Hey!
We’re so glad to see you here again!
We love putting these posts together for all you lovely people & we’d like to thank you so very much for reading, enjoying & loving every bit of it! 🙂

Our goal is to educate and help you make decisions for your invitations (even if it’s not right then and there) with as little stress as possible & we sincerely hope that we’re being of service to you guys!

So, our topic for today is one of the most interesting & fun parts for your invitation design, and we’re really excited to give you all this information, that can help you!

The quality & types of printing details can totally make or break your look!
And in this post, we are going to go over the most commonly desired printing types for wedding stationery.

Hell yeah!! Printing processes can be pretty confusing.

We get a lot of questions about these differences, so we thought we would put together this handy guide for your reference. 

So, what is REALLY the difference between digital, letterpress, offset, foil, or any of the other options presented before you?

Let us help break it down for you in the most lay-man language, that is easy to understand.
Let’s get straight into it!

Also do visit our ‘Etsy Shop‘ for DIY Save the dates, Invitations & Stationery Templates that are available for quick edits and instant downloads:

Please click here : https://www.etsy.com/in-en/shop/CustomizingDIY

Screen Printing / Raise printing

Screen printing is a base printing technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto the material, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil.

One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multicoloured image or design.
If the same artwork is printed over & over again multiple times, it gives a raised look & hence we would refer to it as raise printing, which is just a variation of screen printing.

Traditionally the process was called screen printing or silkscreen printing because silk was used in the process.

We normally would not recommend more than 3-4 colours for this process!
Screen printing, works really well for textured papers as well.

It is one of the most economical processes & works well for small as well as large quantities.

Works really well for : a matte look, keeping the texture of the paper intact, 2 tone patterns.

What you see in the below images is a solid colour along with gold printed on top of it.

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Offset printing :

Offset printing is again a base printing technique where your inked image is transferred from a plate, to a rubber blanket, and then to your paper.
It allows for unlimited colours, and is perfect for when you want large sections of solid colour.

It does not disturb the surface of your paper, meaning your invitation will be flat and smooth. If you want a lot of colours in your design, and want the printing quality to be as high as possible, this is the option for you!

This process works well for a high quantity to avoid colour variations & also makes it cost effective.

Works really well for : layers of gradation, watercolours, ombre looks, florals , etc.

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Digital printing :

Digital printing is the best option for those with lower quantities & again acts as a great base.

Digitally printed invitations are often printed using a colour laser printer, or an inkjet. The quality of the printer will be higher than what you can get at home, but the cost per piece is slightly more than offset printing, but it allows you the same level of flexibility that offset printing does.

That being said, you’d be surprised at what could be accomplished with choosing the right paper stocks, and we think it’s a great option for secondary cards – you can get all the bells and whistles on your invitation, and round out the suite with digitally printed cards.

Works really well for : layers of gradation, watercolours, ombre looks, florals, etc. but for a smaller quantity

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Foiling :

Foil stamping is perfect for those who want to add a little bling to their invitations!
A heated die is stamped onto the metallic foil, making it adhere to your paper, leaving a shiny, solid impression.

Foil can be added over & above any of the printing methods discussed above – whether it is screen, offset or digital – foiling sits really well on all.

There are some beautiful metallic foil colours, for e.g. – rose gold, silver, bronze, pinks, blues!

It is one of the most popular process for invitations as it adds all the lovely festive vibe to the prints.
We are absolutely obsessed with foils & we use it in almost every card.

Works really well for : adding glitter / bling, to highlight details, festive look

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Letterpress :

Letterpress is a printing technique dating back to the 1400s.
A print is made by ‘pressing’ an inked plate into paper, creating a deep impression in the paper, and providing a textured and classic feel for your wedding invitations.

We believe that letterpress adds a level and quality of craftsmanship that is hard to replicate, and once you hold a letterpress invitation in your hand, you’ll see what we’re talking about.

If you want your invitations to include gradients, photos, or designs with more than three colors, letterpress is not for you.

If you love texture & want something that feels very special, and have a limited color palette, you should consider letterpress printing.

Works really well for : textured papers, 3-dimensional feel, clean fonts

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Embossing or de-bossing :

Have you ever run your hand over a print that has bumps and it almost pushed into or over the paper?

You almost can’t help but touch them; the raised relief is as appealing to your eye as it is to your fingertips.
Embossing has a similar effect. Embossing (and its opposite, debossing) are two techniques used to either impress or depress the design into paper.

These popular print effects are ideal for giving your print piece a fresh, contemporary look — and when combined with other base print techniques & effects like foil stamping, embossed designs can transform a great piece to a luxury one.

Works really well for : seamless patterns, highlighting motifs, 3-dimensional look

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#Protips :

– Get an idea of all the kinds of printing your designer can offer, & try to mix & match them to add your personal style.

– Some designs do not need to much of printing detail. If so, try to keep it simple.

– Handmade papers / Seed papers do not make for great printing bases for all printing types. If you are using those papers, be sure to stick to 1-2 colour printing as the inks may blotch due to the nature of those papers.

There are many more printing methods like laser cutting, electro-plating, UV printing, etc., but the ones discussed above are most popular with our brides & grooms!

Hopefully this helps you get a better understanding of the various printing types out there.
You can mix & match printing types or keep it cohesive throughout all your functions & events.

If you need help choosing, the designer should be able to guide your decision and pick the best fit for your style & vision.

We know you don’t live in the same printing world as we do & it’s our job to help you figure out what you’re looking for with as little stress as possible.

The best part of hiring a custom stationer is that they are able to talk through it with you – so use them! 😃
We love it and will never steer you wrong. ❤️

Do you have any questions about other printing methodologies?
If so, leave us a comment, and we’ll do our best to answer your question!

Should you have any feedback or want us to cover any particular topic, feel free to let us know!
We lovingly invite you to subscribe to our blog for upcoming articles & future blog posts.

For any further questions, we’re just an email away & we will try to help you resolve any queries you may have!

We can be reached on info@customizingcreativity.in

You can take a look at some of our latest work via these links :-
Website : www.customizingcreativity.in
Instagram handle : instagram.com/customizing_creativity
(don’t miss out on our IGTV series for further insight into this topic)
Facebook page : Facebook.com/dishamehtadesign

We’d love for you to #startyournewbeginningwithus

Until next time,
Disha & Harsh Munshaw
Customizing Creativity