Handwritten vs. Inkjet Invitations

The wedding invitation is the first opportunity to impress your guests, and sets the tone for the style of the event. The age-old question is, handwritten or inkjet?

Maria Mignanelli, owner of Arianna Gifts in Cranston, shared various options available for those looking to create the perfect invitations for their special day. She says in the past, formal and traditional wedding invitations were always handwritten or done in calligraphy. “Some papers may not be suitable for hand-written calligraphy because of the texture, thickness or stock,” Mignanelli says. In these circumstances, she says computerized calligraphy, created using a special machine, mechanical pen and a laser printer, is a better option.

Handwritten invitations are more old-fashioned, formal and elegant, but it takes longer and requires good penmanship and patience. Doing it yourself can save money if you have a strict budget. Make sure you order extra envelopes just in case!

If you’re running late on sending them out, aren’t very crafty, or find it time consuming and unpractical, you may be better off printing the invitations. Inkjet printing is the alternative that can incorporate a wide range of colors. If you are going for a more fun and casual wedding, your invitations could incorporate colors to match your chosen palette or the season. However, more formal weddings should have invitations printed with black ink, which is also less expensive. Laser printing, which according to Mignanelli, “is best for smooth, uncoated stock paper as this allows for a crisp print that fuses well to most papers.” 

Mignanelli also suggested letterpress, which adds a hand-made effect and works well on handmade papers, and thermography, a less expensive alternative to engraving where the letters are raised but not indented. Embossing creates a raised design used for monograms, borders, and return addresses, although she warns the post office is not a fan of this.

Regardless of whether you choose to hand-write or print your invitations, you do not want it to bleed or smudge. “I think it is up to the person depending on how formal their wedding is and how they want to invite their guests,” Mignanelli says. The question of handwritten or ink jet is based on formality, preference, the material of the invitation, budget and time. Go with what works best for you!