What Determines Stationery Costs? Part 3: Printing Methods

In part three of this four part series, I'll discuss how the way your invitations and stationery are printed affects your overall cost.

There are lots of different ways invitations and stationery can be printed. The following are several examples of what is most popular right now, how they work (a very generic overview as I am not a professional printer) and the costs involved in using the methods.

Home Printers (Ink Jets and Lasers):

Home printers (or even office printers if your boss will allow it) can work great for DIY party hosts. The main thing to remember is to be sure the stocks you decide to produce your invitations on is designated as being ink jet or laser printer compatible prior to attempting to print on it. Many stocks can't be used on home printers because they jam the machines. Also, you'll want to be wary of what colors you are trying to print on what paper. For example, you would not be able to print white text on blue paper on your home printer being most home printers do not have white ink. This method works best for folks printing darker inks on light papers and on thinner card stocks. Home printers would be the most economical option out there.

Offset (Lithography):

Offset is a popular printing method for invitations. You can have your invitations printed using either a traditional offset method or nowadays you could also opt for digital offset printing as well.

There are pros and cons for both methods depending on what your needs are. For example, traditional offset is usually less expensive than digital for very large runs (500+ pages). In many cases invitations are not printed in that quantity so it may not be the most economical option. Also, traditional offset printing also uses pantone colors (PMS) so the colors can be matched to be an exact shade/hue dependent on the pantone matching system. Traditional offset also does a better job of printing on darker papers because the inks are a bit opaque.

Digital offset is great for smaller printing runs which makes it great for invitations. Also, based on the way the machines are set up, they can print a full spectrum of colors (i.e. no need to choose from PMS though it may not be an exact match) for a generally lower price. Some machines are also set up to immediately crop, score and finish items immediately after printing, whereas with traditional offset the finished pieces would have to dry and set and then potentially be coated. Variable data (such as escort cards, envelopes, etc; any items where you would have a different name or information on each piece) are also available on digital offset, which is a huge plus.

I typically offer digital offset printing to my clients being it is a cost effective, reliable and produces beautiful results without breaking the bank.

Letterpress:

Letterpress is very popular right now in the invitation world and it's easy to understand why. The finished product is beautiful and as artisan as one can get.

The way letterpress works is an image is burned onto a plate (or typeset using pre-made type blocks) creating a raised image on the plate, of which the ink is rolled onto. The inked plate is then pressed into the paper to create an impressed image. Letterpress can be designed to use one ink or more, with the more inks used the more intricate the design.

Due to the handmade nature of letterpress, expect to pay a bit more for this printing method. It takes considerably more time to set up and print each individual item than it does for other printing methods. Also know most letterpress printers will charge per ink color used, so the more colors you want the more expensive it will be.

Thermography:

Thermography creates the opposite effect as letterpress. It creates a raised text. The way it works is the paper is coated with a special powder and is then the areas featuring text and graphics are inked. The paper is then heated and there is a chemical reaction when the ink starts to dry which then causes the inked areas to raise. Thermography replicates the same effect as engraving (see below) but is typically less expensive. Expect if you want more than one color ink for it to cost you a little bit more money. It's a popular printing option for wedding invitations.

Engraving:

Engraving would probably be considered the most formal printing method for invitations. It creates the same effect as thermography (raised text) but is a bit more expensive due to the process. Similar to letterpress, engraving starts with a plate. Instead of the plate being treated so the designs/text are raised on the plate, engraving instead uses a plate where the images are more or less etched into the plate creating grooves. Then the plate is inked and pressed to the paper, and the plate then presses into the paper where the negative areas are and the inked text and graphics become raised. As is the case with thermography and letterpress, the more inks used the more expensive it will be. Engraving is a beautiful printing option for invitations, and will come at a higher cost than other methods.

What is your favorite printing method and why?

What Determines Stationery Costs? Part 2: Stocks

In a previous post I spoke about the different aspects of the creation invitations and stationery that affect the overall cost of making them. In this post, the second of this series I'll discuss how your choice of stocks (paper and materials) affects your stationery budget as well.

There are actually a few different things to consider about the paper used to create your invitations and envelopes.

• What's the weight of the stock? The weight is a fancy way of saying the "thickness" of the stock. In general you'll find home printer friendly stocks are a bit thinner than other stocks so they don't jam your printer up. If you select a lighter weight stock it often times will be less expensive than heavier card stocks.



