Only a few printing methods can compare with the quality of an engraved wedding invitation. Although engraving was historically used to print wedding stationery, birth announcements and business stationery in your parent’s and grandparent’s generations, modern day printing processes are generally more productive but do not have the quality and vitality of engraving.
Recently, prominent stationery stores throughout the US are convinced that bridal couples are now rediscovering the intrinsic beauty of engraving. Notwithstanding its higher price, engraved wedding stationery bring back the heritage and magnificence of times past.
Because the printing industry has chosen less costly and more efficient types of printing, many engraving firms have shut down and the craft of engraving is quite near to disappearing. While the robust Heidelberg printing presses remain in abundance, the fabrication of engraving dies from immersing photo-sensitive copper plates into a bath of an acid solution is far beyond the financial capabilities and experience of the many private printers.
Because of its opaque co lours and distinctive raised print quality, engraved wedding invitations are experiencing a renaissance among bridal couples who value a well-crafted wedding invitation. Among the leading firms which offer a variety of printing methods, Crane & Co. and William Arthur give the best printing and design options.
If an engraved wedding invitation is out of your reach, go for printing in thermograph inks. Applying thermograph inks simulates engraving by stamping a resin-based composite on the paper to produce the raised surface that you get in engraving. Thermograph inks tend to be more shiny unless of course the printer supplies a matte finish, but printing with this particular method offers great cost savings.
As with any fine stationery, engraved invitations are best seen in person to appreciate paper and print quality. Colors are “true” and deeper, particularly when evaluated side-by-side with other forms of printing. In all probability, you will find skilled stationers in communities across the United States who can offer you guidance in helping to design beautiful wedding invitations.
Richard W. May, a founding member of the Stationers Guild, writes frequently about NYC wedding invitations and wedding invitation trends across the United States.
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