Last week we showed you a look at some of our new 2012 letterpress invitation designs before and after they were customized, and this week we’re back with more design transformations! We’ve redone 5 of our favorite new modern invitation designs to show you just how much different an invitation can look with a color change, new fonts, and some design adjustments.

Neo Luna by Ian Koenig is charming and simple in the original design, but takes on a bolder look with a font change, added color and silver shine foil stamping.
Suggested embellishments: We think this design would look stunning with surf edge painting and a colorful envelope liner in the sea stripes pattern, printed in surf, marigold and mesa inks.
Details: letterpress ink: surf | foil stamping: silver shine | fonts: ollie + swiss | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: f-8 | rounded corners

The Drawing Room design by in-house designer Sarah Walroth features fresh new fonts and a custom pocket-fold, but takes on a more whimsical look after a bit of customizing. We love this design as a square invitation with corner rounding, along with a playful font and fuchsia ink for the names.
Suggested embellishments: A white cotton pocketfold, letterpress printed with prussian blue ink and a blue pearl metallic envelope liner would add the perfect amount of shine to this pretty invitation set.
Details: letterpress inks: fuchsia + prussian blue | fonts: saint-andrew + lady rene | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: sq-7 for pocketfold | pocketfold: white,  letterpressed in prussian blue ink

Ellie Snow designed the Classic Chevron invitation, which features on-trend chevron patterning, two lines of Belle hand calligraphy, and pretty sea-side and jade letterpress inks. The switch of jade ink to mustard and the repositioning of the chevron pattern gives this design customization a retro feel with a modern twist.
Suggested embellishments: A pretty custom postage stamp along with a custom envelope liner featuring the sweet polka pattern in mustard + sea-side inks would be lovely accents for this wedding invitation.
Details: letterpress inks: mustard + sea-side | fonts: sans capitals + hollow | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: f-8

Kamal’s New Washi design goes from playful to sophisticated with a few simple changes: new ink colors give the invite a more subtle, formal look (and the all-over positioning of the washi pattern in cream provides an elegant, patterned effect) and the use of hand calligraphy makes for a romantic touch.
Suggested embellishments: We think a metallic bronze envelope liner along with hand calligraphy addressing by Maybelle would tie this set together beautifully.
Details: letterpress inks: cream + espresso | fonts: henry | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: f-8 | rounded corners | hand calligraphy accents: gigi style

Indie Twill, a new design by Jamie Lea Bertsch, is a modern invitation which features a subtle, textile-inspired pattern. The invitation takes on a new look when the size and design placement are switched up. Pale gray and black inks make the original design a bit formal, but olive and sea mist inks make this design perfect for a more laid-back affair.
Suggested embellishments: An envelope liner in our elegant ombre pattern printed in sea mist ink would complement these invitations beautifully.
Details: letterpress inks: olive + sea mist | fonts: ruby + hollow | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | size: f-8

Our Harbor Beach design (by Jessica Tierney) looks ultra modern in this letterpress wedding invitation submitted by our friends, Francis Orr in Corona del Mar, California.  The color combination of sand and charcoal inks are so subtle, yet crisp. The anchor motif is replaced with a simple monogram and repeated throughout the suite. Charcoal grounds this set from the edge painting to the solid envelope liner. We love the beauty and simplicity that makes the letterpress printing shine.

inks: charcoal + sand | fonts: holden + aurora  | paper: 1-ply white  | invite size: SQ7 for inner envelope  | liner: classic color pattern in charcoal ink | edge painting: charcoal | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: racheal decker

This customization of our Gramercy (designed by Amy Graham Stigler) letterpress wedding invitations, sent to us by our friends at The Village Invites 2, is creativity at its best!  Gone are the original leafy designs which are replaced by a beautiful branch motif in blind deboss.  The color selection of pewter for the text is absolutely beautiful!   When this invite is coupled together with the wedding events/reply card its a sight to behold.  The outer envelope liner, shown here in shell ink, is just the icing on the cake.

