The Stationers Guild

Engaged couples browsing for wedding invitations often tend to assume that paper quality is probably the most substantial price consideration when searching for an online wedding invitation. While the fine quality of the paper is very important, other things to consider like the printing method, amount of ink colors and additional touches frequently play a much more significant role in determining the end pricing of your personalized wedding invitations.

Many quality printers utilize cotton fibers, high-grade wood fiber that’s been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council or a combination of both cotton and wood-based fibers. Even though these papers tend to be of a superior quality than re-cycled papers that a great many promote as “tree-free, these high-quality papers frequently cost a tad bit more but are certainly worth the nominal premium. In addition, these papers are typically far more “environmentally-friendly” and substantial than most papers sold online that claim to be “green” or “tree-free.”

Factors that tend to increase the price tag of printed wedding invitations are paper weight, colored papers and the number of ink colors used in printing the invitations.

Paper weight: Lots of wedding papers offered on the net are printed by commercial printers. Generally speaking, paper with a weight beyond 120 pounds can’t be sent by way of a commercial printer or ink-jet printer. Consequently, a weighty wedding invitation can only be printed using engraving, letterpress or, in some circumstances, with thermographic inks. This old fashioned printing method is likely to increase overall costs, but will generate a substantially more beautiful invitation.

Paper Color: Nearly all wedding invitations are printed on white or ecru colored papers making sure that ink colors resonate. Having said that, there is a movement in the direction of bold-colored papers. In these cases, only using a higher priced printing procedure like engraving seems to work to acquire the proper resolution between ink colors and darkly-colored papers.

Ink Colors: Whilst flat-printing, lithography and digital printing is effective with papers less than 120 pounds in weight, more old-fashioned printing procedures are necessary for more substantial papers. In such cases, each color needs to be applied in a separate press run, thus escalating prices.

When browsing locally for wedding invitations, it really is best to confer with an experienced stationer who will help you select the finest wedding invitation styles and papers for your expense plan.

The holidays are a most popular time for couples to get engaged. If you have decided to say “I do!” then it might be a wise idea to settle down early in the new year and plan your wedding. Found below is a short video highlighting some of the latest save the date cards and wedding invitations from Crane & Co.

For more information, visit a qualified stationer in your neighborhood of visit Crane online for additional information.

The emergence of letterpress wedding stationery, letterpress save-the-date cards, birth announcements and letterpress stationery over the last ten years is not surprising. Affordable second-hand letterpress printers have helped a lot of gifted artisans and designers to apply their creativeness to produce beautiful wedding invitations and stationery using this very old printing process.

Similar to the printing process used for engraving, letterpress makes use of polymer or metal dies to “press” ink into soft papers, principally cotton. Each and every ink color is applied with a individual press run, which calls for persistence and much skill to have the close registration needed to accurately align colors and design images.

Each May for the National Stationery Show in New York City, new letterpress vendors take center stage to market their latest styles. While letterpress was considered to be somewhat of a novelty some a few years back, the vast majority of recent letterpress printers and designers simply do not have the good taste, uniqueness and, in many cases, the talent and expertise to create pleasing letterpress invitations. The truth is, most of the “new” designs offer little that’s completely new. To be honest, the stationery marketplace is over loaded with letterpress.

Letterpress printers with deep traditions in the profession, including Julie Holcomb, Elum, Oblation, Press New York, Page and Real Card Studio are able to innovate and their firm hand and passion for the craft continues to raise the bar for letterpress printing.

While a few letterpress printers have migrated online, the majority of letterpress artisans market their product through knowledgeable retailers across the United States. Quoting pioneer Julie Holcomb, “If you are like most people, you have never ordered any kind of custom printing prior to ordering your wedding invitations. You can benefit a great deal from the experience of your local stationer, who orders all kinds of custom printing, from many vendors, all the time. They’ll help you make sure you’re covering all the bases and making decisions you’ll be happy with for a long time.”

