Archive for November, 2011
Letterpress Avant Invitation Booklets With Tear-out RSVP Postcards
In a really cool twist (literally!) on Ben Whitla‘s original Avant design, this letterpress invitation booklet includes a cover page, an invite page, and an RSVP page that have all been grommeted together into a tidy little package. The grommet allows the individual pages to swivel open and close and a perforated tear-out RSVP postcard on the last page lets guests reply without having to worry about envelopes. Great stuff!
inks: chartreuse + charcoal | font: geometric | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: a7 | client coordinator: chris gannon | in-house designer: sarah walroth

Behind the scenes at Bella Figura: A letterpress print shop
Ever wonder what goes on here in our letterpress shop?? We’ll show you! This video will (quickly) take you through a day of letterpress printing at here at Bella Figura. This behind the scenes video gives an inside look at every aspect of our beloved print shop: from graphic design, to photopolymer platemaking, to inking up the presses and printing, to assembling the printed pieces and neatly packaging the final products (like your beautiful invitations) in preparation for shipment.
Urban Decay: a SoHo inspired letterpress invitation
Hues of rust and fading blue paint create a surprisingly beautiful palette for an edgy, urban wedding. To get this look, seek beauty in weathered bridges, tattered signage and run down city streets.
soho customization = inks: umber + espresso | fonts: impression + sans capitals | paper: ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: antique geometrics pattern in gold | original design by Elizabeth and David Mandel | customized by in-house designer Lindsy Aragona
embellishment suggestions: pocketfold in steel blue
Photo Credits: Joey Kennedy Photography
by Lindsy Aragona, In-House Designer
Bella Figura Calligrapher Spotlight: Debi Zeinert of The Blooming Quill
Bella Figura calligrapher Debi Zeinert shared this close up look at her amazing work, a video that features her various calligraphy styles. Her elegant calligraphy can be found in her wedding invitation designs, and her calligraphy accents can also be found in other popular Bella designs (such as Loretta Formal and Calligraphy Monogram). In addition to beautiful, hand-calligraphed letterpress stationery and invitations through Bella Figura, Debi is also available for calligraphy addressing through her business, The Blooming Quill. Your envelopes, escort cards, and other wedding day stationery pieces can all be hand-done to match your letterpress printed suite! Check out this video to see Debi in action, and for more details on working with her, visit her website.
Drink In These Bejeweled Letterpress Cocktail Invitations!
Just in case the promise of cocktails alone wasn’t enough to entice guests into attendance, these snazzy letterpress cocktail invitations certainly sweeten the deal. Submitted to us for printing by the wonderful people at Menage Stationery of Memphis Tennessee, this chic customization of Kamal‘s Bejeweled design is dressed up in Pewter and a custom mixed blend of Pantone 7404.
inks: pewter + pms 7404 | paper: 2-ply white | invite size: sq7 |
City-inspired Typology customization
This city-inspired customization of our Typology design shines in neutral grays and black with a splash of color on the edge – very formal, but with a fun twist!
typology customization = inks: black + surf | fonts: elizabeth ann + jubilant + steel-point | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: the antique geometrics pattern in black ink | original design by Kelle Anne McCarter | customized by in-house designer Sarah Walroth
embellishment suggestions: edge painting in surf
(Photo Credits: Out of Contxt)
Bella Figura Real Wedding: Candice & Sean’s DIY, backyard barbecue
We’re bundling up for the cold winter weather that’s starting to make its way to Central New York, but this wedding has us dreaming of warm summer days and fun celebrations. Candice & Sean included tons of festive design elements for their summertime wedding that made for amazing, cheerful photos filled with love and warmth. Candice gave us the scoop on what went into planning this colorful backyard bash (complete with intricate Papel Picado for decor!) and we’re in love with every last detail.

Can you share with us a bit about your wedding and your inspiration for the event?
We chose a church wedding in acknowledgement of our Catholic and Episcopal traditions and in accordance with our personal faith. We asked guests to come and celebrate our lives, our commitments, and our love. Our invitations requested that guests arrive in colorful attire, and all of the women were invited to walk Candice to the church. We had many people do small readings, and since everyone present was an old best friend or family member, we did not have attendants. Instead, all of the women who walked Candice to the church carried small roses. Our bible verse for the day, “This is my beloved and this is my friend” was a verse that framed all of our celebrations and much of our wedding planning.
Exquisite Surya Letterpress Bar Mitzvah Invitations
This creative Bar Mitzvah invitation was sent to us by our friends over at Lion in the Sun in Brooklyn, New York. This exquisite set is a wonderful customization for our Surya design (by Tara Hogan). The choice of our spring green ink and an eye catching custom blue (these colors compliment each other perfectly!) really bring everything together. Staying true to the overall modern vibe this suite emanates, the client opted for a reply postcard rather than the traditional reply card. All in all this is one invitation set that really captures the feel of the party to come!
inks: spring green & custom #633| fonts: burgues script + impression | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: SQ-7 | liner: the antique geometrics pattern in custom #633
Icy Fresh Lumos Letterpress Save the Dates
With another Syracuse winter sneaking up on us, this customization of Ben Whitla‘s Lumos design is feeling especially fitting for the season. A combination of our charcoal and pool inks letterpress printed onto our snowy white 1-ply paper breathes a cool and modern breath into this popular design. We owe the honor of printing this particular save the date to the ever-awesome gang downstate at Judy Paulen Designs Bloomingdales.
inks: charcoal + pool | paper: 1-ply white | save the date size: a6 |
A Sweet Serenade Letterpress Wedding Invitation
We recently printed these modern Serenade (by Ian Koenig) letterpress wedding invitations. Our friends at Sweet Paper in La Jolla, California dreamed up this beautiful color combination of Mediterranean and Sand inks on our 1-ply white paper. A solid surf envelope liner anchors the set complimenting these cool hues. From folded thank you notes to website and reply cards this suite simply has it all. Take a refreshing color palette, pair it with a contemporary design and these invitations are singing to a melody all of their own!
inks: mediterranean + sand | font: roe | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: a7 | liner: the classic color pattern in surf ink |






