DIY Letterpress Invitations

lingdesigns

I had been searching high and low for an affordable way to get customized letterpress invitations done. Dalphine.com quoted me about $1500 for 1 main invitation plus 1 reception card at 120 count, done in letterpress from a template. (Keep in mind this doesn't include response cards or envelopes yet). 

I searched around the web for a DIY class I could take and the timing couldn't have been better. I found Intima Press in New York City that gives a DIY letterpress wedding invitation class 1 night a week for 5 weeks.

I am a graphic designer so I wanted to design my own invitation and I wanted to assemble everything into pocket folds. The entire job... 4 cards, 1 response envelope and 1 mailing envelope done in letterpress would have cost me a fortune. but this was a great option for me. I printed partially on my offset laserjet printer and most of it was done in letterpress. I purchased all the paper and envelopes myself at a discount at Jam Paper in NYC. The pocket folds I bought at Paper Presentations.

The entire job, materials and all cost me about $820. But at the end of it, I felt like I started to learn a new trade and I was able to do EXACTLY what I wanted. I really went overboard with the number of cards I wanted to do and all the intricacies. But I really did not feeloverwhelmed at all (just questioned myself whether I was really able to pull it off!). Mindy from Intima Press walked me through every step of the way. I really felt like she wouldn't have let me go through it alone. So I promised her I'd post this blog.

 If you don't want to do it yourself, she also can do the whole job for you at a REALLY reasonable price! At my last class she also mentioned her work is being featured on WE channel on a reality wedding show!
Check her out! www.LetterpressDesigns.com

Here are some pictures!




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alisonz

that is so great!thanks for the recommendation.

I am in the exact same position. I'm a designer and want to do my own, but don't really want to pay for custom letterpress (at least not NYC prices.)

thank you!

lingdesigns

No problem! Good luck! This class involves vintage hand-set metal type letterpress so if you have any kind of digital designs you want to do on the computer, it wouldn't be letterpressed on her machine... but you can combine offset printing and letterpress printing like I did. For this class, if you want to do all letterpress, no offset print, you either stick with all type (she also has some graphic symbols like stars and monograms). She gives ANOTHER class that would allow you to take digital designs to make a mold to print from.
Any way you choose, they will look beautiful. I am so proud of my invitations. Good luck!