Oh those “paper people” – your stationer, your printer, your customer service rep at LCI Paper (yes, we’re guilty as well) . . . when they start talking paper, it’s almost as if they’re speaking a foreign language! Paper type, size, weight, finish. . . all these crazy terms being tossed around, and all the while, you just want a bit of guidance choosing the right paper for your invitations!

On behalf of paper people everywhere; we apologize, and we want you to know, we’re not confusing you on purpose, it’s just that we can’t help it! Paper jargon just flies out of our mouths without warning, and sometimes, we forget to slow down to explain.

To help you choose the best paper for your invitations (and for your next conversation with a frenzied paper pro), we’ve compiled a glossary of all the common paper terms you need to know. From type, to size, to weight, and even a few important printing terms, they’re all covered here!

Paper Types & Finishes – What the Paper Looks & Feels Like

For printing and aesthetic purposes, let’s get that texture and finish jargon down!

•Smooth Finish: Paper with no major texture that is smooth to the eye and touch

•Textured Finish: Textured card stock has a visible and tactile pattern or grooves. Textures come from embossing the paper.

•Embossed: An embossed sheet is one in which a texture has been pressed into the paper during the manufacturing process. Embossing can be heavy and defined, or very light and subtle.

•Linen Finish: Linen paper has a subtle embossed/textured finish similar to woven cloth

•Tooth: Papers with a “tooth” have a very subtle texture that is visible only upon close inspection, one that is best compared to that of an eggshell. Smooth, matte papers often have this “toothy” look.

•Coated: Coated papers are coated with anything that gives them a distinct finish. Examples of coated stocks are gloss and metallic finish stocks.

•Uncoated: Papers with no coating

•Matte Finish: Matte finish papers are uncoated, non-light reflecting papers

•Metallic Finish: Metallic finish papers are covered with a mica infused coating which gives them a sheen and an ever so subtle sparkle and iridescence. Metallic papers are not glossy papers.

•Gloss Finish: Papers with a coating that gives them a super smooth, shiny, glossy, finish. Gloss papers are not metallic papers.

•Dual Sided: Papers that look identical on both sides – same color, texture, coating, etc.

•Translucent Vellum: Translucent, see-through paper with an appearance like frosted glass

•Vellum Finish: Not to be confused with translucent vellum, papers with a vellum finish have the tooth discussed above, but are otherwise smooth and matte.

•Pearlescent: Any paper that reflects the light

•Iridescent: Any paper that changes color when reacting to the light

•Silk Paper: Paper made with silk fibers that is ultra smooth

•Cotton Paper: Paper made with 100% cotton fibers

•Recycled Paper: Paper made with a percentage of recycled post consumer waste

Paper Size – Length and Width Lingo

For envelope sizing, printing, and preference, it is important to know what size invitation paper you want and need.

•”A” Size: A or Announcement sizes are a series of standard industry invitation sizes. Each envelope and card of the series (A1, A2) corresponds to specific dimensions.

•A1: A popular wedding response card size, A1 cards are 3 1/2 x 4 7/8 inches, A1 envelopes are 3 5/8 x 5 1/8

•A2: Also referred to as quarter folds, A2 cards are a 1/4 of a standard 8 1/2 x 11 sheet: A2 card: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2, A2 envelope: 4 3/8 x 5 3/4

•A7: A popular invitation size: A7 card: 5 1/8 x 7, A7 envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4

•A9: Also referred to as a half fold, A9s are half of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet: A9 card: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, A9 envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4

•Letter Size: 8 1/2 x 11 – Great, printer friendly size for printing cards multiple to a sheet or printing cards with bleeds

•Legal Size: 8 1/2 x 14 – Standard printer friendly size great for multiple up square cards (8 1/2 x 11 allows 1 per sheet only), and cards with bleeds

•Tabloid Size: 11 x 17 – Two 8 1/2 x 11s put together, great size for multiple ups, bleeds, and for professional printers

Shop Blank Cards & Papers by Size Now

Paper Weight – How Thick & Heavy the Paper Is

Weight terms come in handy when discussing invitation layers, postage, print methods, and more!

•Text Weight Paper: Text paper is light in weight, flexible, and easy to fold without scoring. Think of it as very thick or overly nice copy paper. The weight of text paper is determined on a text paper scale

•Cover Weight Paper: Cover paper, or card stock, as it is often called, is thick, heavyweight paper. The weight of card stock is determined on a separate cover weight scale.

•Paper Weight: Measured in pounds, a paper’s weight is the actual weight of a base ream for that particular scale. For example, a base ream of cover weight is 500 20×26 inch sheets. A base ream for text paper is 500 25×38 inch sheets.

•Paper Density: Measured in g/m2 (gsm), paper density refers to how dense the paper is, not necessarily how heavy. Please view the following for a detailed explanation on paper weight and density: Paper Weight, Paper Density, Explained

•Paper Caliper: The actual thickness of the paper, measured in inches or millimeters

Invitation Paper Printing – Just the “Must Knows”

What good is a paper if you (or your local printer) can’t print on it?

•Ink Jet Technology: Printers that work by spraying wet ink onto paper

•Laser Technology: Printers that work by fusing dry toner onto paper

•Conventional Print Methods: Professional, high end print methods including offset, thermography, embossing, engraving, and foil stamping

•Ink Jet Friendly: Papers that can be printed with ink jet technology – smooth and textured papers, not metallic papers

•Laser Friendly: Papers that can be printed with laser technology – smooth, non textured papers, metallic papers

•Bleeds: An invitation with bleeds is one in which the design goes all the way to the edge of the paper, and must be printed on an oversized sheet, then cut. If your design has bleeds, you’ll need paper larger than the finished size of your invitation!

Let Us Print for You!
Unsure if your printer can handle your paper of choice? Let our team of printing experts print your wedding invitations for you on our premium invitation papers!

So your stationery suite incorporates a dark color, and you wish to use that color for your mailing envelopes, but are wondering how they may look printed? We collected our dark envelopes papers that we offer printed and photographed them here so you can see how they turn out. All of these dark colored envelopes are only available with black printing, in order to create enough contrast for visibility. Unfortunately we do not have the capability of printing white ink at this time. If you really had your heart set on a specific colored envelope however we are unable to print on it, we suggest you select a lighter color from your color palate and have us match the printing color to the color you intended to use.

