printable wedding invitations that look custom made | specialty papers

welcome back to the series on turning your printable invitations from drab to fab!

if you’re stopping by for the first time, be sure to go back and read part 1 where we discuss paper choice: the essential make-or-break foundation of your invitations.

*note: this post may contain affiliate links which means that, if you choose to make a purchase, i will receive a commission at no cost to you. rest assured, they are recommended for the quality – not the compensation – and have received my personal review.*

so, now that you’re clear on the minimum you need for fabulous printables, let’s take it up a notch, shall we? today, let’s talk all about specialty paper choices + paper treatments.

colored paper

monohromatic  (all the tones, tints + shades of a single hue) invitation suites are quite trendy now and will give your invites an ultra-modern look. this option works best with minimal designs and – here’s some good news – all of the minimalist design suites in my shop allow you to print on any color paper you’d like!

this is an easy way to upscale those invitations quickly + cost-effectively.

find all the colors of the rainbow for your paper choices at cards + pockets (be sure to order samples first!)

OR

if you’re self-editing one of my suites in the corjl software, you can change the background color and simply print on white paper

need some help with selecting your colors? this site will let you select your main color and then provide you with the color codes of coordinating shades

vellum overlays

this is another super-easy and inexpensive way to add character to your invites and, depending on your design choices, it will add quite a bit more elegance or romance to your stationery

so how to do it? this option requires your invitation design to have a transparent background (my minimalist invites do, of course *wink, wink*) simply print the text directly onto the vellum sheets, lay them over a patterned paper and attach with any sort of embellishment that works with your style – metal brads, a twine or raffia tie…. endless possibilities here!

other ideas for vellum: a vellum invitation wrap with a wax seal (more about wax seals in the next post!) or a vellum belly band

paper alternatives

acrylic invitations are HOT buuuut they can be a bit pricey. transparency film is a great alternative! you can grab some at a local art supply store OR on amazon.

note: gold foil + white ink printing look gorgeous on the film! home printers aren’t able to handle that type of ink so if you’d like that look,  visit ilatina creative and ask for a quote – tell her i sent you 😉

deckled edges

you don’t have to spend tons of money on handmade cotton paper to get the deckled edge effect that you see in the photo above. all you need is a ruler! check out this video to see how it’s done:

tip: practice on a few extra sheets of paper first

so, in summary:

• monochromatic paper colors provide a clean, upscale, modern look for minimalist designs;
• vellum is a super versatile addition for providing an elegant touch;
• transparency film is the new vellum;
• diy your way to deckled edges!

i’d love to hear your thoughts…. have you got any more tips on specialty papers + paper treatments? share below!