Have you seen all of the invites and cards on the market with the pop of gold, or the shine of silver? Chances are you have been seeing the very popular effect of Foil Stamping. While foil stamping has been around for decades, in the past it was used for corporate business cards and bank seals. Now it is being used for everything from wedding invitations, to custom matchboxes, to everyday greetings.
If you are in the market for wedding invitations you have probably heard the word "Letterpress" being tossed around. Simply put, this printing process used a metal or polymer plate to "press" ink in to the paper and the result is a highly tactile card. This is the most popular type of printing used for invitations, and conveys a sense of luxury and hand crafted beauty.
If you are a fellow stationery lover, then I have no doubt Hello! Lucky and Egg Press are already on your radar. In honor of National Letter Writing Month a.k.a. April, they have launched a campaign to encourage you to write one letter a day for 30 days. The stipulation is that it has to be a real, physical letter, sent in the actual post. No, email doesn't count. I am joining their challenge, will you?
I know that it is cool to be cynical about Valentine's Day, but I have always loved it. In fact I used to have a custom made dress covered in red and gold hearts specifically to be worn on the 14th of February. I have always loved hearts, and glitter, sending love notes, and pink! In other words, I'm into it.
I was talking to a fellow freelancing friend today who was asking how business is going these days. And the answer is; slow. I am usually slow in the winter, but some how this year, it feels slower. So where does my mind go? Do I chalk it up to the season? No, I start to tell myself I am failing. Failing as a small business owner, failing as a creative professional. Is it actually true? No. A lot of that feeling is contributed to by the barrage of media and cultural competition we are exposed to.
Saw this "Industrial LA Wedding" photo this morning from Ruffled. I loved the bold repeat of the graffiti against the formal attire.
Often when people here that I am a calligrapher, they laugh and ask "Isn't it all digital now?" Outside of formal invitations and the occasional greeting card, we as modern people have very few occasions for using our actual hands to do actual writing. "When we write, we're not only memorizing the letters on the paper but also the process and experience of shaping them," says Joanne Chen in the September 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Living. There is a little article tucked in the back of the magazine, reminding me of something I think about often; using our hands to write is important. Here is an sample of D'nealian (below) which is how I originally learned to write.
Just a few snaps from Instagram and the wonderful vendors that I have recently collaborated with. I am so lucky to work with so many creative and talented people!
Flat printing is exactly what it sounds like, flat. While this is not as glitzy as Foil Stamp or Letterpress it is usually a lot more affordable. I think it is ideal for something like a wedding program or a menu. There are two types of "flat printing" commonly used, "Offset Printing," or "Digital." Which is better? Well, it depends on what you are doing and most importantly, how many pieces you are printing.