Start the presses! Split the fountain!

We decided to run a split fountain for Ajalon’s 2011 Thanksgiving greeting card!

A split fountain is achieved by using two inks (or more) in one letterpress fountain. The printer positions the inks perfectly to create a luxurious gradient within your letterpress wedding invitation.

This technique is perfect if you love the ombre trend as much as I do! Blending the inks within your letterpress wedding invitation adds a soft, romantic touch that a single color can’t match.

Take a look at the entire process on our Facebook page!

We also added edge painting to these double thick cards, as well as a vellum overlay. We’re so impressed by these holiday cards, we hope you are too!

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Written by Katie

What kind of paper does Invitations by Ajalon print on?

We have a few different customization options for you to choose from when designing your wedding invitation. Whether your invite is letterpress, digital or offset, the perfect paper could be just what you need to set the tone for your big day.

So what are your options?

Standard Letterpress Papers

If you are opting for the luxurious, deep impressions of the letterpress printing process, our standard letterpress papers are an excellent choice. We use Crane Lettra’s tree-free, 100% cotton papers for most of our letterpress jobs. The soft, textured paper is perfect for impressing ink and is available in white, pearl and ecru.

Send Me My Free Samples of Sakura

Standard Digital Papers

Our digital papers are also recycled, containing 30% post-consumer waste and are Green Seal certified. Their smooth finishes are perfect for digital printing, producing a crisp, beautiful image. Our digital papers are also available in white, pearl or ecru.

Send Me My Free Samples of Neha

Colored Papers

If you’re looking for more color within your wedding invitation design, we have a large array of colored papers to print on. Let your invitation consultant know what exactly you are looking for, and we’ll make it happen!

Send Me My Free Samples of Avani

Textured Papers

Textured paper, available in a range of styles and colors, adds charm, depth and dimension to your wedding invitation design.

Send Me My Free Samples of Zinfandel

Thick Papers

Thick paper is ideal for edge painting and super deep impressions.

Send Me My Free Samples of Emily

Bamboo Papers

Bamboo paper is a beautiful eco-friendly choice for wedding invitation stationery. The unique texture of bamboo paper coupled with the sustainable nature of the bamboo plant creates a wonderfully green wedding invitation resource.

Send Me My Free Samples of Lucky Bamboo

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Written by Katie

It’s the wedding planning season and time to prepare for your wedding celebration. For those of us without a wedding planner, I have decided to create a quick month by month check list of all the major things that need to be planned. Everything from venues to wedding invitations:

1 Year Before Your Wedding Ceremony

If you haven’t done this already, picking a day, place and time is probably the first thing you should do. Make sure to reserve the wedding venue for both the ceremony and celebration, because these places tend to be reserved well in advance and dictate a lot of the future planning details.

5-9 Months

It’s now the time to start looking for the other elements of your wedding celebration. Caterers, photographers, DJ’s (or decide on an Ipod w/ a stellar play list ), florists and wedding gowns should all be picked by this time.

3-5 months

Now is the time to start thinking about wedding invitations. Whether your wedding invitations are going to be letterpress, offset or digital, picking the design and printing style that you want is important. Think of matching the venue, season or wedding theme with your invitation set. Also, if you haven’t picked your wedding rings yet, now is the time to do it.

2-4 months

Get the final headcount for your guest list and mail out your invitations. The optimal advance notice to give your guests is 12 weeks, so aim for as close to that as possible.

2-4 weeks

Check to see who has not returned their RSVP and contact them to get a better idea of exactly how many guests will be coming. See if your wedding rings are ready yet and order your wedding programs, menus, table markers and placecards now.

0-2 weeks

Get the final guest count and pass this information along to the caterers. Make sure everyone in the wedding ceremony has their proper clothes and finalize your vows (make sure he does too…).

The Day Before

Do Not Panic! Tomorrow will be the most wonderful day.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

For the creative bride to be, paper selection for your wedding invitations can be a very important job. If you are like me and like a lot of options, then you will enjoy this display of eco chic, environmentally themed papers from Gmund.

Gmund has developed this paper with the extraordinary tree like texture in a wide variety of colors and it can be printed with both letterpress or standard offset presses.

This amazing style of paper is perfect for any ‘down to earth’ wedding celebration, and will certainly be a hit among your guests. If you are planning on any type of natural themed wedding celebration, this paper is a must have.

In the never ending quest to express your true self, especially by finding and creating personalized pieces for your wedding celebration, this paper is a great choice.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Available in a plethora of printing methods; letterpress, offset, thermography and digital, the new Monica invitation set combines an almost baroque style script with delicate swirls. The elegant border adds a formal element that carries through to the different pieces of this stunning invitation set.

This timeless artisan creation is perfect for a formal or casual wedding. The festive Cranes Lettra pearl paper adds a special charm that takes this invitation from the world of ordinary to extra-ordinary.

Because brides to be should always get their way (in regards to their wedding plans at least J) we were especially thankful to hear how happy this bride was after she received her Monica invitations from us:

“I just wanted to thank you for all of your help throughout this process. I absolutely love the way the invitations turned out! Thanks again.”

With a job as important as ours, it is good to know that at the end of the day, we really are making people happy. From start to finish, we strive to give brides all of the support, options and service we possible can.

Please feel free to leave comments and questions below. Click here to request free samples.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

While some news articles are saying that the economic crisis is starting to turn around, that does not mean our bank accounts are getting any bigger. With the spring wedding season just right around the corner, brides to be are looking for new ways to save on their wedding invitations.

I understand that times are tough, but that does not mean you should have to forget about your life-long dreams of having that perfect wedding. In an effort to save you money, I have developed a list of 5 easy steps to take when thinking about your wedding invitations.

1) Do It Yourself, With Friends and Family

While some brides may be fearful of the terms Do It Yourself, don’t forget that you are not alone in this process. Enlist the help of your family, friends and bridal party to save on cost and time. Create your own beautiful and custom envelope liners, invitation bellybands and self addressed envelopes. With a little extra effort from everyone, you can still have the custom invitation you want without the added price.

2) Find Amazing Package Deals

Look for that all-inclusive package sale or special deal. Some wedding invitation letterpress and offset printers offer the essential elements of an invitation set at a reduced rate. While it may not be the extravagant style you were looking for, typically the savings are quite extraordinary, and the quality is still top tier.

3) Remember to Save on Postage

When considering your invitation set, think about weight, size and shape. The USPS charges more for larger sizes and extra ounces, so consider scaling back those elaborate invitation concepts slightly and find something that will not incur added postage costs. Also, using online RSVP services or an RSVP postcard instead of the traditional reply card and envelope.

4) Shop Shop Shop

Not all printing companies are alike. Some charge up to twice as much for the same design, style and paper. Request quotes, compare prices, and find what you are looking for at the price that fits your budget.

5) Don’t Sacrifice Quality for Quantity

Just because you are on a budget does not mean you have to sacrifice your hopes of having a beautiful invitation for your wedding. Think about printing just the invitation in a two color theme and the RSVP and envelope with a single color. If you are looking for letterpress invitations, consider the less expensive alternative of printing the RSVP and envelope using offset or digital printing.

Whatever your price range there is most certainly an invitation set available that will not only fit your budget, but more importantly, impress you and your guests.

Do you have any special tips you have to save on your invitations? If so, please share with us. Thank you for reading and good luck on the marriage arrangements.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.