Letterpress Printing
One of the oldest printing techniques still in use today is letterpress printing. Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450, it has experienced a recent resurgence in the world of wedding invitations due to its ability to create a beautiful impression on paper. What was once considered bad form in letterpress printing - a plate creating an actual impression on the paper - has now become the desired effect and has evolved into an art form.
To print an invitation using letterpress, a photopolymer, magnesium, or copper plate is first created with the desired design. Ink is then hand mixed and applied to the plate using the letterpress machine. The plate is pressed into the paper with enough force to create a deeper impression than the rest of the paper, resulting in a stunning effect. However, due to the labor-intensive nature of this printing process, only one color and sheet of paper can be used at a time, making letterpress printing more costly and time consuming than flat printing.
