Armato Design & Press

There is an added intimacy and intrigue to an occasion that is accompanied by a well-designed invitation, especially if it has been letterpress printed. Letterpress gives an invitation a handcrafted warmth that alludes to the exciting and generous event to come. It also creates a lovely memento to be cherished for a lifetime.

Letterpress printing is the oldest mechanized printing technique, in which a raised surface is inked and then pressed against a smooth substance to obtain an image. Though now considered an artisan craft practiced by small presses, until relatively recently (around the 1960's) letterpress was the only method of commercial printing. Back then it was considered a printing sin to leave any kind of "dent" in the paper. The flatter the better. Now letterpress is highly valued because of the tangible indentation it leaves on a piece of beautiful paper. Not only will your guests see a gorgeous impression, they will feel it.

Offset printing is the dominant form of mass produced, commercial printing. Offset is a widely used printing technique where the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a printing plate to a rubber blanket, and then to the printing surface. Also referred to as flat printing, offset produces a flat image in contrast to the rich, debossed texture of letterpress printing. Though I specialize in letterpress-printed invitations, I also offer offset printing as a value alternative to letterpress. Please contact me for an estimate.