Why is Letterpress printing so expensive?
This is one of my most frequently asked questions. You’ve googled and browsed Etsy, you’ve pinned some gorgeous letterpress stationery to your wedding Pinterest board, and then you reach out to get a quote on those beautiful, pillowy cotton letterpress designs you have fallen in love with. You’re excited to run your finger over the impression and get them in the post to all you guests.
But then there’s a problem: you get your quote back, and it’s quite a bit more than you were expecting. You think, “they must have made a mistake, maybe I gave the wrong numbers or made a typo somewhere? Maybe they misread something? It’s just paper!”
Then you read and re-read, there is no mistake. That is what it costs. And you still can’t get your head around why – after all, didn’t everything use to be printed by letterpress back in the day? I totally understand it, so I’m here to explain why.
Traditional forms of printing and production like letterpress, hot foil, engraving and screen printing are more complex than modern methods, and particularly for letterpress, require old (sometimes antique) machinery. Letterpress and hot foil printing require plates to be created with your invitation design and wording engraved onto them. This plate is then mounted onto the press and each sheet of paper is hand-fed into the press. The plate “presses” into the paper, creating that beautiful deboss effect that you so love.
If you choose a design which requires more than one colour, a new plate is required for each colour used, and this is layered, one pass at a time until the design is complete, with the press needing to be cleaned thoroughly between each pass to remove all traces of the previous colour.
So why is it so expensive?
Letterpress and hot foil printing are both very labour-intensive processes for the printer
Each sheet has to be manually hand-fed into the press
You need to use specialist papers that will show off the impression left by the press
The plates too, are not cheap or easy to create and require specialist equipment to make
If you require a multiple colour design, you will need a plate for each colour (which is why it is so much more expensive compared to single colour designs)
You need specialist materials and skills to maintain vintage machinery
Letterpress printing isn’t your usual “press print and go” process – there’s no USB ports on these old machines for starters! But this is also what makes it so special, and brings that wonderful “old world” feel to your invitations. My clients agree what it’s well worth the splurge for something truly special!
You only get married once, and your invites are the first glimpse of your wedding style that your guests will get, and not to mention the thrill of something beautiful landing through the letterbox, all anticipation and promise.
Letterpress & Hot Foiling a Large vs Small Area
I frequently get asked "What if we just foil only our monogram at the top? Will that make things cheaper?" And unfortunately, it doesn’t impact the cost. It’s the same price whether you are letterpressing or foiling a small versus large area. The cost isn’t down to the amount of space being letterpressed, more the labour-intensive nature of the whole process, and the cost of the plate which needs to be created.
And there’s more…
When you order a bespoke design, you’re not just paying for beautiful cardstock and handmade plates. You also get:
An in-depth consultation and ongoing support and advice
On-hand support to help with brainstorming
A bespoke Design Proposal packed full of inspiration and expertly crafted designs
My expertise in the stationery and wedding industry
And the end result of a fully bespoke design, crafted to perfectly complement your special day
There you have it!
Hopefully this post explains some of the workings behind the huge price difference between traditional printing methods and digital flat printing. If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch; I’d love to hear from you.
