Paper and Printing Options
Looking to have Stinkerpants create a one-of-a-kind project, but wondering what the printing looks like? Sara is super picky, so rest assured, the final product will look awesome. Use this page as a handy-dandy reference guide for paper and printing options. Stinkerpants offers three main options for printing.
Cost depends on the number of pieces you need, so shoot Sara an email for a specific quote. One thing to note: it makes sense to think that you could save money by only having 30 copies of something printed. However, printers have minimums for their jobs, and most won’t quote for anything under 75 copies.
Digital Printing
Digital printing is the least expensive option. The result is a crisp, clear, flat-printed image. Most clients choose this option for full-color drawings; the final product looks great, and the 
price can’t be beat. There are several papers to choose from if you decide to go with digital.
Base Paper ($)
- 100% recycled
- 100 lb white paper
Linen Paper ($$)
- A more formal paper, with a bit of texture
- Slightly thinner paper weight (80 lbs); doesn’t feel as sturdy as the base paper
Offset Printing (sometimes called Lithography) ($$$$$) Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique where an inked image is transferred (or “offset”) from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface.This is another option for full-color drawings, but is more expensive because a new plate must be made for each color.
The main advantage for using offset printing is the ability to use any thickness of paper, whereas digital printing is limited to a thickness of 110lbs. As a result, the final offset product looks more high quality than a digital product, because you can choose a much thicker paper (even tree free cotton papers!). In addition, offset printing utilizes soy-based ink; this ink, combined with recycled or tree-free paper, can make for a very earth-friendly product.
You might be wondering why the price for Offset Printing at Stinkerpants is so much higher than digital–especially if you’ve done a bit of research through other wedding vendors who are able to offer Offset at a lower price. Many invitation designers use line drawings or text in just one or two colors for their designs. Because Stinkerpants’ drawings are full-color (and, as a result, very exciting!), four color plates must be created for each design, and each sheet of paper must be run through the press four times. This results in a lot more work for the printer. 
Letterpress Printing ($$$$)
Letterpress is super hip these days, and for good reason: it’s gorgeous. Letterpress is the oldest mechanical printing process and has changed a bit over the years. These days, a plate is made fro
m polymer, where the design is raised above the background; the raised surface is then inked and pressed down on the paper, leaving an inked impression. The feel of letterpress can’t be compared; if you run your fingers over it, you can feel the impression. This is one of the most expensive types of printing (because it is very time consuming to do), and the price nearly doubles for each color (a new plate must be made for each additional color). Letterpress papers can be very thick, heavy and textured. This is the best way to make your invitations more formal.
Letterpress designs from Stinkerpants look much different than most of what you see in the portfolio. Letterpress is usually done in 1-2 colors, because the cost increases so much with each additional color. In addition, it is only done with line drawings.
Paper Sizes
Now that you’ve chosen your printing method, it’s important to figure out what size product you’d like to go with. Here are the standard sizes, but these are (by no means!) your only options.
- 4-Bar: 3 1/2″ x 4 7/8″
4-Bar is the perfect size for thank you cards. They’re not too big, so you don’t find yourself scrambling for something to say! - A2: 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″
Generally speaking, if you see a “small” greeting card, it’s usually this size. - A6: 4 1/2″ x 6 1/4″
I don’t recommend sending postcards in the mail–they tend to get lost or go unnoticed. So when we talk “postcard size,” this is what we’re talking about. It fits perfectly inside an envelope, but has the same effect as a postcard. - A7: 5″ x 7″
Typical greeting card size. - Square: 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″
Cute, but require extra postage. - Tea Length: 3 7/8″ X 9 1/4″ (also known as #10 size)
This is the size of a typical business envelope. - A9: 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
Sometimes oversized is more fun!
Digital Printing Costs*
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Offset Printing Costs*
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*all printing costs are quoted with printing on both sides. For offset printing, the cost may be slightly lower (think $10) if you’re only looking for printing on one side. For digital printing, the cost is the same for single or double sided.