From Ink to Impression: How Letterpress Brings Your Wedding Stationery to Life

Letterpress is more than just a printing method – it’s a craft steeped in history, precision, and artistry. For those who appreciate the rare and the beautiful, it offers something truly special: an invitation that feels as exquisite as it looks.

A Brief History of Letterpress

Letterpress printing has its roots in the 15th century, when Johannes Gutenberg revolutionised the way books were produced with his movable-type printing press. For centuries, this method was the backbone of the printing industry, producing everything from newspapers to novels. But as offset and digital printing emerged in the 20th century, letterpress was gradually left behind, seen as too slow and labour-intensive for the demands of mass production.

In recent decades, however, letterpress has found new life in the hands of artisans who cherish its tactile beauty and craftsmanship. Once a male-dominated industry, today it is increasingly led by women – designers, artists, and craftspeople who are keeping this centuries-old technique alive while bringing fresh creativity and modern sensibilities to the process.

The Beauty of Letterpress

There’s an unmistakable magic in letterpress. Unlike digital or flat printing, where ink simply rests on the surface of the paper, letterpress creates an impression – a tangible depth that catches the light and invites touch. It’s this texture that makes it so unique, transforming each invitation into a piece of art.

But letterpress isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about slowing down, considering every detail, and creating something with real presence. Each print is an individual work, subtly different from the last – a testament to the hands-on nature of the process.

The Letterpress Process: From Design to Paper

Every letterpress invitation begins long before ink touches paper. It’s a meticulous process, requiring patience, experience, and a deep understanding of materials. And a cup of tea. Always a cup of tea.

1. Designing for Letterpress

Unlike digital printing, where any design can be replicated with perfect uniformity, letterpress has its own beautiful quirks and limitations. Every design must be carefully considered to work in harmony with the printing process.

I design each invitation in Adobe Illustrator, combining elegant typography with hand-illustrated elements (usually drawn with a cat trying to sit on the keyboard). This balance of structure and artistry ensures that the final piece has both precision and character. Fine lines, delicate script, and detailed drawings all behave differently under the press’s pressure, so the design process always keeps in mind how the paper will receive the ink and impression.

Because letterpress printing uses physical plates rather than digital files, each colour is printed separately. This means that designs with multiple colours must be carefully planned so that elements align perfectly in the final print. It’s a little bit like designing a jigsaw puzzle you’ll be printing in layers – and it’s weirdly satisfying.

2. Mixing the Ink

Letterpress inks are mixed by hand, matched meticulously to Pantone shades. It’s a bit like alchemy (with slightly more swearing). Unlike digital printing, which creates colours through a combination of tiny dots, letterpress relies on solid, rich pigments applied in a single layer. Mixing ink by hand is both a science and an art – it requires an understanding of colour theory, patience, and a sharp eye to ensure absolute accuracy.

Once the ink is mixed, it is carefully spread onto the press’s rollers. The thickness and consistency of the ink are adjusted to ensure crisp, even coverage. Too much ink can cause blurring, while too little results in a print that’s more faint whisper than bold statement.

3. Setting Up the Press

The heart of my studio is my beautiful 1930s Vicobold press. A cast-iron beast of a machine, she’s seen nearly a century of printing history – and yet still runs with a rhythm and weight that modern technology can’t replicate. I sometimes talk to her (and she occasionally answers).

Each printing plate is carefully mounted onto the press, its position adjusted to ensure perfect alignment. The rollers are then inked, and test prints are made to fine-tune the pressure, impression depth, and colour coverage.

Letterpress printing is as much about feel as it is about precision. The force of the press must be carefully adjusted – too much, and the paper can tear or distort; too little, and the impression won’t be deep enough to create that sought-after texture.

4. Printing – One by One

Once the press is set, the real work begins. Each sheet of paper is fed into the press by hand, aligned perfectly to ensure consistent results. This is where letterpress printing truly shows its artistry – the rhythm of the press, the scent of ink, the satisfying weight of each impression as the plate presses into the paper.

Unlike modern mass printing methods, letterpress is slow and deliberate. Each print is individually checked, ensuring every invitation is perfect before moving to the next. You’ll never catch me batch-printing with a podcast on in the background – it’s too absorbing for that. (Though I have been known to hum.)

5. Drying & Finishing Touches

Once printed, each piece needs time to dry properly – a process that can take up to 24 hours. From here, the final touches are added: hand-trimming, die-cutting, edge painting, or even gold foiling for that extra level of detail. Every step is done with care, ensuring the finished piece is as beautiful to hold as it is to see.

Why Letterpress?

In a world where so much is instant and disposable, letterpress is the opposite. It’s slow, deliberate, and deeply considered. It brings weight – both literal and figurative – to your invitations, creating something that lasts far beyond the wedding day.

For couples who appreciate artistry, craftsmanship, and the beauty of the handmade, letterpress is an invitation that speaks volumes before a single word is read. It’s a celebration of texture, tradition, and time-honoured skill – and that’s what makes it so special.

And if you ever wondered just how much love and care goes into your invitations – now you know. (Spoiler: it’s a lot.)