From Central New York, Bella Figura makes wedding invitations the old-fashioned way on vintage presses, pairing letterpress craft with carefully chosen paper and extensive customization. The company offers more than 300 designs, including its own distinctive letterpress collection, and uses green-printing options such as tree-free paper and recycled envelope liners. Its work is available through stationery retailers worldwide and at Bella Figura’s New York City flagship store.
Documents and Designs, LTDFrom its Lake George, New York base, Documents and Designs creates hand-made, customizable stationery for weddings and other special events. In business for two decades, the company draws on traditional, contemporary, and culturally inspired design while also creating new pieces to suit a customer’s specific needs. Its custom wedding certificates are printed on heavy-weight, acid-free watercolor paper with archival inks.QUEENSBURY, NY
SmockIn a former John Deere factory in Syracuse’s Delavan Center, Smock runs a print shop devoted to letterpress wedding invitations and stationery. Its 25 antique presses and 80-person staff produce subtly individual pieces on smooth cotton and recycled paper, with custom design available for distinctive invitations. Smock is also powered by wind energy and uses tree-free, petroleum-free retail packaging.SYRACUSE, NY
Type High LetterpressSince 2001, Type High Letterpress has been making hand-printed greeting cards, invitations, posters and other paper goods in Rochester, New York. This full-service letterpress design and print shop works with thick cotton paper and deep impressions, while also offering custom work and hands-on workshops using its collection of wood type and vintage presses. Its playful greeting cards and carefully made wedding invitations reflect a shop that is as interested in character as it is in craft.ROCHESTER, NY
Wishbone LetterpressSince 2011, Danielle Bliss’s Wishbone Letterpress has been turning Hudson Valley stories into handcrafted stationery, blending traditional letterpress printing with contemporary design. The Kingston-area studio is especially known for collaborative custom wedding work, while its small team also creates playful, cheeky greeting cards for wholesale and retail. Bliss discovered letterpress in 2009, and works alongside Joe Venditti, a fine-arts-trained designer and printer.