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wedding stationery / printing glossary

by Michelle Mospens

 

Alternative card - a card used for reception, directions, or other details your guest may need.

Announcement - a document that announces a special occasion has occurred or will occur. Contains a date and description. For wedding, it is said, you should not announce the time your wedding occurred.

Art - We will use this term for the art created for you. Layout art means to layout your particular invite design with text and artwork.

Blank - as seen in "Blank Inside" for thank you cards. This means no text.

Burnt edging - each edge of the paper is burnt by hand by my lovely husband! I use to do this until the kitchen almost caught fire and I almost fainting.

Coverstock - this term uses to describe heavier/thicker weight paper. The particular weight is 80 lb. Thicker 110 lb. may be available. The higher the number the thicker and heavier weight the paper is. And more expensive.

Engraving - actual raised / embossed paper with ink applied. Very expensive and beautiful.

Foil printing - beautiful type of printing. Many colors available. Our favorite...silver. This printing is stamped into your paper/cover stock. To the touch the print leaves a slight impression. This method of printing is wonderful for a darker card with lighter print. Can be expensive.

Folder card - indicates the card folds like a greeting card.

Hand tied raffia or bows - ribbon and raffia can be hand tied into a bow. Or raffia will be hand tied around scrolls for the Tropical Message in the Bottle design. You can choose the bow to be at the top of your card (down approximately 1". Or in the middle (horizontally or vertically) all the way around your invite, reply and alternative cards (creating a wrap effect).

Hand torn edging - when the paper is hand torn on the edge of a card. This is achieved by laying the paper/cover stock flat on the edge of a table. With only a slight part (never more than an inch or less than a 1/4" ) of paper protruding over the edge. Lay a ruler across the edge and lift the top edge and pull toward yourself. Tearing straight up and toward you, not against or away from your ruler leaves a nice torn edge.

Inner envelope - the envelope that inserts inside of your outer envelope. The inner envelope is stuffed with the invitation, reply card, reply card envelope and other pieces of stationery. They say the inner envelope originated when the mail was delivered on horse back. To keep the invitation neat and free of mud and debris, the invitation was inserted into the inner envelope. The outer envelope kept the inner envelope clean and neat in appearance, as your guest opened their invite.

The inner envelope is sometimes used for decorative purposes, by lining with beautiful colors. See the Watercolor Palm Tree below, using the Royal Blue inner lined envelope.

You can write the guests names on this envelope also. This allows you to invite exactly who you want to your wedding. For instance you write "The Miller Family" on the outer envelope front along with their address. Inside on the inner envelope you would write "John, Kathy and Liz". This way they know their daughter Liz, age 15, is invited but their other 2 younger (ages 1 month to 3 years), children are not. If everyone is invites you would write everyone invited on the inner envelope. Unfortunately some people will bring the younger children invited or not. Be prepared.

Wedding Invitations - a document that invites one to an occasion.

Laid coverstock - to the touch this paper is bumpy. To view the paper will have horizontal or vertical parallel type raised lines.

Letterpress - LOVELY! michelle favorite type of printing! [see picture at the top of this page] the ink is impressed into the soft paper. wonderful!

Parchment paper - usually shown with two tones of one color. For instance the Ivory looks Unique Wedding Invitationslike natural white with darker shades of natural white evenly distributed. See the Tropical Message design. Beautiful gold, Light blue, Pink, Document white, Copper and Scroll tan available.

Paper stock - this term uses to describe lighter weight paper. The particular weight she is 24 lb. The lower the number the thinner and more light weight the paper is. You will see this weight used on the Tropical Message design. The envelopes are considered paper stock because of the lighter weight.

 

Nonfolder card - indicates the card has no folds.

Thermography - raised ink printing. Glossy to view, raised to the touch. The less expensive alternative to engraving.

Vellum - a transparent slightly frost paper stock, also comes thicker. we offer a very heavy stock forUnique Wedding Invitations thermography printing that is referred to as Deluxe Parchment cover stock. Also available colored vellum. If you are doing a do-it-yourself project on your home printer, be sure you buy the correct type of vellum for your printer. For instance if you are using an inkjet printer...be sure you buy inkjet compatible vellum paper. If not the ink may lay in puddles on your vellum. Yikes.

 

The above is written by Michelle Mospens of MyPersonalArtist.com, do NOT copy this text above or use without written consent from Michelle Mospens. Thank you!