Before we dive into the gorgeousness that is this Brooklyn wedding, I wanted to chat a little bit about letterpress printing. I have long been obsessed with all things letterpress (even before I got into the stationery game…!) Letterpress is a super old-school printing method where you use polymer plates to imprint (press!) your design (with or without ink) onto paper. It’s so beautiful and super elegant - so when Annie asked about letterpress printing for her custom invitation suite I was all for it!

Letterpress came to be in 1440 (told you it was old-school!) and originally used single letter blocks - or movable type - that printers would use to form words and print books and newspapers. Movable type had been around for a while already - it was invented in 1040 in China, using ceramic tile. But Johannes Gutenberg gets credit for inventing modern letterpress with his wood blocks and a wine press.

*Moveable Type, Photo by* *Bruno Martins* on *Unsplash*

For wedding invites these days, we use plates to create the design impressions. Here’s one that was made for a save the date (this one was actually for foil stamping - so it is copper, letterpress plates are very similar but usually polymer since they don’t get hot like with foil.)

With letterpress, you have to print each color individually - which can get pretty pricey. So, for Annie, we did a one color letterpress invitation that was supplemented with digitally printed RSVP and details cards, and an envelope liner to bring more colors into the suite. The result was the perfect mix of elegance and whimsy for her December wedding in Brooklyn, NY. Here are some photos from the day, taken by Michael Justin Studio. (click a thumbnail to open the gallery)