The Six Essential Steps to Creating Your Letterpress Wedding Invitations
Step One:
GET INSPIRED
Think about the impression you would like your invitation to make on your guests. If you would like us to create a custom design for you, spend some time imagining what you want your invitations to look like, gathering your design inspiration, selecting your color palette, and deciding what information you need to convey to and gather from your guests. The internet is a great source of inspiration for wording and etiquette, and it’s never too early to start writing down the exact wording you want printed on each piece. If you’re local, please come by to look through our sample drawers of previous invitations. Online you can check out our catalog of customizeable designs; maybe one will fit the bill for you! If you are designing your own invitation or working with a designer, make sure you know what graphic styles work best for letterpress printing. We’re happy to answer any questions or offer suggestions while you work on your design, the earlier in the process the better.
Step Two:
GET A QUOTE
Bring us your inspiration or your finished design and we will consult with you via phone, email, or in person to answer any relevant questions, and then provide you with a detailed, customized estimate. Email is a great way to send digital artwork or images, or bring desktop printouts if you are coming in person. If you are purchasing one of our customizeable designs, you can check out our itemized pricing for each suite in the web store. Everyone has a budget (well, most people do!) and it’s good to get a handle on costs early in the process.
Step Three:
LOCK IT DOWN
If you are purchasing one of our customizeable designs, you simply pay in full through our online store. If we are printing your design, or creating a fully custom design for you, you will put down a 50% deposit up front, with the remaining balance due on delivery.
Step Four:
COMPLETE YOUR VISION
If you are purchasing one of our customizeable designs, send along your text and any other details, and we will send you a PDF proof of your invitation to approve. If you’re sending us your own print-ready artwork, now is the time to carefully proofread before sending us final files. We look things over and are pretty good at catching typos, but final responsibility is on you to make sure everything is correct before we go to press. And if we’re creating a fully custom invitation for you, we’ll work closely with you to create and then revise your design until it’s just right.
Step Five:
SEE IT COME TO LIFE
Once the final proof has been approved, we will take your design to press. Our usual timeline is 2-3 weeks for production after approval of the final proof, though we can often accommodate rush orders. Just ask if you’re working on a short timeline! We may ask you to press check the invitation if colors are critical, or there are elements that we’re not sure will come out well. If you’re local and just want to see it getting printed, we always accommodate when schedules allow.
Step Six:
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED
When we are finished printing your invitations, we will ship them to you, or contact you to pick them up if you are local. We also offer full finishing services, including assembly, addressing, and mailing, if you prefer to hire us to complete the last steps before mailing. Your remaining balance (if any) is due when the suite is in your hands or ready to drop in the mail. Congratulations! Now it’s time to begin thinking about your day-of pieces- menus, gift tags, programs, name tags, and so on!