Today I’m totally re-posting old content for lack of time but also for organizational purposes. I’m a little retentive like that! Sorry … lots of designs and production going on this week!
This month I’ve done more foil stamping than ever! It’s exciting for me because it looks AMAZING. I love it because it’s not as over-done as other specialty printing processes, making it a nice little extra something!
Foil-Stamping – A popular choice amongst my clients for the authenticity it adds to passports! (Actually looks better than real ones ;) Foil is pressed onto paper with a heated die, leaving the imprint. Gold & silver are popular, but many colors are available!
Letterpress – Inked printing plates are pressed against soft paper to create an indentation. It’s a labor-intensive process as a separate plate is created for each color used for each design being printed (a typical two-color invitation set could require six or more plates). One of the oldest printing methods, it’s made a HUGE comeback and is sought after for it’s luxurious look and feel.
(How cute is this? From Paper Schmaper on etsy.)
Engraving - Somewhat the opposite process as lettrepress, paper is pushed against a plate with a recessed design. Ink is forced from inside the recessed area onto paper. Pressure from the press pushes the ink into the recessed area, resulting in a subtly raised printed design. It’s so MONEY! {bad pun!} But really, money is engraved.
(Image from Piccolo Press).
Thermography – Almost like faux engraving (and less costly), the ink is slightly raised and glossy. A printed image is dusted with a powder before the ink dries. Heat is applied and fuses the ink and powder together to create the raised texture (similar to rubber stamp embossing).
Traditional Offset Printing – Ink sits flat on the paper. Ink applied to metal plates is transfered to a rubber cylinder, then onto paper. Plates are created for each color, but technological advances compared to letterpresses allow for more color combinations to be achieved with less manual effort.
Digital Printing - The newest printing process, prints directly from a computer file and requires less set-up time than all other types of printing. High-quality laser, ink-jet and digital offset presses all achieve beautiful results with flat ink. Great cost-effective printing for smaller print runs. Browse the GALLERY for lots of examples.
Standard pricing for all Custom Paper Works’ invitations includes Flat Ink Digital Printing. Most designs can incorporate other print formats as well, just let me know what you are interested in!
-Kate