Debossing and Embossing are both great ways to add subtle design elements to your invitation suite, but they differ in process, look and cost.
Our Ivy design features the same motif debossed on the main invite card and embossed on the save the date
Debossing A debossed image is achieved by pressing into paper, and is essentially letterpressing without ink. We can also use debossing to create patterns printed under the other text in your suite, be it florals or geometric designs, to add an extra personal touch.
In our Bourne v.2 suite the liner pattern is echoed in the debossed back pattern on the save the date
We can also deboss a border on your pieces, for added interest. Debossing is better suited to detailed designs, compared to embossing.
The debossed border on our Arrebol invite brings the modern suite to life
Embossing
Unlike debossing, in which a printing plate is pushed into the paper, embossing uses two printing plates, pressure and heat to create a raised design.
We can use embossing as a border, duogram + wreath as shown on our Camber v.3 suite
Embossing adds a lush tactile element that pairs perfectly with letterpress and foil stamping. It is a higher cost than debossing, but can create a really show-stopping addition to your invitation suite.
Embossing can also be used to highlight large areas of text, or a prominent motifs
Our Iridian save the date features a bold embossed date
Embossing is best used for less detailed printing. Take a look at some of our samples featuring embossing here.
Lucy’s Bat Mitzvah celebration started with these bold, rainbow foil invitations designed with the help of our friends at First Impression in Leawood, Kansas. She chose a combination of our Caribbean, Bright Pink and Black papers and printed in Gold Shine and Rainbow Shine foil for an unforgettable invitation suite.
With the help of our friends at Gus + Ruby Letterpress in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Zoe and David reimagined our Birgitta design with an airy color palette and handmade paper for their Massachusetts summer wedding. They chose our hand-deckled paper for all pieces and printed in Mineral ink, a soft neutral. We created a custom envelope liner using the Birgitta motif on repeat to compliment their nature-inspired suite.
letterpress ink: mineral | font: adobe garamond | paper: bella handmade white | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: custom birgitta pattern in mineral | customization #53749
Brittany and Tyler worked with our friends at Smitten Boutique in Chicago, Illinois to concept their modern typography and floral wedding invitations. They paired the bold, contemporary type style from our Loft design with the playful, hand-drawn florals from our Loley design and printed in a palette of pinks and purples fit for a May wedding. Our Olensen patterned envelope liner tied the colors together perfectly.
Our friends at Ink Papery in Fair Haven, New Jersey helped Talia and Warren create wedding invitations using our orchid 2 motif as inspiration. The motif was printed in Gold Shine foil, as was our wave-like Parrish pattern used to line their envelopes. They paired the foil with Deep Blue letterpress ink throughout.
letterpress ink: deep blue | foil stamping: gold shine | paper: bella smooth cotton white 1-ply + 2ply | fonts: wild moon + avant-garde | envelope liner: classic color pattern in deep blue + parrish pattern in gold shine | envelope: bella cotton white pointed flap | customization #60753
Emily and David consulted with our friends at Oliver’s Twist in Carmel, Indiana to create their formal, modern-meets-traditional wedding invitations for their Indianapolis wedding. They opted for a classic palette of black letterpress and gold foil, and added an embossed border and duogram. They used Black paper as an accent on their website card and envelope liner for yet another touch of elegant drama.
letterpress ink: black | foil stamping: gold matte | embossing: blind | paper: smooth cotton white 1-ply + 2-ply, black 1-ply | fonts: adobe garamond pro regular + italic, ambassador script, bellissima script pro | envelope liner: black | envelope: white pointed flap | customization #61299
Our friends at Papier Girl in Glen Ellyn, Illinois helped Jacqueline and Geoffrey customize our Fiona design for a May luncheon to celebrate their upcoming wedding. A palette of Gold Matte foil on Rosebud and Briar Rose papers made for a soft, romantic feel while our Loley liner pattern was a modern touch.
foil stamping: gold matte | fonts: white garden + adobe caslon | paper: Rosebud 1-ply | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: loley pattern in gold matte on briar rose text | customization #61572
We printed these Monet-inspired invitations for a garden party hosted by The Baltimore Museum of Art. Our friends at Papers Plus helped them envision an alternate layout, keeping the design close to the sample with just a few alterations to art placement. The bright, floral-inspired hues made the perfect introduction to a spring-time garden soiree.
digital inks: myrtle + cmyk | embossing: blind | fonts: 0pen sans regular/semibold italic/bold/extrabold | paper: bella smooth cotton bright white duplexed 2-ply | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: monet pattern in cmyk | customization #61090
Our friends at Penny Post in Alexandria, Virginia helped this couple design their wedding invitations with a mash-up of two of our most popular designs – Dendria and Ichabod. Dendria’s happy floral pattern bordered Gold Matte foil stamped text while metallic gold thread tied a vellum tag that listed the reply and website details. We die cut the tag in our Franklin shape to mimic the outline of the monogram cartouche inspired by our Ichabod design. More Dendria florals graced the envelope liner for a playful yet formal presentation perfect for a summer-time affair.
foil stamping: gold matte | digital printing: cmyk | fonts: brilon + coldiac | paper: smooth cotton white duplexed 2-ply + 29# vellum | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: dendria pattern in cmyk | customization #60805
Even holiday cards can provide wedding invitation inspiration when some small but impactful updates are made to the design. Since all of our designs are customizable for any event, browse any of our galleries to find motifs, fonts, ink and foil pairings and more to build your own invitations for your celebration.
The Thompson holiday card features a rustic wreath and monogram and a stylish diecut shape. Updating to a wedding invitation is a simple change to layout and language with the addition of a geometric liner for visual texture.
Gordon spreads good cheer with an organic, watercolor stripes in a beach palette. Changing up the placement of the art and typography along with the addition of a sunny yellow liner makes for a welcoming invitation to a seaside celebration.
Sometimes no design changes are necessary – just updating the size and language and some tweaks to paper and liner color are sufficient to change an elegant holiday card into an equally elegant wedding invitation. Our Charlton holiday card makes the perfect transition to formal wedding invitation.
We worked with our friends at the Social Type to create these Holly and Goldenrod letterpress wedding invitations. Our Shirley sample set the stage for their design inspiration. The vibrant yellow ink popped off the page and perfectly paired with the Holly green accents found throughout the set. Their square details card printed in Holly letterpress added interest while paired with a patterned envelope liner to match.
Letterpress Colors: Holly + Goldenrod | Fonts: Wild Magnolia + Sweet Sans | Design: Shirley | Paper: Bella Smooth Cotton 2-ply | Size: F8 | Customization: 55862 | Social Type
Our friends at Union Street Papery in San Francisco, California transformed our Mitra design into a contemporary invitation for an evening dinner. The Mitra liner pattern was used as a border in Meadow Shine foil to compliment the formal text in Vine letterpress. Our Franklin die cut shape was used on the reply card as well as the outline on the invitation. Holly envelopes and a solid Clover-colored envelope liner carried on the green palette.
