Thinking about your letterpress reception pieces? Think program covers! To get everyone swooning we’ve pulled together a collection of programs covers we’ve printed recently so you can see a variety of styles, colors and designs. Whether vintage or modern, colorful or classic black – let your feelings shine through your programs! You can include a sweet line of prose, a saying that pulls on your heartstrings, a scripture verse that has held true, or a design element that’s bold and beautiful. Whatever your style, feast your eyes on some of our Client Coordinator’s favs!

[Oh the beauty. Our standard letterpress program cover is 9″ x 6″ flat, 4.5″ x 6″ folded.]

[Whimsical birds and gorgeous botanicals, behold our Vendage design by Kamal.]

[Florals + quote + memorial. Sakura design by Maura Gaulthier.]

[Allegory Modern, by Bella Figura.]

[We love that this couple spelled out the time of their relationship up to the very moment they were wed on the back of their program.]

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Today we’re excited to share the inspiration behind Ikaty, Bella Figura’s December design of the month {the entire suite is on sale for 20% off through 12/31!}. We chatted with Kamal, the talented designer who created this fashion forward, fabric-inspired invitation, and she filled us in on the background of the gorgeous design that we just can’t get enough of.

The Inspiration Behind Ikaty

“Ikaty” is a modern tribute of my love and fascination for the IKAT pattern, the trend, and how it mirrors a promise of commitment. To see its progression in the past couple of years is compelling to me. It’s been a part of my home since childhood – on pillows, rugs and clothing growing up, but not on paper. “Ikat” is an Indonesian language word, which depending on context, can be the nouns: cord, thread, knot and the finished ikat fabric as well as the verbs “to tie” or “to bind”(ref: Wikpedia). Sounds a little like marriage…

…and I am. I also have 3 wonderful children and try to balance it out as a working mom. This process of dyes and interwoven, complex patterns reflects my work, my marriage, my kids and what’s to come. Each distinct weave can take you into a different path in your life, growing and multiplying until you have created a pattern, a routine, or hopefully a touch of surprise in your life.

A little bit of elegance and charm shines in our Jolie letterpress invitations. Royal color tones make this design perfect for that sophisticated snowy holiday event.

jolie customization = inks: prussian blue + antique gold | font: rimini | paper: ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: european formal pattern in charcoal | original design by aimee o’boyle | customized by in-house designer racheal decker |

embellishment suggestions: pocketfold in opal

(Photo Credits: Sloan Photography)

by Racheal Decker, In-House Designer.

We know we are currently in winter wonderland mode but take a look at this vibrant save the date perfect for a 2012 summer wedding (which is right around the corner)! This quirky custom letterpress save the date was sent to us by our good friends over at Gus & Ruby Letterpress in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  The two cute custom designs matched with our aquamarine ink make for a one of a kind save the date that really stands out.  Instead of using our standard A6 save the date size, the couple opted for the smaller (and budget saving) A5 option.  The recipients of this card are sure to be pleasantly surprised!

ink: aquamarine| font: alouette | paper: 1-ply white |  size: a5

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

Timeless romance exudes from these letterpress save the dates in a charming customization of our Delambre Classic design (by Jessica Tierney – featuring Sarah Hanna‘s calligraphy accents). A vintage color combination of antique gold and pewter inks showcases the crisp floral patterning. A sleek rustic crosshatch patterned envelope liner brings a modern element to the sweet packaging making this save the date perfect for 2012!

inks: antique gold + pewter | font: utrecht | calligraphy: the victoria hand calligraphy, by sarah hannah style | paper: 1-ply white | size: a6  | liner: rustic crosshatch pattern in antique gold ink | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

Get inspired by winter, one of the most whimsical seasons of the year. Blankets of fresh white snow, cozy fires, creamy hot chocolate with whipped cream – it all is so romantic!  Bella’s Birch design, by Jessica Tierney, captures this feeling perfectly! Be sure to use colors directly from nature for your letterpress invitations to keep things soft and muted like a cold winter day. Your hearts will keep things hot enough!

birch customization = inks: sand + taupe | fonts: alouette + ollie | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: simple geometrics in cream | original design by jessica tierney | customized by in-house designer lindsy aragona
embellishment suggestions: edge painting in gold

Photography credits: Jenny Haas and Ashley Krogman Designs

You’ve ordered your invitations, purchased stamps, addressed your envelopes, and now you’re ready to get everything out the door! Before you assemble and stamp your invitations, you’ll want to make sure you’re sorting your invitations in the proper order. To make it easy, we’ve broken down the process into 5 easy steps:

• Layer your pieces in order largest to smallest – start with the invitation or the largest card on the bottom, then layer any medium-sized cards (like a directions card, events card, or accommodations card) on top of the invitation. Continue with smaller cards – a reception card followed by a reply card envelope and reply card would go next. Any petite cards – like a website card – would go on the very top.
• Insert all of your pieces printed side up into your inner envelope. The pieces should slide into the envelope with the flap pointing to the right.
• Tuck your inner envelope, flap down, into your outer invitation envelope. This way, when your guest opens your invitations, the first thing they’ll see is their addressed inner envelope.
• Use the bottle of envelope moistener provided with your invitation order to wet the gummed edge of your outer invitation envelope. Use enough to moisten the seal, but don’t overdo it – you don’t want soggy envelopes!
• After you’ve sealed your envelopes, we recommend placing a heavy book or two on top of the stack to ensure all of your envelopes are securely sealed.

And that’s it! After you’ve stamped your envelopes with sufficient postage, we recommend bringing them to the Post Office to be hand canceled – this helps reduce the risk of your invitations getting damaged in the mail. If you want to see these steps in action, check out the step by step instructions in this video.

We asked, and you voted: our latest Design of the Month is Ikaty by Kamal! As our Design of the Month, all custom letterpress orders placed between now and December 31 will receive 20% off.  This 20% off applies to Ikaty save the dates, invitations, thank you cards, menus, coasters, place cards, programs, and any other piece that uses the Ikaty design. To get you inspired, our design team put together these stunning customizations — take a look!

(Please note, the Design of the Month promotion may not be used on purchases of other designs or in combination with any other promotion.)

We can’t wait to show you our new offerings for next year — we’re introducing over 80 new trend-setting designs that are must-haves for the 2012 wedding season. Our new collection won’t be available until later this month, but we thought we’d give you a little sneak peek to let you know what’s in store for the new year. Think foil stamping (gold! silver! colored metallics!). 7 incredibly talented new designers and calligraphers. Colored envelopes. Letterpress on pocketfolds. Foil edging. New custom calligraphy styles (7 of them!). New inks. New fonts. 2 and 3 color liners. Take a look — it’s true love.

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

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