When shopping for your wedding invitation, you will be asked which type of printing method you want to use:  Engraving, letterpress or thermography.  And if you’re not 100% on the difference between the three printing styles you should ask the stationer what the stylistic difference is as well as the difference in price.  Here’s the basic information you need to know:

Engraving is the most traditional of the three printing methods, and the most expensive.  The words on an engraved invitation are raised because they are pushed through the back of the page.  Crane & Co. and Mrs. John L. Strong are two companies that carry beautifully engraved invitations.

Letterpress, the oldest printing technique, has become the trendiest in the past 10 years.  Using modern - as well as vintage - motifs, stationery designers have made letterpress invitations very popular among brides and grooms.  The images and text on these invitations are pressed into the page.  Dauphine Press, Snow & Graham and Hello Lucky are three of my favorite letterpress stationers.

Thermography, the least expensive printing method, looks very similar to engraved stationery with the difference being that the words are flat on the page, and not raised.  If you are wondering if something is engraved or not, run your fingers across the paper to feel if it is flat.  If it is flat, then you know the printing method on the invite is thermography, if it's raised then the invite was engraved.  Thermography is a great way to get that classic wedding invitation look at an affordable price.  FineStationery.com and PaperStyle.com both carry a wide range of invitations printed using thermography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The invitations to the side of each printing method definition was designed, or is available, at the company in bold lettering.