Like fine sculpture, "the letterpress effect" is best handled by an artisan who has the knowledge and experience to operate vintage machinery. In the hands of a skilled operator, the amount of impression into the paper can be finely controlled. This is often used to create stunning layer effects.

Letterpress literally adds another dimension to your wedding stationery but beware of many so-called "letterpress" printers who merely smash image to paper. The result will look clumsy and the back of each sheet will look and feel like Braille.

What works best?

Illustration and text work really well. Photos are not advised for anything with deep impression. Fine lines and small areas of colour have worked well for over 500 years. In the case of large solid areas it is best to submit your artwork for advice.

Letterpress transfers twice as much ink to paper than conventional printing methods. Metallic inks can be used to great effect in letterpress – opaque golds, coppers, bronzes and silvers. The Artisan Press only uses high quality Dutch oil-based inks which are very rich in pigment.

One of the most beautiful and elegant effects of letterpress is the ability to "print" without ink. This includes embossing (mountains) and debossing (valleys). The Artisan Press uses 100% cotton rag papers and pure cotton/alpha blends from all over the world including Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany and India. For a deeper impression it's best to go for a thicker weight stock 270-640gsm.

The Artisan Press takes special pride in producing shorter runs (35+). For those not into traditional flavours, alternative weddings: beach, country, gothic, retro or floral themes are a speciality. With your idea and our knowledge together we can create beautiful letterpress to suit your style.

Feel free to ask us loads of questions. If you'd like a chat or have a query, just fill out a quote or contact us.