Create Your Dream Wedding Invites: Letterpress Diy

Letterpress wedding invitations are a beautiful, yet costly, way to invite guests to your wedding. The cost of letterpress invitations can be mitigated by making them yourself. This can be done by making your own letterpress from scratch or by buying a commercially available DIY kit. The process of making letterpress wedding invitations involves designing the invitations, ordering photopolymer plates, cutting the paper, setting up the letterpress platform, inking the plates, and assembling the invitations. The result is a set of unique, handcrafted wedding invitations that reflect the time and effort put into their creation.

Designing your invitations

Designing your own letterpress wedding invitations can be a fun and rewarding process, but it requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some steps and tips to help you create beautiful and professional-looking invitations:

Gather your wedding details:

Before you start designing, ensure you have all the necessary information for your invitations, including the names of the couple, wedding date, time, location, and any other relevant details. It is recommended to type out all the information in a text file first to avoid any spelling mistakes or missing details.

Determine the design principles:

Consider the overall design and layout of your invitation. Think about the hierarchy of information, deciding on the most important elements that you want to stand out, such as the couple's names or the wedding date. Apply design principles such as contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity to create a cohesive and visually appealing invitation.

Choose your tools and materials:

Select the appropriate tools and materials for your letterpress invitations. This includes items such as a letterpress platform, portable roller machine, paper, ink, brayer, photopolymer plates, envelopes, and adhesive. Consider your budget and the level of difficulty you are comfortable with. You can either make your own letterpress from scratch or purchase commercially available DIY kits.

Create your design:

You can design your invitations using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or AutoCAD, ensuring that your artwork is in CMYK colour mode and 100% black. If you're using multiple colours, separate them into different plates. Consider incorporating personal touches, such as a line drawing of your wedding venue or adding symbolic elements that hold a special meaning for you.

Order photopolymer plates:

Work with a reputable company to order your photopolymer plates. These plates are created from a negative of your artwork and are essential for the letterpress printing process. Ensure your artwork is properly prepared and follows the company's specifications.

Cut your paper:

It is recommended to order paper samples in advance and have the paper company cut them to size for you. If you need to cut the paper yourself, use thick tape and physical markers on your cutting mat to ensure accuracy and save time.

Assemble your invitations:

Once you have printed your designs and allowed them to dry, carefully assemble your invitations. Use a good quality adhesive, such as glue tape, to secure the different components of your invitation suite, including any inserts or enclosures.

Ordering photopolymer plates

• If you are working in Illustrator, change your colour mode to CMYK (File > Colour Mode > CMYK) and ensure your file is 100% black.
• Convert your text to outlines (Type > Create Outlines).
• If using multiple colours, separate them into different plates. You are charged by square inch, so be strategic with how you submit your files.
• Trim your artboards to the exact size of your artwork.
• Save your file as an EPS, AI, or vectorised PDF file.
• If you are using a letterpress platform, order plates with the same relief size.
• Order from a reputable company, such as Boxcar Press, that offers pre-press help and free letterpress advice.
• Compare prices and shipping options from different suppliers.
• Consider making your own plates with a 3D printer if you have the time and resources.

After ordering your photopolymer plates, the next steps are to cut your paper, set up your letterpress platform, ink your plates, and run the platform through a roller machine.

Choosing your paper

The paper you choose for your DIY letterpress wedding invitations is paramount to achieving quality results. The paper facilitates the qualities that you will appreciate most about letterpress printing – the visual and tactile impression into the paper.

Most letterpress papers are uncoated paper stock (a paper with no gloss or shininess). They usually come in ivory or a shade of white, from bright white to natural white. A paper with a nice texture that aligns with your wedding aesthetic is a good choice.

Letterpress papers are categorized by the overall weight of a ream of paper (500 sheets). A traditional 1-ply paper is usually 110lb or 300 gsm, while a traditional 2-ply paper is 220lb or 600gsm. Printer copy paper, in comparison, is usually 20lb or 54gsm. If you want a deeper impression, opt for a 2-ply paper.

If you are aiming for a softer impression, try a cotton rag paper. For a soft but tighter fibre paper, opt for bamboo paper or something with less than 100% cotton content. Crane's Lettra paper is a good choice for a deeper impression, and it comes in various shades of white. It is also eco-friendly, made from cotton cast-offs from the textile industry.

If you want a premium feel to your invitations, choose a thicker, weighted cotton paper. Most letterpress printers recommend this for a more luxurious experience.

If you are printing in colour, bear in mind that letterpress inks are generally not opaque enough to show up well on black or dark stock. So, if you are printing in darker inks, opt for a lighter paper.

If you are printing by hand, you can use handmade papers. These have a distinct, unique texture and pronounced differences from sheet to sheet. They also have deckled edges (feathery edges), which add a unique touch.

Experiment with different papers and don't be afraid to branch out and try something new.

Inking your plates

You will need a roller, also known as a brayer, to ink your plates. Brayers are available in art supply stores. The roller should be soft and wide enough to cover the width of your plate in one roll. A roller that is too hard will not work well for letterpress printing.

You will also need a surface to roll out the ink. Glass is a good option as it provides a nice, flat, even surface. You can also use plexiglass.

Take a small amount of ink and work it around with a palette knife, trying to break up any lumpy bits. Letterpress ink is sticky. Then start to work it onto your roller, rolling back and forth in various directions to get an even coating. Try to spread it out thinly.

Roll the brayer back and forth until you get a smooth ink surface and your brayer is evenly covered in ink. There is a distinctive sound it makes when you've hit that spot.

Now, ink your plates! You will only need to use a little bit of ink. When you first start, you may barely be able to see any ink on your plates, but it will be enough. Less is more because if there's too much, it will bleed out of your lines.

If you get ink where it shouldn't be, wipe it off with a paper towel.

Assembling your invitations

Now that you've gathered all your guest addresses and designed your invites, it's time to assemble your DIY letterpress wedding invitations. Here's a step-by-step guide to putting them together:

Step 1: Prepare Your Materials

Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary materials ready. This includes your printed invitations, envelopes, inserts (such as RSVP and details cards), glue or adhesive, and any other embellishments you plan to include.

Step 2: Fold and Insert

If your invitations or inserts are folded, carefully fold them along the creases. Then, insert the invitation and any additional cards into the envelope, ensuring they are all facing the correct way. Be gentle to avoid smudging any ink or creasing the paper.

Step 3: Secure with Adhesive

Use your chosen adhesive to secure the contents of the envelope. You can use glue tape, rubber cement, or another type of adhesive. Be sure to follow the instructions on your chosen adhesive for the best results.

Step 4: Embellish (Optional)

If you plan to embellish your invitations, now is the time to do so. This could include embossing your return address, adding monogram details, or using gold gelly roll pens for extra flair. Get creative and make your invitations unique!

Step 5: Final Checks

Once your invitations are assembled, take a moment to review them. Check that all the necessary information is included, the wording is correct, and the layout is as you intended. It's also a good idea to double-check that the envelopes are properly sealed.

Step 6: Bundle and Send

Finally, it's time to bundle your invitations and send them on their way! Group the invitations together, ensuring they are all oriented in the same direction. Then, head to your local post office to mail them out, and don't forget to ask about hand-cancelling if you have dark-coloured envelopes.

Frequently asked questions