| Wedding invitations are printed by a variety of | | | | expensive than engraving, it looks fine but is not as |
| manufacturing processes. With a wide range of | | | | elegant. |
| invitations to choose from you will be able to find just | | | | Digitally printed invitations are the least expensive to |
| the right one to fit your theme, formality and budget. It | | | | produce. The appearance is similar to that of |
| is wise though to know exactly what it is you are | | | | lithography and much like the laser printing that you do |
| purchasing before making your final selection. | | | | yourself on your home printer. A relatively fast |
| At one time all invitations were engraved using a hand | | | | process, digitally printed invitations are fully |
| tooled engraving plate etched by experienced | | | | customizable. |
| craftsmen. Often copper plates were used to which | | | | Thermography is a popular step in the printing process |
| ink was added with the paper actually pressed to the | | | | that looks very much like engraving but is far less |
| plate. This created a raised printing that you could feel. | | | | costly. Thermal powders are spread on wet ink and |
| You will see an impression of the entire imprint area on | | | | heated so that the powder melts into a solid mass that |
| the back side of the paper. By far the most traditional | | | | fuses and sits on top of the paper surface. A fast |
| and formal printing method, it is also quite expensive | | | | process, you can feel the raised lettering on the front |
| and not used nearly as often today. | | | | but not on the back of the paper. Less costly than |
| Letterpress is popular but is not the same process | | | | engraving but almost as nice, thermography wedding |
| used in the past that involved lead slugs to make | | | | invitations are a great choice for invitations you will be |
| impressions. Today magnesium dies are used to give | | | | proud to send. |
| the impression of letterpress on which you can see | | | | Before selecting your wedding invitation supplier, be |
| the individual letters pressed into the paper from the | | | | sure and ask by what method your invitations will be |
| back side. | | | | produced. All will include your customized information |
| The process of lithography or offset printing is the | | | | but you will want that information to look as nice as it |
| most widely used printing style today. Ink is applied to | | | | can within your established budget. When in doubt, ask |
| paper in a printing process that does not provide a | | | | that samples be provided for your review. Your |
| raised or pressed appearance. Magazines and | | | | wedding invitations set the tone for your special day |
| marketing materials are printed in this way. Less | | | | and you deserve the best. |