Julie’s advice is truly worth following. If you’ve got your heart set on letterpress for your wedding invitations, it is wise to consult a highly skilled stationer in your area.

Sheila P. May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair, a stationery store located in Greenwich, CT. A native of Texas, she writes frequently Philadelphia Wedding Invitations>.

When planning a wedding ceremony your wedding invitation should take the lead. But nevertheless, there are several other wedding events that often call for a particular invitation. For instance, save the date announcements, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and bridesmaid teas almost always call out for a unique invitation. If you are in need of inspiration or just merely at a loss as to where to begin, the solution to your wishes has just arrived at top stationery stores across the United States.

Crane & Co. recently published its great new Social Occasions Album, an album that contains numerous examples of Crane’s amazing wedding stationery designs showcasing the firm’s superior workmanship. This amazing invitation collection signals a welcome change in direction at Crane as it gets back to its rich traditions of making fine personalized stationery and custom invitations.

The new Social Occasions Album contains many samples of wedding invitations, save the date cards, Bar Mitzvah invitations, anniversary and company event invitations and a huge collection of reply cards, menu cards and personalized correspondence. Several of the samples are engraved, but Crane’s gifted designers and craftsmen are both equally skilled with letterpress along with other kinds of impressing.

For individuals arranging a wedding, Crane’s Social Occasions Album is definitely worth a look. Even though certain invitation designs are probably not designed for your wedding and reception; the wording or your invitation, typeface styles and ink colors can all be custom made to mirror the theme of your wedding event.

With a little imagination, virtually all invitation samples for significant birthdays or sweet sixteen celebrations can easily be a template design for a wedding reception, bridal shower or some other wedding celebration. Engaging an expert stationer in your town who carries Crane’s new Social Occasions Album allows you to design your own unique custom invitation design.

Reaching deep into its roots in the time the American Revolution, Crane has produced an amazing assortment of invitations, reply card sets and engraved correspondence that’s breathtaking in its design and imagination. See your local stationery store now or visit Crane & Co. at their online store.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about regional wedding invitation trends and the importance of save the date cards.

Stationers recently have noticed renewed discussion on whether the gift registry information may be printed on a wedding invitation. The easy and proper answer is: “Of course not!” One knowledgeable stationer who alleges to have worked with innumerable bridal couples to design unique wedding invitations affirms that “no one has opted to include gift registry information or website to their wedding invitation. It really is cheap, offensive and simply poor etiquette.”

Suggesting a gift or monetary contribution on the wedding invitation diminishes the value of the celebration. Though many insist that it’s “convenient” to provide bridal registry information within the wedding invitation, convenience is no substitute for proper etiquette and good taste. Why don’t you just pick-up the telephone, call the parents of the bride or even the bridal couple and extend your best wishes then ask where they’re registered. It’s easy, personal and has worked proficiently for many years.

In a great many instances, bridal couples will send a save the date announcement that may contain travel and hotel suggestions. If you plan to build a wedding website, it’s considered acceptable to add the website address within the save the date card or within the supporting wedding papers.

Many will argue that this protocol or etiquette is dated. Quite the contrary, good etiquette is never out of place. If we carry on and stress “convenience” and “efficiency” in dealing with our personal relationships, we take away the enjoyment and majesty from these milestone occasions within our lives.

To put it briefly, including gift registry details in your wedding invitation is not advised and, certainly, many guests are likely to consider the idea vulgar and inappropriate. There are lots of of ways to bypass that small problem with good 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.

The growth of letterpress invitations, letterpress save the date cards, baby announcements and letterpress stationery over the past ten years is not unexpected. Affordable second-hand letterpress printing presses have made way for a lot of skilled designers and artisans to indulge their imagination to produce beautiful wedding invitations and stationery using this centuries-old printing process.

Much like the process used for engraving, letterpress uses polymer or metal dies to “press” ink into malleable card-stock, principally cotton. Every color is applied using a individual press run, which calls for persistence and appreciable skill to get the close registration needed to correctly align colors and design images.