Dark Colors We Do Print On:
Stardream Ruby

Stardream Lapis Lazulli

Stardream Bronze

Gmund Colors Pelagus Smooth

Gmund Colors Grape Smooth

 
Gmund Colors Chocolate Smooth

Curious Metallics Violette

Curious Metallics Ionised

Curious Metallics Botanic

Curious Metallics Blueprint

Gmund Colors Ebenum Smooth

Aspire Petallics Black Ore

Shop For Envelopes

SALE 20% OFF
A1 Bulk Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Colors Grape Smooth $32.80per 250 Pack	6 1/2 Square Envelope - Colors Grape Smooth $18.50per 50 Pack	A7 Bulk Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Colors Grape Smooth $59.00per 250 Pack	A7 Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Colors Grape Smooth $16.00per 50 Pack
A7 Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Curious Skin Dark Blue $94.50per 250 Pack	A2 Envelope 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 - Curious Skin Dark Blue $79.50per 250 Pack	A1 Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Colors Grape Smooth $13.50per 50 Pack	5 1/2 Square Envelope - Stardream Lapis Lazuli $18.50per 50 Pack
A7 Vellum Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Translucent Plum $79.00per 250 Pack	A1 Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Woodgrain Bubinga $14.50per 50 Pack	A7 Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Wood Grain Bubinga $18.00per 50 Pack	A2 Envelope 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 - Woodgrain Bubinga $14.50per 50 Pack
	SALE 20% OFF	SALE 20% OFF
Stardream Lined Envelopes 5 5/16 x 7 5/8 - White Lapis Lazuli $19.50per 50 Pack	6 1/2 Square Bulk Envelope - Colors Chocolate Smooth $47.96per 250 Pack	5 1/2 Square Bulk Envelope - Colors Chocolate Smooth $47.96per 250 Pack	A2 Vellum Envelope 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 - Translucent Plum $66.00per 250 Pack
A1 Bulk Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Stardream Lapis Lazuli $69.00per 250 Pack	A9 Bulk Envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 - Stardream Lapis Lazuli $109.00per 250 Pack	7 1/2 Square Envelope - Stardream Lapis Lazuli $29.50per 50 Pack	A7 Bulk Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Stardream Lapis Lazuli $95.00per 250 Pack
		SALE 38% OFF	SALE 63% OFF
A9 Envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 - Colors Chocolate Smooth $20.00per 50 Pack	A9 Envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 - Stardream Lapis Lazuli $24.00per 50 Pack	A1 Bulk Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Nightshift Blue $25.50per 250 Pack	6 1/2 Square Bulk Envelope - Nightshift Blue $31.00per 250 Pack

Our little LCI Paper Tigers are sure doing great! Here they are in their third game of the season!

Quite the Lineup!

Quite the Game!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Soon after the arrival of our newest translucent vellum, customer Shelly from Colorado wrote to us saying:

I ordered a sample of your new Frozen Limba vellum with a wood finish and think it would make a really interesting envelope liner! However, I’m afraid that when it comes time to glue the liner in place, the glue will show through the paper since it’s slightly translucent. Can you please recommend an adhesive that won’t show through the wood vellum?

To answer Shelly’s question, we put four adhesives to the test and lined an A7 wood grain envelope with our Frozen Limba vellum paper.

Below, see our results and learn which adhesive we deemed best of the best for wood grain vellum envelope liners!

Four Paper Adhesives Tested. . .

• Glue Marker
• ZipDry Paper Glue
• Glue Stick
• Dots Double Sided Tape

. . . And Left to Sit for 24 Hours

For each test, we traced just the perimeter of the top part of the liner with adhesive, as we have found that if you use too much adhesive, the liner can end up looking lumpy and unprofessional. We let each lined envelope sit for 24 hours – here’s what we found!

Glue Marker – Glue Apparent to the Touch, Not the Eye

Glue marker results were pretty great! Because of the prominent texture and cloudy appearance of the vellum liner, the glue beneath was not visible at all! However, since the liner is so light in weight, when you run your finger over the location of the glue, it was just a bit noticeable to the touch.

ZipDry – Results Similar to Glue Marker – Pretty Darn Good!

Zip Dry results were similar – glue was not apparent to the eye, and just barely apparent to the touch.

Again, a nice, professional look overall.

Glue Stick – A Little Bumpy. . .

Glue stick results were slightly less favorable. Though the cloudy appearance of the vellum masked the appearance of the glue showing though, after drying, the envelope flap had a hardened, bumpy, warped, and unprofessional looking appearance.

Dots Double Sided Tape – Excellent! Thumbs Up!

Dots double sided tape had the best results. Even through the think translucent vellum, tape was not apparent to the eye or the touch, making for a nice, slick, professional looking lined envelope.

Dots are Best, Glue Marker & ZipDry a Close Second

In summary, and to answer Shelly’s question, we personally feel dots are best for lining envelopes with wood grain vellum, but if you prefer to use glue, Zip Dry and Glue marker work as well.

Shop Frozen Limba Vellum

Wood Vellum Paper 8 1/2 x 11 - Frozen Limba $28.00per 100 Pack	Wood Vellum Paper 8 1/2 x 14 - Frozen Limba $43.00per 100 Pack	Wood Vellum Paper 11 x 17 - Frozen Limba $55.00per 100 Pack	Wood Vellum Paper 27.5 x 39.37 - Frozen Limba $179.00per 100 Pack

A sure sign of spring, youth baseball has commenced! This year, LCI will be sponsoring its very own team, the LCI Paper Tigers, a growling group of 8-9 year olds from Southborough, Massachusetts!

Aren’t they cute? And they’re good too!

The Sluggers in Action

Some Great Candid Shots of the Teammates

There’s something kind of nice about receiving a colorful, offbeat envelope in the mail, especially when it is a lovely handmade envelope like this one! It’s unique, it’s personal, it’s downright pretty!

