Letterpress wedding stationery FAQ

We have a minimum print run of 35 for letterpress printing. There is no minimum print run for digital printing.

We recommend you order a couple of extra cards (5) to allow for contingencies and keepsakes. If the print run allows, we will include 1-2 complimentary extras of each card.

Printing extra cards after the original print run has finished can be a costly exercise as the press has to be set up again to print just 1 or 2 cards.

If you are using a calligrapher, please ask them how many extra cards and envelopes are required prior to ordering.

Digital printed versions of your invitation are a cost emergency solution once the print run has finished.

Not every guest will need a separate invitation as some guests will be part of a couple, family or group and they can be included on the one invitation. As a general rule, you’ll need to order 60-75% of the number of guests attending. For example, if you have 100 guests on your list, allow approximately 60-75 invitations, depending on how many couples/families are invited.

All design work by The Artisan Press includes three rounds of changes using comment-enabled PDF files. The last PDF file sent to you is the final proof (soft proof). Hard copy proofs are not practical as this would require an extra press set up and additional film and plates if any changes are required. You sign off on the PDF (which you can print from your computer for reference) and we move your order into print production.

Acrobat PDF is our preferred file type. Please download our help sheets for finished artwork to see the required specifications.

We are happy to create a unique design based on something you have seen but keep in mind that, just like your wedding, the best and most memorable results come from creating something personalised and unique. You’re welcome to forward your references and ideas and we’ll use these as a launch pad to create your individual design.

If the design has been created by The Artisan Press we are happy to customise this design for your wedding. Please contact us with your design preferences and we’ll be happy to provide an estimate.

Yes, just get in touch with us and we’ll work with you to figure out the best solution to your requirements.

Some packages may accommodate a short fold on the place cards. A full tent-fold place card is available as a separate item.

Yes, the purposes are suggested card uses only.

We can adjust any of the cards in the packages to a smaller size. The sizes have been carefully calculated to fit the press sheet and to suit Australian envelope sizes. Increasing card sizes may compromise the size of the remaining cards. If you require items not in any of our packages, please check with us and we may be able to create a custom package for the most cost effective approach.

Invitation envelopes are included in our individual items pricing, mini-sets and suites. Additional envelopes for RSVP and Thank You cards can be itemised separately on your quote to allow for customisation and assist with budget decisions.

Invitation envelopes are included in our individual items pricing, mini-sets and suites. Additional envelopes for RSVP and Thank You cards can be itemised separately on your quote to allow for customisation and assist with budget decisions.

We offer a wide range of options when it comes to printing of your envelopes.

RSVP ENVELOPES: We offer complimentary flat printing of your return address for RSVP envelopes. We can also letterpress print these if required – contact us for a quote on this service.

INVITATION ENVELOPES: We offer the following options for your invitation envelopes.
– Flat printing of your return address on the back-flap
– Letterpress printing of your return address on the back-flap
– Flat printing of guest names and addresses on front to save you time and writers cramp!
– Calligraphy of guest names and addresses

THANK YOU ENVELOPES: We offer the following options for your thank you envelopes.
– Flat printing of your return address on the back-flap
– Letterpress printing of your return address on the back-flap
– Flat printing of guest names and addresses on front.

Yes, we specialise in creating amazing custom envelope liners that can really give your wedding package a real “wow” factor. Please advise your requirements and we’d be happy to provide an estimate.

Our standard envelopes are unlined and matched as closely as possible in colour and texture to your selected paper.

If you require coloured or lined envelopes, please ask us for an estimate.

Yes, we source our envelopes from Australia’s leading suppliers who carry an full range of colours and textures.

Yes, blind stamping (an impression without ink) is counted as a colour as although it appears no ink is used, a separate film, plate and press setup are required. We have developed a signature technique to ensure a crisp result.

We advise clients to think of blind stamping as a dessert rather than a main course. Large areas of text become difficult to read and can tend to halt the communication of your message. Conversely, design elements and images can be stunning with a sharp, crisp letterpress print.

Embossing can be thought of like a paper mountain – where the image is pushed from behind the sheet to raise the image above the paper. Embossing requires two dies or plates (male and female) to produce a sharp, clean result.

Debossing can be thought of like a paper valley – where the image is pushed down from above the sheet to bite the image into the paper. Debossing is a by-product of contemporary letterpress and is what gives it a unique hand-crafted look.

Because letterpress is not like your ink-jet printer, which can print multiple colours at once. 99% of letterpress machines are single colour each colour must be printed one colour at a time.

Each colour also requires its own plate be made. It also requires that the press and rollers be cleaned and prepared for the new ink and new plate. The new plate is placed in the press and positioned by hand to receive the second colour in perfect position and with the perfect amount of impression.

The sheets are then passed through the press to lay down the second colour. Due to the time and labour intensive nature of the letterpress process extra colours have additional costs involved.

Due to the time intensive nature of letterpress printing it’s not the ideal process for printing of guest names on your invitations. It would require the manufacture of a plate for every guest and would lead to an inconsistent result with the constant stop start. Rather we suggest the following options:

Personalised envelope – the simplest method is to address your guest on your envelope. We offer this service which is a great time saver and keeps the suite consistent as we use the typefaces from your design for the the addressing.

Personalised Bellybands – a 35mm band or strip of  of paper personalised with your guests’ names and pattern/colour/design which are then wrapped around the card set and can be sealed with a glue dot, glue stick or sticker or seal.

Handwritten – leaving a space on the invite for your guests’ names to be handwritten by you.

Calligraphy – leaving a space on the invite for your guests’ names to be professionally inked by one of our partner calligraphers.

Modern letterpress printing generally requires that the printing process be visible. If the paper stock is not thick enough – letterpress printing on two sides will turn the piece into Braille with the impression from both sides battling for dominance.

For this reason, letterpress printing both sides can be done but requires a thicker than normal card weight. We advise weights greater than 500gsm for the best results.

As an alternative, we offer duplexing. Duplexing is the gluing of two separate cards together using a special technique. For example, two 300gsm cards glued together to form a 600gsm card. The advantage of duplexing is that it allows you to combine a flat printing on one side with letterpress on the other. Of course it also allows two letterpress pieces to be glued together.

Please contact us to find the best approach for your specific design.

Yes, we provide an edge colouring service. Edge colouring is a finishing process (done after the printing) where the cards have colour added to the edge to create a unique third dimension to the card. This is all done by hand and is very labour intensive so please allow an extra 24-48 hours.

We use a unique method that results in no bleed of the edge colour to the face or back of the card. This is important as bleeding of the colour to the face or back of the card can really detract from the finished result and give an amateur appearance.

The best and most visible results for edge colouring come when using a thicker stock (400gsm+) but we can use a standard weight letterpress card (300gsm).

Once you have confirmed your booking – expect your work to be a priority.

We draft your first round of artwork within 2-3 business days. Together we work through the artwork process using PDF files until sign-off.

At The Artisan Press we are unique in Australia in that we make our own film and printing plates in-house. Apart from giving us complete control over the quality this means your print production is complete within 12-15 business days from sign off or submission of final artwork.