Each May during the National Stationery Show in New York City, new letterpress vendors take center stage to introduce their new styles. Even though letterpress was regarded as somewhat of a novelty some a few years back, many of the new letterpress printers simply don’t have the flair, originality and, oftentimes, the ability and expertise to produce pleasing letterpress stationery. The truth is, most “new” designs offer little that’s unique. Truth be told, the stationery marketplace is over loaded with letterpress.

Letterpress printers with deep roots in the craft, such as Julie Holcomb, Elum, Oblation (letterpress images shown here), Press New York, Page and Real Card Studio still build on their craft and their sturdy hand and passion for the craft continues to elevate the bar for letterpress printing.

Although some letterpress printers now sell online, most letterpress artisans sell their invitations by using seasoned retailers throughout the United States. Quoting pioneer Julie Holcomb, “If you are like most people, you have never ordered any kind of custom printing prior to ordering your wedding invitations. You can benefit a great deal from the experience of your local stationer, who orders all kinds of custom printing, from many vendors, all the time. They’ll help you make sure you’re covering all the bases and making decisions you’ll be happy with for a long time.”

Julie’s advice is worthwhile following. If you have your heart set on letterpress for the wedding invitations, it is wise to talk to an experienced stationer in your area.

Sheila P. May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair, a stationery store located in Greenwich, CT. A founding member of the Stationers Guild, she writes frequently about NYC Wedding Invitations.

Very few printing techniques can match the caliber of an engraved wedding invitation. Even though engraving was traditionally used to print wedding invitations, baby announcements and business cards in your parent’s and grandparent’s generations, modern day printing methods are much more efficient but don’t have the high quality and vitality of engraving.

Lately, prominent stationery retailers across the United States are finding that bridal couples are now rediscovering the inherent beauty of engraving. Notwithstanding its higher cost, engraved wedding stationery bring back the heritage and elegance of times past.

As the industry has moved to less expensive and more efficient forms of printing, numerous engraving firms have shut down and the profession of engraving is perilously close to disappearing. Even though the robust Heidelberg presses remain in abundance, the creation of engraving dies from submerging photo-sensitive copper plates in to a tub of an acid solution is far beyond the financial abilities and know-how of the many independent printers.

Because of its opaque colors and eye-catching 3D print quality, engraved wedding invitations are experiencing a renaissance among the engaged couples who treasure a well-crafted invitation. Amongst the key firms which offer a variety of printing options, Crane & Co. and William Arthur give the finest design and printing alternatives.

If an engraved invitation is out of your reach, go for printing in thermograph inks. Using thermograph inks mimics engraving by stamping a resin-based composite on the paper to form the raised surface which you find in engraving. Thermograph inks are generally more shiny unless of course the printer offers a matte finish, but printing using this method will produce great savings.

As with any fine stationery, engraved invitations should be seen in person to appreciate paper and print quality. Ink colors are “true” and richer, particularly when evaluated side-by-side along with other types of printing. In all likelihood, you can find knowledgeable stationers in neighborhoods across the United States who are able to deliver assistance in helping to design wonderful wedding invitations.

Richard W. May, a founding member of the Stationers Guild, writes frequently about NYC wedding invitations and wedding invitation trends across the United States.

When planning a wedding event your wedding invitation must take the lead. Nevertheless, there are a number of other wedding activities that typically call for a special invitation. For example, save the date invitations, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and bridesmaid teas commonly demand a unique invitation. If you are in need of inspiration or basically confused as to where to start, the solution to your needs just hit trusted stationery boutiques all over the United States.

Crane & Co. just delivered its new Social Occasions Album, a personalization album which contains a number of samples of Crane’s gorgeous designs exhibiting Crane’s traditional workmanship. This particular collection signals a most welcome change in direction at Crane as it returns to its unique traditions of producing fine personalized stationery and custom invitations.