We recently wrote a tutorial on All Things Paper detailing how to make the envelopes you see here. It includes printable templates and step by step instructions, so be sure to head on over to All Things Paper to check it out! In the mean time, view a snap shot overview of the tutorial below!

Materials to Make Your Own Note Card Envelopes

• 1 sheet 8 1/2 x 11 Japanese Chiyogami paper – We used Floral Petal Sky Blue
• 1 sheet 8 1/2 x 11 Metallic paper – text weight – We used Curious Metallics Gold Leaf
• 2 sheets card stock to print templates on
• Exacto Knife or Preferred Cutting Tool
• Glue or Double Sided Tape

Download Envelope Templates

Here are the two PDF templates you need to make your own envelopes – one for the outer patterned portion of the envelope, one for the solid liner/band portion of the envelope.

Outer envelope template
Inner envelope template

Tutorial Overview – How to Make It!

Made of pure cotton and with a soft, porous finish, LCI Cotton paper prints letterpress like a dream; but who ever said this irresistibly soft cottony finish is reserved for letterpress printing? It certainly is not, and for all you do it yourselfers out there who want to print your creative design on luxurious cotton paper at home, this post is for you!

So which home printing technology is best for printing cotton paper? To find out, we put two ink jet printers* and two laser printers** to the test on our 111lb/300gsm cotton card stock. For good measure, we tested both Wedding White and New Grey colors, and a 74lb text weight envelope as well.

* Ink Jets — Canon Pixma iX7000 & Epson R1900
** Lasers — HP4015 black & white & High end digital color laser

Important Note! Do NOT Try to Print 222lb/600gsm at Home!
Do not, do not, do not, try to run 222lb/600gsm cotton card stock through your home printer! It is about as thick as a cardboard box and not only will it get stuck, it will likely bust a print head or roller or two. Our home print tests are applicable to 74lb text and 111lb cover only!

Now, onto the results!

The Ink Jets – Great Results!

Though every so slightly different, both the Canon and Epson large format ink jets we tested on cotton paper yielded favorable results overall:

• Saturated print
• Solid coverage
• Sharp text/graphics (Canon just a bit sharper)
• Fast (almost instant) drying time
• Minimal bleeding/ink running (Canon bleeding a bit less than Epson)

Ink jets work by spraying wet ink onto the paper, and in some cases, this can cause ink to bleed along the paper fibers, slow drying time, smudging, and smearing. It seems the highly absorbent, highly porous cotton surface minimized these issues, both ink jets providing a nice result. The only minor difference we found between the two was that the Epson bled a bit more than the Canon, seen along the purple lettering when you look closely at the prints:

Canon Pixma iX7000 – Sharp, Very Little Bleeding, Great!

Epson R1900 – A Little More Bleeding, But Still Great!

The Lasers – Mixed Results

Laser printers work by fusing dry toner to paper using heat. Provided the paper is not too textured (toner can not get into grooves of textured paper giving a spotty result) or too heavy for a printer to handle (toner can not be fused properly if paper is too thick and heavy), lasers provide super sharp, smudge proof prints – much sharper than those of an ink jet.

In our testing, we got two very different results with the two different lasers:

HP4015 Black and White – Paper too Thick – Flaky Toner!

This office grade black and white laser was unable to handle the heavy weight and toothy, absorbent finish of 111lb cotton card stock, as seen by its inability to fuse the toner to the paper. The result was a flaky mess!

High End Digital Color Laser – Pretty Decent!

When testing cotton card stock on a professional grade, high end color laser, results were pretty good! Toner was fused and printing was sharp and saturated. However, when you get in close, you can see that due to the slight texture of this paper, there are very small holes in coverage in some places (W of Williams, for example) where the toner just couldn’t get in.

The Text Weight Envelopes

To test laser and ink jet printability on text weight, we printed two Wedding White cotton Old World envelopes using the HP4015 black and white laser and the Canon Pixma ix7000 ink jet. Both the laser and ink jet did quite well with the light weight 74lb text paper:

• Full, saturated coverage with both laser and ink het – no spotty coverage
• Laser a bit sharper than ink jet, as it is with most papers
• Ink jet bled/ran a bit more on text weight than it did on cover weight cotton

The Conclusion

From our laser/ink jet print tests of 111lb cover and 74lb text weight envelopes, we conclude the following:

Ink Jets – Thumbs Up!
Ink jets perform well on cotton card stock and text paper, producing prints that have full, even coverage, little bleeding, and quick drying time. In our tests, it seems ink jet bleeds a little more on text paper than on cover weight.

Note about cover weight: Please note that 111lb card stock is quite thick, and some home printers may not perform well with it. We recommend checking your print manual as well as testing to be sure that your ink jet performs well with this paper.

Lasers – Great for Text Weight, Not So Much for Cover Weight
Both lasers did quite well with 74lb text weight cotton paper, producing even coverage and nice results overall.

In testing the cover weight, we got spotty (literally) results. The office grade HP was unable to evenly place and fuse toner to this heavy, toothy stock, and while the professional grade color laser produced nice results on this sheet, it is just that – a high end, professional, non-consumer grade printer. Most home and standard office laser printers will not be able to acceptably print this stock.

The Best In Cotton Paper!

111lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 - Cotton Wedding White $24.00per 50 Pack	Old World Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Cotton Wedding White $11.00per 50 Pack	Old World Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Cotton Wedding White $19.80per 50 Pack	74lb Text Paper 8 1/2 x 11 - Cotton Wedding White $11.50per 50 Pack
111lb Card Stock 11 x 17 - Cotton Wedding White $48.00per 50 Pack	74lb Text Paper 8 1/2 x 14 - Cotton Wedding White $15.00per 50 Pack	Old World Envelope 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 - Cotton Wedding White $14.85per 50 Pack	Old World Envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 - Cotton Wedding White $27.50per 50 Pack
222lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 - Cotton Wedding White $28.50per 25 Pack	222lb Card Stock 11 x 17 - Cotton Wedding White $57.00per 25 Pack	Old World Bulk Envelope 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 - Cotton Wedding White $59.40per 250 Pack	74lb Text Paper 11 x 17 - Cotton New Grey $25.00per 50 Pack
222lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 14 - Cotton New Grey $47.00per 25 Pack	111lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 14 - Cotton Wedding White $36.00per 50 Pack	Old World Bulk Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Cotton Wedding White $44.00per 250 Pack	Old World Bulk Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Cotton Wedding White $79.20per 250 Pack
Old World Bulk Envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 - Cotton Wedding White $110.00per 250 Pack