inks: blind deboss + pewter | font:  sans capitals | calligraphy: the harrison hand calligraphy, by Patricia Mumau | paper: 1-ply white| invite size:  f-8 | liner: classic color pattern in shell ink

Bella Figura’s letterpress invitation designs for 2012 have arrived!  We’ve added 6 brand new designers and 83 new letterpress wedding invitation designs – which means you’ve now got over 300+ incredible designs to choose from! We’ve added new embellishment options, too — think metallics (foil stamping and foil edging now available in 12 dazzling colors – choose traditional metallics like gold, silver or copper, or go for something a little more daring, like fuchsia, indigo, forest or teal!). Metallics and shine will be a huge wedding trend for 2012, so mix foil stamping with letterpress for a hint of glamour, create a show-stopping look with a powerful pair of foil stamped colors (think two tone gold or gold with silver), or add foil edging for a splash of sophisticated flair.

Counter clock-wise from upper left: Aria by Maybelle; Canto by Kelle Anne McCarter; Fugue by Kamal; Traditional Script by Beth Barr; Moroccan Romantic by Lindsy Aragona; Unique Minimes by Gina Dean and Lauren Richel Kelly. 

New designs and metallics aren’t the only thing we’ve got that’s new for 2012! We’ve got new calligraphy styles, new options for pocketfolds, envelopes + envelope liners, and more. There’s a wide variety of artwork, cartouches, and monograms in our motif library.  Let Chris – one of our knowledgeable invitation experts – walk you through all of the amazing new offerings (just check out the video below!)

Sometimes simpler is just plain better.  Alright a lot of times.  Pared down to just the essentials, these Deveril invites from designer Beth Ann Seal exude such an amazing sense of clarity and calm.  The lack of any superfluous design elements really serves to highlight the simple beauty of the typography and of the letterpress printing itself.  In order to accommodate their multinational guests, half of these invitations were printed in German and the other half were printed in Italian.  Didn’t know we print in all languages?  Sure we can!  More details here.

ink: taupe | fonts: strana + hudson | paper: white 1-ply | invite size: f8 | liner: classic color taupe | client coordinator: chris gannon | in house designer:  sarah walroth

We love it when someone thinks outside of the box and customizes one of our letterpress wedding invitations for a separate occasion. These letterpress surprise birthday invitations feature Patricia Mumau‘s whimsical Balsam Calligraphy design. Our vine ink fits perfectly with the calligraphy leaf motif that repeats throughout the set. For maximum contrast a solid envelope liner in Chartreuse and edge painting were carefully selected. We could barely keep these a secret!

ink: vine | calligraphy: harrison hand calligraphy, by patricia mumau style | paper: 1-ply white  | invite size: a7 | liner: the classic color pattern in chartreuse  | edge painting: chartreuse | client coordinator: christie jones  | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

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

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 |

Soft, dreamy hues transform this vintage Wisteria design (by Beth Ann Seal). Our dusty pink and pewter inks enhance the overall feel letting the luxury shine. A sea stripes patterned envelope liner in dusty pink balances the design with clean lines and adds a simple, yet elegant touch. We think these are the perfect invitations to celebrate a winter romance.

inks: dusty pink + pewter  | fonts: spencer + utrecht | paper: 1-ply white  | invite size: f8 | liner: the sea stripes pattern in dusty pink ink | client coordinator: christie jones  | in-house designer: racheal decker

The beautiful color combination of Geranium and Umber inks breathe new life into our Onalisse (by designer Heidi) letterpress wedding invitations.  The reply and direction cards are cleverly combined together onto one card (a great way to cut down on the amount of paper and save $).  The classic color envelope liner in geranium ink ties the set together.  These colors really embody the feeling of the Fall season.

inks: geranium + umber | fonts: baskerville + pillar | paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: classic color pattern in geranium ink | client coordinator:  christie jones | in-house designer: kyle laatsch