• What is the finish of the stock? It's important to consider what the finish of the stock is. Is the stock smooth, textured or shimmery? Another thing to consider is if the stock is coated (which is often the case with shimmer/stardream stocks). In general if you choose a textured or shimmer stock depending on the depth of the crevices of the textured stock or the coating of the shimmer stock, you might not be able to print it on your home printer. Some stocks require a specific type of printing method in order to use the stock, so if you aren't printing it yourself you'll want to discuss and show samples of the stock to your printer handling the job. Smoother stocks are usually less expensive than textured or shimmery stocks but this isn't always the case.



• What is the stock made of and how is it made? Nowadays many environmentally friendly cotton papers are on the market which work beautifully with many different printing methods including offset, letterpress, thermography and engraving. These stocks usually come at a higher cost to the consumer, mostly due to the process that goes into creating these stocks. Other popular paper types such as wood veneers and vellums though unique might also come at a higher cost. If selecting one of these stocks is important to you, you might want to reconsider other items such as the format of your invitation or the printing method to make it work within your budget.



• The size of the card stock: If you are creating your invitations yourself, one thing most party hosts don't realize is how they can save money by purchasing larger sheets of card stock and cutting them down as opposed to purchasing stock already cropped to the sizes you need. For example, you can get two 5"x7" invitations if laid out correctly on one 8.5"x11" sheet of card stock. By cropping the two invitations out of the one sheet after you print them, you can sometimes save close to half the price as opposed to printing on pre-cut 5"x7" sheets.



• Shipping the stock: The Internet is a fantastic source to find stocks for your invitations and stationery (granted you are not working with a stationery designer, who will most likely give you options of the stocks they carry and take care of ordering it for you). If you are purchasing your stock yourself, be sure to include shipping in your budget. You also want to be sure you account for enough time to receive the stock so you can still make your deadline to mail your invitations.
  

Next post in this series, what printing methods are currently available and how they impact your invitation costs.

What Determines Stationery Costs? Part 1: Invitation Formats

If you are planning any type of event and are in the market for invitations, sometimes it can be overwhelming that there are so many to choose from! Your budget and tastes can be determining factors as to the type of invitations that would suit you, your budget and your event best.

Overall there are several factors that will determine the overall costs of your invitations. They include:

• The Format of the Invitation
• The Stock (or paper)
• The Printing Method
• The Design (pre-designed or custom)

Prioritizing what for you is most important, whether it be the printing method of the format of the invitation will ultimately help you stay within your budget. I'll be reviewing all these different factors separately in detail and different posts, but for now let's focus on your invitation format.

The format of is the actual layout and delivery of the finished invitation. You can find a variety of invitations from single card stock, traditional invitations to really luxurious invitations with multiple card stock layers and ribbons delivered to your guests in silk boxes.

One quick thing to remember is the more stock (paper and/or other materials) that is needed to produce the invitation, the more expensive it will be. The costs of producing a single stock, 3.5"x5" piece is substantially less than let's say a 5"x7" pocket envelope invitation with multiple inserts because less materials are used to create the finished product.

Below is a sampling of different format invitation ideas in the marketplace now, listed in the order of how budget friendly they are.

Traditional Flat Invitation- The most standard size you see in the marketplace is 5"x7" but you can get smaller ones as well. You can have a more modern design that incorporates rounded edges or go with a traditional flat design that has multiple, layered cards for a sophisticated look.

From top clockwise: cevd custom invitation design, Pearl & Marmalade, Invite Couture.

Bi-Fold and Tri-Fold Invitations- Very similar to a traditional flat, but the card is folded in a way so you then have a cover and an inside to the invitation.

From top to bottom: Cheree Berry Papers, Liz Hager Design,
Lilah Paper.

Pocket Invitations- Pocket invitations are the more savvy cousin of the traditional invitation. It's basically a traditional invitation, but layered onto a card or envelope with a pocket designed into it. The pocket is perfect for RSVP's and other insertion cards. Because pockets use more paper to create them than standard, traditional flat invitations expect these to be a bit pricier. Pocket invitations are perfect for events where you want to give your guests a lot of information, so you typically see them used more for weddings than anything else.

From top to bottom: top and middle by Invite Couture, bottom by Gourmet Invitations.

Box Invitations- Box invitations are probably the most luxurious invitations you can find. They are basically a traditional, flat invitation and insertion cards (sometimes also in a pocket envelope) that are sent to guests presented inside a beautiful box. Boxes can come in a variety of colors or even in fabrics, such as silk.

Clockwise from left: Lela NY, My Personal Artist, Revelry Invitations.

Stay tuned for part two of this series, Budgeting Your Event Stationery- The Stock.