Interested in our envelope addressing service, but dont know where to start? Our DIY Invitation Design Gurus lent a helping hand to our printing department and have come up with a handful of examples of popular ways our guests are addressing their envelopes! Don’t settle for Times New Roman text in black ink, unless of course thats your thing. Before placing your order, take a look through our available fonts, flip through some different envelope designs on Pinterest. Once you know your favorite font, and have picked out the perfect envelopes for your event, you are ready to go! If you have selected a font outside of our collection, you will have to be prepared to send us the font file. Take a look at the following envelope designs, and prepare to be inspired!

Modern Couture

Envelope

Stardream Lagoon – A7

Flap Style

Square Flap

Fonts

Lines 1, 3 & 5 – YWFT Hannah
Lines 2, 4 & 6 – Great Vibes

Ink Colors

Plum – C:80 M:97 Y:26 K:13

Order Custom Printed Lagoon Envelopes

Modern Standard

Envelope

Gmund Colors Stone Smooth – A7

Flap Style

Square Flap

Fonts

Names – Scriptina Pro
Address – Helvetica Neue Light

Ink Color

Holiday Green – C:61 M:5 Y:100 K:48

Order Guest Addressed Stone Envelope

New England Style

Envelope

LCI Cotton New Grey – A7

Flap Style

Old World Flap

Fonts

Names, City & State – BoSox
Address & Zip – Myriad Pro Medium

Ink Colors

Fire Engine Red – C:15 M:100 Y:100 K:0
Cobalt Blue – C:100 M:88 Y:0 K:5

Order Cotton Envelopes with Your Custom Art

Envelope

Curious Metallics Gold Leaf – A7

Flap Style

Old World Flap

Fonts

Names – Mrs Eaves Roman
Address – Mrs Eaves Petite Caps

Ink Colors

Deep Sepia – C:0 M:52 Y:100 K:70

Order Individually Addressed Gold Leaf Envelopes

Classic Script

Envelope

LCI Ecru Stardream Ruby Lined – Jumbo Inner

Flap Style

Baronial Flap

Fonts

Names – English Bold
Address – English Regular

Ink Colors

Raspberry – C:38 M:88 Y:0 K:0

Order Double or Single Lined Envelopes Pre-Printed

Contemporary Chic

Envelope

Curious Metallics Ionised – A7

Flap Style

Old World Flap

Fonts

Names – Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed
Address – Helvetica Neue Ultralight

Ink Colors

Dark Navy Blue – C:100 M:100 Y:0 K:62

Order Custom Imprinted Ionised Envelopes

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a tiered wedding program with a ribbon handle that hangs on your guests’ chairs. Not only is this easy and practical for guests, but also adds to ceremony decor.

This invitation program is made up of four pre-cut cards and some ribbon, and although there is a bit of trimming and punching involved, assembly is quite simple. Just choose your materials, download and customize the print templates, and follow the step-by-step instructions to chic handmade wedding programs.

Let’s begin!

A Pretty and Practical Addition to Wedding Programs!

A great addition to any wedding program design, ribbon is a tasteful way to add a splash of color, jazz up an otherwise traditional design, and to hold the components of your program together. Whether your need for ribbon is pretty, practical, or both, we have 10 creative ways for you to incorporate it into you wedding programs.

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1. Simple Belly Band

Clean and simple, use a piece of ribbon to create a single band that wraps around your program. Ribbon bands not only keep programs closed, but also add a dash of color and a soft tactile element to your programs.

How We Did It
Traditional ecru tri-fold program paper was wrapped with a 7/8 inch black satin ribbon band.

Ribbon was cut to approximately 7 inches, wrapped around the tri-fold, and secured in the back with double sided tape.

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2. Decorative Bow

Another example of simple chic, tie ribbon into a single bow to adorn the top of your program design. A very easy way to do this is to use a pre-tied, self-adhesive bow, but if you want to get a little more creative with your decorative bow, tying your own is not so bad!

How We Did It
We cut 8 1/2 x 11 card stock right down the center to create a 4 1/4 x 11 inch single sheet program.

After printing, we tied a nice, symmetrical double loop bow using the handy dandy bow-easy tool. Finally, we glued it on using paper adhesive.

Ribbon is 1/4 inch satin cream.

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3. Loose Spine Binding

Perfect for folding programs with insert sheets, wrap ribbon around around the spine of folder and tie into a knot or bow at the bottom, so that it has a tassel-like appearance. You won’t have to worry about your insert sheets slipping out, and your programs will look fantastic!

How We Did It
Though this program looks complex, it was really quite easy! This program is made up of:

• Pre-cut, pre-scored 6 1/4 inch folder
• Pre-cut program insert sheet (6 1/8 x 12 3/8)
• 1/4 inch pewter satin ribbon

We just printed the cover and insert and tied them together at the spine. That’s all there is to it!

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4. Punched Spine Binding

A step up from just tying ribbon around a program, punch two holes then thread ribbon through them to bind your program layers together.

How We Did It
A 5×7 book fold card (Vice Versa Lac) and corresponding ecru colored insert sheet were tied together with 1/4 satin moss ribbon.

A basic hole punch was used to punch two evenly spaced holes through the cover and the insert sheets along the fold, then ribbon was threaded through and tied into a decorative knot at the top.

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5. 1 Hole Fan Binding

Something modern, different, and an easy easy way to make a program fan for warm weather weddings, punch one hole in the bottom left hand corner of a collection of cards and tie together with ribbon.

How We Did It
Three metallic (Stardream Kunzite) slim blank cards were printed with wedding ceremony details.

To assemble, we punched a single hole in the corner of the stack of three, then tied it all together with 1/4 inch purple satin ribbon. How easy is that?

