpress wedding invitations have been fueled from the appearance of talented artists who are able to obtain affordable presses to create their very own invitations and fine stationery. A functional press may be bought for around $3,000 and $5,000 and a talented artist utilizing Photoshop can produce gorgeous designs and then transfer those designs to polymer dies that are utilized in the printing presses.

Though letterpress and engraved invitations are usually more remarkable, those on a financial budget often seek less expensive possibilities that imitate the creativeness seen in letterpress and engraved invitations. The utilization of thermographic inks is surely an affordable alternative to engraving and also a few flat-printed designs are appealing and capture the significance of the event.

Working together with an experienced stationer in your area is unquestionably the best way to craft a wedding invitation that suits your objectives and is also within your budget. There are only a few internet wedding invitation printers with the design and printing capabilities and, most significantly, the service quality to produce wedding invitations that will make you very proud.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about wedding invitations and save the date invitations.

Stationers lately have observed renewed debate on if the gift registry ought to displayed on your wedding invitation. The simple and easy and correct response is: “Of course not!” One knowledgeable stationer who claims to have dealt with countless young couples to design custom wedding invitations affirms that “no one has opted to add gift registry details or website to their wedding invitation. It’s tacky, offensive and simply poor etiquette.”

Indicating a gift item or financial contribution in your wedding invitation diminishes the value of the celebration. Although many insist that it’s “economical” to list a bridal registry on the wedding invitation, efficiency is not a substitute for good manners and good taste. Why don’t you just grab the telephone, call the parents of the bride or even the bridal couple and extend your congratulations then ask where they are registered. It is simple, quite personal and has worked successfully for a long time.

In a great many situations, bridal couples will send a save the date card which might include things like travel and lodging recommendations. If you intend to build a wedding website, it’s now thought to be appropriate to include the website address on the save the date card or in the supporting wedding papers.

A few will consider that this standard protocol or etiquette is old-fashioned. Quite the contrary, good manners is never out of place. When we carry on and emphasize “convenience” and “efficiency” in dealing with our personal relationships, we take away the joy and majesty from these landmark events in our lives.

In short, including gift registry information in your wedding invitation is not recommended and, certainly, many guests are likely to consider the idea rude and most inappropriate. There are lots of of methods to bypass that problem with sensible planning.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about wedding invitations in the New York Metro area and Save the Date Cards.

William Arthur, one of the leading custom invitation and fine stationery companies in the United States, has extended its very successful wedding promotion through May 31st, 2009.  Order 75 or more William Arthur wedding invitations, rehearsal dinner invitations, wedding programs or wedding stationery and receive 25 more free with the compliments of William Arthur.

Don’t put your wedding on the back-burner, contact an experienced Guild member store in your neighborhood to see William Arthur’s exciting new designs and customization options.  Whether you are looking for letterpress invitations or fine wedding stationery, William Arthur is certainly worth a second look.

Smock Paper is offering free letterpress invitation envelope printing through December 31, 2009.  In a recent email message to their dealers, Smock felt that this would be a great opportunity for dealers to connect with their clients in today’s challenging economy.

Smock’s generous offer could save a customer up to $240 dollars for 100 invitation envelopes.  If you are looking for wedding invitations, Bar or Bat Mitzvah invitations or a baby announcement, we strongly suggest that you contact a Guild member store in your neighborhood to view Smock’s exceptional line of letterpress invitations printed on bamboo paper.

First seen at the National Stationery Show last May, Smock Paper is rapidly carving out a reputation for superior letterpress design on arguably one of the most interesting sustainable products for paper:  bamboo.  With this generous offer, Smock Paper may be impossible to resist.

In anticipation of the peak period for wedding invitations, Crane & Co. has released a new album with samples of letterpress wedding invitations.  While perhaps better known for its engraved invitations, Crane’s new album reflects the increased interest by bridal couples in this most traditional form of printing.  With letterpress, ink colors are pressed into soft cotton paper using polymer dies. 

This printing process is extremely popular on the West Coast but Guild member stationers throughout the United States report strong interest in the subtle colors and pleasing designs of letterpress printing.  The new letterpress album is faithful to Crane’s traditions of superior craftmanship.

As with all printing, ink colors tend to change appearance based on the printing process.  Given the low resolution of internet images, it is impossible to faithfully recreate the colors of custom letterpress printing.  If you wish to see Crane’s new letterpress album, we strongly recommend that you consult a Guild member store in your neighborhood.

Richard May
Founding Member