How to Make Your Own Wedding Invitations

Let's face it, wedding invitations are expensive. Yes, they are something special you will remember for a lifetime, but really just because... do paper and ink really have to cost so much just because it is for your "special day?" Of course not! If you are crafty and thrifty there's a huge opportunity to be trendy and save a ton of cash. Why not try making your own letterpress invitations?
Letterpress is an age old printing method, that has come back into style recently. Letterpress uses "dies' or plates covered in ink and a heavy machine or handheld crank machine to apply pressure to the paper. When the plates and ink are pressed into the paper, the design is transferred leaving a relief of the pattern in the fibers of the paper. Designs with multiple colors will require multiple plates. There are now compact home systems for making letterpress cards available at most craft stores for not very much money. If you received any invitations recently on really thick paper with a graphic design that appeared to be pressed into the paper, you've probably seen letterpress.
Here's How...

What You'll Need:
A letterpress machine available for about $100 at most craft stores
Letterpress ink (usually a very sticky rubber-based ink)
Letterpress plates (you can have these custom-made for cheap...sources below*)
Heavy cotton paper - 110 lb weight or heavier. You can also buy the pre-cut invitation blanks made by the letterpress manufacturer.

How to do it:
Follow the instructions that came with your letter press machine. You will start by setting up the plate in the correct area to print on your paper. Next you will ink the plate and get ready to print your first one - Plan to lose a few cards at the beginning as you are testing! Most of these home letterpress machines use surface with a hinged top to allow you to set up your design and cards before feeding it through a roller that applies pressure while pressing in the design. You will need to do one at a time because of the small size of the home machines - larger letterpress shops set up a giant piece of paper that is printed with several pieces that are cut when printing is completed.

If you love the idea of letterpress but don't really want to do it yourself, Google local letterpress printers who can give you the look without the work - there are many good ones all over the country. We love Parklife Press in Chapel Hill (http://www.parklifepress.com)

Sources:
Plates - Boxcar Press (http://www.boxcarpress.com/) - you can send them custom designs that they will make into plates pretty quickly and inexpensively.
Paper - Strathmore (http://www.strathmoreartist.com/)