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6. Hanging Program

Attach a ribbon loop to your program so that you can hang them from guests’ chairs at your ceremony. It’s trendy and different, and adds a touch of fun to your decor.

How We Did It
So that it was not too flimsy, not too thick, we created this program using medium weight card stock (65lb ecru). To get a tiered look, cut four layers of the following dimensions:

• 5×7 • 5×6 • 5×5 • 5×4

After printing, we used a hole punch to create two symmetrical holes, then created a ribbon loop with black 7/8″ chiffon ribbon. Bow and all, we used about 18 inches, but the amount you use will depend on how low you want programs to hang.

How to Make a 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 Tiered Program

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7. Scroll Tie

Wedding program scrolls tied up with ribbon are both whimsical and elegant, and let’s face it, there’s something kind of awesome and intriguing about unrolling a scroll.

How We Did It
8 1/2 x 11 Japanese pearlized paper was printed on both sides (details on inside, names on outside), rolled up, and tied up with silver satin ribbon.

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8. Fastener

Confetti tosses (or petals, if you or your venue prefers) post ceremony are all the rage! So why not use ribbon in a fun and practical way to fasten a bag of confetti to your program?

How We Did It
First, we designed a half fold program using a 5.5 x 8.5 card (Wood Grain Limba).

Next, we poured our confetti in a clear, fold-over bag with a peel & stick seal (yes, those are the bags we send our samples in) – but you don’t have to use clear! Any bag will work, so long as you can find a way to tie it on there!

Finally we used 7/8 inch navy satin ribbon to attach the bag. We wrapped ribbon fully around the program, sealed the bag around it, then tied. If you prefer, you can do the same thing with a simple band.

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9. Bag Closure

Don’t want a confetti bag and a program? Then print your program right on a bag, and fill the bag with confetti!

How We Did It
The printed kraft bag was folded over, punched with two evenly spaced holes, and fastened with 1/8 satin ribbon in black (twine looks great with kraft bags too!).

To Order:
Get this look by order our Create Your Own Printed Kraft Bag. Design your program, then send us the file to print!

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10. Attach a Ribbon Wand

Who doesn’t love to wave a ribbon wand? Decorate your programs and give your guests something fun to do by attaching a ribbon clad wand to your programs!

How We Did It

• First, we cut 8 1/2 x 11 card stock to a 7 x 10 single page program (Curious Metallics Nude & Ice Gold shown here)
• Next, punch two small holes in the side of the program (we used a nail)
• Attach ribbon (satin honeysuckle and pink) to a skewer stick with hot glue to create wand
Run wand through holes

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Shop Program Paper

100lb Half Fold Program Paper - Radiant White $17.00per 50 Pack	100lb Half Fold Program Paper - Ecru $17.00per 50 Pack	DDIY Slim Wedding Program - Textured Ebenum $19.00per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Textured Humus $19.00per 25 Pack
DIY Slim Wedding Program - Textured Herbeus $19.00per 25 Pack	100lb A7 DIY Program Paper - Ecru $16.00per 50 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Textured Vinum $19.00per 25 Pack	100lb A7 DIY Program Paper - Radiant White $16.00per 50 Pack
DIY Slim Wedding Program - Textured Rivus $19.00per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Vibe Shining White $21.00per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Vibe Orange Girl $21.00per 25 Pack	80lb A7 Linen Program Paper - LCI Ultimate White $14.00per 50 Pack
DIY Slim Wedding Program - Vibe Refreshing Mint $21.00per 25 Pack	100lb A7 Linen Program Paper - LCI Natural White $17.00per 50 Pack	80lb A7 Linen Program Paper - LCI Natural White $14.00per 50 Pack	100lb A7 Linen Program Paper - LCI Ultimate White $17.00per 50 Pack
DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Quartz $19.00per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Azalea $20.50per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Vista $20.50per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Lagoon $20.50per 25 Pack
DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Crystal $19.00per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Ruby $20.50per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Fairway $20.50per 25 Pack	DIY Slim Wedding Program - Stardream Jupiter $20.50per 25 Pack

 

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1. Download + Customize Templates

Begin by downloading (above) and customizing the program fan Word templates. 5.5 x 8.5 inch templates for both the front and back sides of the program are present in the download file.

Customize by experimenting with colors and fonts, and changing sample wording and details to your own.

Fonts We Used
The font in the template is Arial, as it is one that is on every operating system. If you want to replicate the look shown in the example, use the following fonts:

• Century Gothic small caps (ceremony details) – On most operating systems
• Mr De Haviland (script text) – A free download from Google Web Fonts

How to Edit the Decorative Dividing Lines
To edit the lines in the template, just double click on the line. This will bring up a menu that allows you to change line color, weight, and style.

2. Print Front + Back Cards

Once your Word document looks good to you, you’re ready to print, and you’re almost half way done!

To Print

• Be sure the weight/finish/texture of your cards is compatible with your printer
• Set the custom size in your print driver to 5.5 x 8.5*
• Print away!

*How to Print Custom Sized Cards on Using Your Home Computer and Printer

3. Finally, Glue, Glue, Glue!

Or tape, tape, tape, whatever you prefer. Your final step is to assemble your program fans using the adhesive of your choice.

We find that ZipDry Paper Glue and double sided tape dots work well for a strong, wrinkle free fan, but you can use anything you like so long as you use the adhesive properly:

• Cover about half the stick in glue/tape (less if you want a longer handle)
• Adhere the stick to the unprinted side of one card
• Trace the perimeter of that card with tape/glue (don’t forget the stick!)
• Adhere the blank side of the other card to the glue

Yup, that’s all there there is to it! You are done!

]]> http://www.lcipaper.com/kb/3-steps-to-a-stylish-wedding-program-fan.html/feed 0 http://www.lcipaper.com/kb/the-stardream-color-family-compare-contrast-then-create.html http://www.lcipaper.com/kb/the-stardream-color-family-compare-contrast-then-create.html#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:25:12 +0000 Kristen http://www.lcipaper.com/kb/?p=32118

Get close up and personal with 16 captivating colors from the Stardream paper line. Close up pictures of each color with a brief description will help making your selection easier than ever. Decide which ones you love, then get creative!

