Lovely Lettra invitations

Letterpress printing is especially lovely on soft, thick paper. Watercolor sheets from Reeves and Somerset have long been coveted by our customers for their luscious texture, but these stocks have drawbacks too, including fat price tags, deckle edges (this makes the papers difficult for us to handle from a production standpoint), and challenging supply channels. Crane’s recently developed a new paper specifically for letterpress printing. Lettra is a beautiful 100% cotton stock, feels very luxurious, and is available in two shades of white through our primary local paper supplier in small quantities. It’s not cheap, but it’s less expensive than the alternatives. We’ve used it for a few projects recently, and it’s a pleasure to work with!

Alessandra & Peter are the first customers who selected this paper for their custom-designed invitations (pictured above; click image for larger view). For their destination wedding in New Orleans, the betrothed wanted invitations featuring a second line parade. I created the illustration and collaborated with Peter on the layout and typesetting. We paired pearl white Lettra with brown kraft envelopes and rich autumnal colors. I also addressed, stamped and mailed their invitations, so it was fun to see the project from the drawing board to the post office.

Lorinda & Eric opted for florescent white Lettra for their theatrical invitations. Their interest in the stage, combined with plans for a reception at the old-theater-turned-club/event space The Varsity Theater in Dinkytown, had them thinking about theatrical elements for their wedding stationery. A bold color scheme on the bright white paper, paired with matching red envelopes, make a dramatic statement.