The new Social Occasions Album provides examples of wedding invitations, save the date invitations, Bar Mitzvah invitations, wedding anniversary and business event invitations along with a big assortment of reply cards, menu cards and social correspondence. Several of the paper samples are engraved, but Crane’s experienced designers and craftspeople are equally skilled with letterpress along with other forms of impressing.

For people planning a wedding ceremony, Crane’s Social Occasions Album is definitely worth a look. Although some of the invitation designs probably are not suitable for your wedding event; the text of the invitation, font designs and ink colors and shades can be adapted to mirror the concept for the wedding ceremony.

With a little imagination, nearly all invitation examples for wedding anniversaries or sweet sixteen celebrations can often function as a template design for a wedding reception, groomsmen party or some other wedding celebration. Engaging an expert stationer in your neighborhood who carries Crane’s new Social Occasions Album can help you create your own unique custom design.

Reaching back into its roots at the time of the American Revolution, Crane has produced a dazzling assortment of invitations and announcements, reply card sets and personal correspondence that is breathtaking in its design and sophistication. See your local stationer now or visit Crane & Co. at their internet store.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about regional wedding invitation trends and the importance of save the date cards.

Wedding planners recently have experienced renewed discussion on if the gift registry may be displayed on the wedding invitation. The easy and appropriate response is: “Absolutely not!” One experienced stationer who asserts to have worked with many hundreds of young couples to design custom wedding invitations states that “not one has decided to include gift registry details or URL on their wedding invitation. It’s cheap, offensive and just poor etiquette.”

Indicating a gift or monetary contribution in your wedding invitation diminishes the importance of the celebration. While many believe that it is “economical” to list bridal registry information on the wedding invitation, efficiency is not a substitute for proper etiquette and good taste. Why don’t you just pick-up the telephone, call the parents of the groom or even the bridal pair and extend your best wishes and then inquire where they’re registered. It’s easy, quite personal and also has worked proficiently for quite some time.

In lots of occasions, bridal couples will send a save the date announcement which might include things like travel and hotel advice. If you intend to build a wedding website, it’s thought to be suitable to add the Url of your website within the save the date announcement or in the supportive wedding papers.

A few will argue that this protocol or etiquette is dated. Quite the opposite, good manners is never out of place. If we continue to emphasize “convenience” and “functionality” in orchestrating our personal relationships, we take away the happiness and majesty from these milestone occasions in our lives.

To put it briefly, including gift registry information in your wedding invitation is not advised and, without a doubt, numerous guests are likely to consider it obnoxious and most inappropriate. There are plenty 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.

Designing your wedding invitation can often be a challenging and time-consuming undertaking. Quite frankly, most people don’t have either the time or the knowledge to evaluate the countless customization options available online and stationery boutiques. Irrespective of whether you are planning to design and print your own invitation, purchase wedding invitations on the internet or pick the mind of an informed stationer in your town, these tips may help.

Useful Ideas for Wedding Invitations

• Selecting the “right” paper or cardstock is the most important consideration when selecting your wedding invitaion. The overall size, texture and weight of your wedding stationery are  the most significant consideration when selecting your wedding invitation. The substance and quality of the cardstock speaks to the significance of this important occasion.
• If you decide to craft your own special wedding invitation, please insure that have matching envelopes for the size and color stock of the paper you have selected for your invitation.
• If you decide to print your own wedding invitation (not recommended), be aware that #96 paper is about the highest paper weight that will feed through an inkjet printer without becoming jammed.
• We strongly recommend using white or ecru paper rather than darkly colored paper stock.  Simply print in bold ink colors or use colored or patterned envelope inserts to match your wedding color theme.
• Make sure you order 25 more invitations than you require.  Invariably, you will have left someone important off the list or you have last minute guests.  A second printing is very expensive.
• Weigh your invitation at the Post Office to make sure that you have the proper postage.

For more useful information, please download our FREE Wedding Invitation Guide by becoming a Facebook Fan of Therese Saint Clair.

Sheila P. May
Therese Saint Clair