Continue Reading

]]> Stardream Paper: 16 Captivating Colors. 1 Fabulous Double Sided Finish.

Oh the Stardream collection. . . a shimmering, glimmering, lustrous line of metallic papers made in Italy, but loved around the world. And what’s not to love? That subtle sparkle, that slight iridescence, that captivating color palette – even its name alludes to its glamor and splendor.

At LCI, we love Stardream too, and we offer it in sixteen colors, two weights, and in a full line of popular sizes and envelopes. Below, we display and describe the whole collection. Take a look, you’ll see what we mean.

Order Stardream Now!
• Shop Stardream Paper
• Shop Stardream Envelopes

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Antique Gold

Oh so appropriately named, Antique Gold is an old, rustic shade of gold reminiscent of tarnished golden jewelry. Just like a cherished antique, this paper is more brownish gold than yellow, yet thanks to the mica flecks embedded in its coating, this sheet is anything but dull! With every movement, you’ll catch a dazzling golden hue and a subtle iridescence that makes for one seriously stunning sheet.

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Azalea

Just like the bright pink azaleas you’ll find blooming in the garden, Stardream’s Azalea is a super saturated shade of fuchsia that can’t help but catch your eye. Combined with a shimmery silver sheen, this paper is best described as bold, fun, and yes, quite girly.

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Bronze

At first glace, Bronze is nice, classic chocolatey brown color – but this is Stardream folks! Pick that paper up, move it around, and discover the sparkly, golden luminescence that gives Bronze its name! Though it may be darker than your average sun tan or bronzer cosmetic (whichever reference you prefer), it’s a lovely, warm, “bronzed” shade of brown, and it’s fantastic when grazed by the light!

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Crystal

Stardream Crystal is a clean, bright, sparkling shade of white – no discernible hues of color, “crystal clear,” plain and simple!

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Fairway

Similar to the fairway in the game of golf, Stardream Fairway is a bright, enticing shade of green. With yellow undertones and that shimmery Stardream coating, Fairway could justifiably be described as anything from a subtle lime to a classic grass green, depending on the light.

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Flame

You guessed it – Flame is a metallic orange, and a lovely metallic orange it is! With its soft Stardream sheen and understated, lightly saturated shade of orange, Flame color is funky and fun without crossing the line into oppressive (for those of you who might not keen on orange).

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Jupiter

The name for this red metallic stems from Jupiter’s Great Red Spot (if you remember that one from grade school). If you don’t, nonetheless, Jupiter is best described as a classic, primary shade of red. One of the more “sparkly” members of the Stardream family, mica is very prominent in this sheet, which is appropriate for such a cosmic name.

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Kunzite

Like the gem it is named after, Kunzite is a light, muted shade of lilac. Though this paper is unmistakably purple, when placed next to deeper, more prominent shades of purple, Kunzite can appear to be almost silver or white, especially when reflecting lights around it.

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Lagoon

Just like the body of water that comes to mind when you hear the word, Lagoon is a tropical blue/green color that brings sea breezes and sunshine to mind.

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Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli: an LCI staff favorite, a customer favorite, and it’s easy to see why! Stardream’s Lapis is an intensely saturated navy, a color that makes a slew of mica really pop! With each movement, its color may range anywhere from deep navy to a sapphire-like blue, each shade complemented by a striking sparkle, of course.

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Onyx

Some say it’s black metallic, some say it’s charcoal metallic, we say it’s both! After all, like all members of the Stardream family, Onyx is iridescent and darker in some lights, lighter in others.

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Opal

With a yellow undertone, Opal is a metallic cream, or a metallic ivory, if you prefer. It’s warm, it’s neutral, and if it wasn’t covered in a modern-day sheen, we’d dare call it timeless.

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Quartz

Remember Crystal from the beginning? Remember Opal from above? Well the color of Quartz falls smack in the middle of the two. With subdued yellow undertones, Quartz is not quite a metallic white, not quite a metallic cream/ivory, it’s just Quartz, and it’s quite nice!

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Ruby

Don’t be fooled, Ruby is not a red, but instead a purple! More specifically, it can be described as a plum, eggplant, or any other reddish purple color name you can think of. Perhaps the reddish tint in Ruby is where that deceiving name comes from. . .

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Silver

The name says it all here. Stardream Silver is a classic metallic silver. We need not say more about this color.

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Vista

Last but not least, we have Vista. Since a vista refers to a pleasant, open air/open sky view, we feel this name is more than appropriate for this metallic blue paper. Though it is more of a desaturated cornflower blue than a “sky” blue, it is certainly a pleasant vista-like shade of blue.

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Find Your Stardream Paper Color!

105lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 - Stardream Opal $20.50per 50 Pack	81lb Text Paper 8 1/2 x 11 - Stardream Opal $12.50per 50 Pack	105lb Card Stock 12 x 12 - Stardream Silver $16.50per 25 Pack	105lb Card Stock 11 x 17 - Stardream Silver $46.50per 50 Pack
105lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 14 - Stardream Opal $31.50per 50 Pack	81lb Text Paper 11 x 17 - Stardream Opal $27.00per 50 Pack	81lb Text Paper 8 1/2 x 14 - Stardream Crystal $19.00per 50 Pack	105lb Card Stock 13 x 20 - Stardream Opal $46.50per 50 Pack
81lb Text Paper 12 x 12 - Stardream Antique Gold $20.50per 50 Pack	105lb Card Stock 28 x 40 - Stardream Opal $131.00per 100 Pack	81lb Text Paper 28 x 40 - Stardream Vista $294.00per 250 Pack

 

Find Your Stardream Envelope Color!

A1 Envelope 3 5/8 x 5 1/8 - Stardream Silver $15.50per 50 Pack	A7 Envelope 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 - Stardream Silver $19.00per 50 Pack	6 1/2 Square Envelope - Stardream Opal $24.00per 50 Pack	5 1/2 Square Envelope - Stardream Antique Gold $18.50per 50 Pack
A9 Envelope 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 - Stardream Silver $24.00per 50 Pack	Policy Envelope 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 - Stardream Opal $25.00per 50 Pack	10 Envelope 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 - Stardream Silver $14.50per 50 Pack	7 1/2 Square Envelope - Stardream Bronze $29.00per 50 Pack

Customer Patti from Michigan recently wrote in with a great question about our A7 portrait invitation pockets.

