By Scott Rubel

So that you can make an informed choice in printing methods, we provide you with the information below. This page is structured so that you can know about as much or as little as you care to know about any giving printing method. Most important to you is probably the "How It Looks" portion of each heading. We have structured this so you can easily skip to the next section when you have read enough.

How it looks.
Ink sits on the surface of the paper. Nearly all modern printing is offset. Most short-run jobs are now being done digitally instead of offset as personal and trade machines become better and cheaper.

Differences in quality.
Make sure that the printer you want to use can deliver the quality you expect. Like any service or craftsman, printers come with many different standards of refinement. Any printer can show you previous work. If you think the price is a bit low, or you think the printing looks a little fuzzy, the printer is most likely using paper printing plates. If you want high-quality offset, you will want a printer with a good reputation who uses aluminum plates. There can be quite a difference in price between high and low qualities printing. A printer who gives you good, clean lines and sharp type and stands behind his or her work can make a difference of a couple of hundred dollars for an invitation job.

How it is done.
The basic principle of offset printing, the dominant printing process, is this simple: ink and water don't mix. Early lithographers etched images onto a flat stone. These images would accept ink, while the porous stone accepted water. When ink was applied, it stayed on the greasy image area and avoided the rest of the stone. Modern lithography uses the same concept but adds one important element. In modern presses, the image is transferred from the printing plate to a rubber blanket and then to the paper. Hence the name "offset." Although there are many different kinds, sizes and qualities of offset presses, the basic configuration remains the same. When the printing plate is exposed, an ink receptive coating is activated at the image area. On the press, the plate is dampened, first by water rollers, then by ink rollers. Ink adheres to the image area and water to the non-image area. As the cylinders rotate, the image is transferred to the blanket. Paper passes between the blanket cylinder and the image is transferred to the paper.

How it looks.
Your type or image will be indented into the paper. Using a raised surface printing plate or type, the depth of the resulting "bite" will vary depending upon the type of paper. Thicker, softer papers will carry a deeper impression than hard or thin papers.

Differences in quality.
Ask to see the printer's work. Be suspicious if the printer says anything can be done letterpress. This is almost true, but pushing the medium to its limits can get expensive and still lead to some unhappy results. A good printer will guide you in your choices of type and paper. For instance, extremely small type will not look great on thick, soft paper where you wish to see a deep impression. The pressure required to achieve such an impression squeezes some ink out between the paper and the printing surface, causing type and art to thicken slightly. Sometimes this will cause the "e" of a small piece of type to close.

Warnings.
Usually you don't want to print a photograph or fine dot screen by letterpress. Most papers you want to print on will cause images to look a bit muddy. Metalic inks, such as silver or gold, do not print shiny on most papers. If metalic is a priority, check out foil stamping.

How it is done.
The world standard method for hundreds of years, letterpress gave way to offset during the 1930's. Letterpress is now relegated to the specialty category of art prints and invitations. The raised surface of the plate can be achieved by a number of means, such as handset type, wood carving or engraving, or, most commonly, photoengraving. Invitesite does its own letterpress printing in house. Ask for a sample.