Patti writes:
I loved my pockets and envelopes, but the only problem I have is that the envelopes for the reply cards do not fit horizontally in the pocket invitations which throws off the entire look of my design. Please advise.

Patti is referring to the fact that standard sized A1 (3 5/8 x 5 1/8) response envelopes will not fit horizontally inside of a 5 inch wide pocket, so they must be oriented vertically, which may interfere with the look of stacked pocket inserts.

In this post, find out why A7 pockets are made this way, as well as three common ways to place vertically oriented response items in A7 pockets.

Why an A1 RSVP Envelope Won’t Fit Horizontally in an A7 Portrait Pocket

The Math:
There is a good reason why standard rsvp envelopes do not fit in 5×7 pockets horizontally. It all comes down to basic math:

• A7 pocket invitations fit inside of 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 A7 envelope
• A7 pocket is 5 inches wide
• A1 rsvp envelope is 5 1/8 inches wide

What it Means, and Why the Pocket Can’t be Wider
In order for an A1 envelope to fit horizontally inside of a pocket, the pocket itself would need to be 5 1/4 inches wide – but remember, an A7 envelope is 5 1/4 inches wide. If the invitation pocket was the same size as the envelope it is supposed to go inside of, it just won’t fit!

Same Story with A7 Posh Pockets and 5 x 7 pocket cards
You are going to run into the same issue with Posh Pockets and Pocket Cards – they are just a little bit too narrow for an A1 response envelope to sit horizontally. If you’re using one of these pockets and you don’t love the way a vertically oriented response envelope looks, there are ways around it – three popular choices that people often do.

1. Place Response Items Behind Stacked Inserts

The first option is to place the response items vertically behind the your stacked pocket inserts so that they won’t interfere with the look of your stack at all. If you are a little bit worried about your guests not seeing the response items, don’t be, because they are going to have to take out the stack of cards to read them, and when they do, they will be sure to see your response items.

2. Place Response Items Loosely in Pocket

Another popular choice is to stuff your invitation pocket as it should look, then place your response card and envelope inside loosely. When guests open your pocket invites, response items will be seen first, but once they are removed, all that will remain is the nice stacked presentation that you had in mind.

3. Use Post Card Response, Incorporate into Stack

Third, rather than using a traditional response card and envelope that you feel does not quite fit in with the presentation you had in mind, you might prefer to create a design that incorporates a post card as a stacked insert, thus flowing with your design better.

Note: The post office has specific requirements for post card response cards. Please view the following video for more information.
Tips on Standard RSVP Sizes

In the end, it really boils down to preference and what you feel looks best with your pocket invitation design. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, get in touch with us by phone, email, or live chat.

Pantone has released its Spring 2013 Fashion Color Report, a collection of this spring’s ten hottest colors. A polished palette of energizing brights and newfangled neutrals, you can expect to see these colors scattered across runways, streets, and store fronts – now see them in paper!

With the holidays behind us and spring just ahead, we were inspired to turn this fashion forward palette into some spring wedding stationery! See what we’ve whipped up and learn more about the colors below!

Wild Cherry – Pop-Tone

What it Looks Like:
Bold, bright, and simply alluring, Pop-Tone’s Wild Cherry is a classic, cheery red with a smooth, matte finish.

What to Pair it With:
Wild cherry pairs perfectly with basic whites, creams, and blacks, but to punch it up a bit, try a subtle accent of blue or purple.

What it’s Available In:

• 100 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 70 lb text paper (8 1/2 x 11 only)
• Envelopes (A1, A7, 6 1/2 Square, A9)

Shop Pop-Tone Paper

Mandarin – Curious Metallics

What it Looks Like:
Striking the perfect balance between fun and fancy, Mandarin is a super saturated orange with a warm golden sheen. This sheet has a lustrous metallic finish that captures the light and the eye with every turn.

What to Pair it With:
This warm shade is surprisingly neutral! Pair with whites, creams, browns, or grays for a sophisticated look, or for a more funky look, complement with accents of cobalt or navy.

What it’s Available In:

• 111 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 80 lb text (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 111 lb blank cards (popular invitation sizes)

Shop Curious Metallics Paper

Nude – Curious Metallics

What it Looks Like:
Best described as a sparkling pink champagne, nude is a soft shade of pink with a sparkling golden luster. It’s understated elegance at its best.

What to Pair it With:

For a clean and simple look, pair with whites and creams. For more opulence, throw in some gold or deep browns. For high contrast, black really pops – but the beauty of a neutral is that it can be paired with just about anything, so go nuts!

What it’s Available In:

• 111 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 80 lb text (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 111 lb blank cards (popular invitation sizes)
• Pockets
• Old World flap envelopes

Lemon Drop – Pop-Tone

What it Looks Like:
Oh so appropriate for spring, Lemon Drop is a bright, vibrant, cheerful shade of yellow with a smooth, matte finish. Think sunshine and dandelions.

What to Pair it With:
Whites, blacks, grays, and browns are a given, but for a fresh and festive spring look, try pairing with shades of raspberry, green, and blue.

What it’s Available In:

• 100 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 70 lb text paper (8 1/2 x 11 only)
• Envelopes (A1, A7, 6 1/2 Square, A9)

Sour Apple – Pop-Tone

What it Looks Like:
Green is a sure sign of spring, especially when it’s as bold and eye-catching as Sour Apple! Like its other Pop-Tone pals, this paper is smooth to the touch – no texture or coating present.

What to Pair it With:
Sour Apple really pops when paired with navy, gray, and tan making for a super modern design.

What it’s Available In:

• 100 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 70 lb text paper (8 1/2 x 11 only)
• Envelopes (A1, A7, 6 1/2 Square, A9)

Lagoon – Stardream

What it Looks Like:
Fresh and modern, Stardream Lagoon is a pale blue/green metallic sheet with a slight iridescence. As so appropriately implied by its name, Lagoon is reminiscent of a refreshing sea breeze.

What to Pair it With:
Nautical event? Go with deep blues and grays. Modern event? Contrast with deep plum or black, or complement with a bright green.

What it’s Available In:

• 105 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 81 lb text paper (standard cut sheet sizes)
• Blank cards (popular invitation sizes)
• Pockets & wraps
• Envelopes

Shop Stardream Metallic Paper

Glamour Green – So Silk

What it Looks Like:
In a word – glamorous. Made with real silk fibers, Glamour Green is luxurious to both the eye and the touch and is a rich, deep teal color.

What to Pair it With:
Surprisingly versatile, Glamour Green looks great with white, gray, and navy and even better with unexpected splashes of color like red, violet, and yellow.

What it’s Available In:

• 130 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• Blank cards (popular invitation sizes)
• Envelopes (bulk only)

Shop So Silk Paper

Vista – Stardream

What it Looks Like:
A metallic, muted shade of blue, Vista is reminiscent of the spring sky. The metallic coating gives this sheet a slight iridescence and subtle sparkle, best seen in the sunlight.

What to Pair it With:
For a sharp, sophisticated look, pair this neutral blue with navy, black, white, or silver.

What it’s Available In:

• 105 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 81 lb text paper (standard cut sheet sizes)
• Blank cards (popular invitation sizes)
• Pockets & wraps
• Envelopes

Pelagus – Vice Versa

What it Looks Like:
Vice Versa Pelagus is a deep navy with a distinguished verge, or ribbed texture giving your design great character.

What to Pair it With:
Super neutral, pair Pelagus with just about anything you want! Wild Cherry, Lemon Drop, Vista, Sour Apple. . . you name it! Dress it up, dress it down, the sky’s the limit!

What it’s Available In:

• 111 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• Blank cards (popular invitation sizes)
• Pockets (Landscape A7 only)

Shop Vice Versa Paper

Grape Jelly – Pop-Tone

What it Looks Like:
Grape jelly is a smooth, matte paper with a vivid purple hue – think lilacs or wisterias turned up a notch or two. It’s springy, youthful, and fun!

What to Pair it With:
Looks great with punches of blue and red, and divine with yellow ,but if you do not want to go color crazy, white black and gray are always a lovely fit!

What it’s Available In:

• 100 lb cover (standard cut sheet sizes)
• 70 lb text paper (8 1/2 x 11 only)
• Pockets and wraps
• Envelopes (A1, A7, 6 1/2 Square, A9)

2013 is here, and it has some great things in store, especially on the color front. . .

. . .And we have great things in store for you too! One of those things is a gift – a little “ring in the new year”, “taste of what’s to come”, gift!

In the spirit of a colorful, fabulous new year, we’re giving away a free swatch deck of Spring 2013′s hottest, trendiest colors! After all, if you are planning a spring wedding or event, you want to be in vogue, right?

To order yours, use the link below, and act fast, because quantities are limited!
Get a Free Swatch Deck of Spring 2013′s 10 Hottest Colors!

No time, motivation, or equipment to print your cards at home? No problem! We’ll do it for you, and we’ll save you a lot of time and hassle by doing so!

In this video, learn how quick, convenient, and easy it is to order custom printed cards through LCI.

One Stop Shop for Cards and Printing – How Convenient!

No messing around with your home printer, no extra trips to the print shop, just the cards you want, printed how you want, in one shot.

It’s quick and convenient, and quick frankly, pretty darn awesome.

Easy Online Ordering 24 Hours a Day!

Any time of the day, and day of the week, you can quickly, easily, and conveniently order professionally printed cards from the comfort of your own home. What print shop has those hours?

Here’s how it works:

1. Choose a card
   Choose from popular sizes, a neutral color palette, and several finishes.
2. Choose custom options
   Choose whether your card has bleeds or is double sided.
3. Choose a quantity
   Tell us how many cards you need.
4. Upload your completed design
   Use the link on the order confirmation page or in your order confirmation email to upload your completed design file.
5. Kick back, relax, and wait for your order to arrive!
   Leave the rest of our team of printing experts!

Printed by Experts – They’ll Make Sure Your Cards Look Great!

Your cards will be printed by a team of printing experts, each with years of printing and design experience. They will make sure your design gets perfectly positioned and printed, and looks great! And don’t worry, if anything looks amiss, they’ll bring it to your attention – because they want your cards to look great too!

Printed with Top Notch Equipment – That’s Some Sharp Text!

For sharp, saturated, smudge proof prints, your cards will be printed on a top of the line digital press. Combined with the fact that this press will be run by professionals, you can be confident that your cards are going to look great!

The modern wedding programs below were inspired by an oh so enticing, oh so chic blue and orange inspiration board on the Flowers by Cina Blog. Since we are still in love with the orange wedding trend around here, and since we recently started carrying some pretty awesome royal blue and orange metallic papers, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to try them out!

After recreating the design from the inspiration board, we loved the final product, and we couldn’t wait to share! We want to make it easy for you to recreate this design too, so in this post, we tell you all the materials we used, give you step by step assembly instructions, and even provide print templates. But don’t feel restricted by blue and orange! We have a full spectrum of fun and bright colors so you can make programs to complement your own wedding color scheme. Let’s get started!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 8 1/2 x 11 card stock for program backers – We used Curious Metallics Mandarin & Blueprint
• 8 1/2 x 11 text paper for program layers – Curious Metallics Ice Silver shown here
• Ribbon or twine – 1/4 inch white satin ribbon shown here
• Hole punch
• Paper cutter of choice
• Bone folder or preferred scoring tool

1. Cut Backers (4 1/4 x 11) & Printable Layers (4 x 9 1/8)

Using your favorite paper trimmer (we like rotary), cut your program backers from card stock and your printable layers from text weight:

• 4 1/4 x 11 Backers – that’s two to a sheet, just cut right down the middle
• 4 x 9 1/8 Printable Layers – also two to a sheet*

*We’ve included four layers in this program (cover, wedding party, ceremony details, and thank you page), but you can include as many as you need.

2. Score Backers at 1 1/2 Inches

Using your bone folder or preferred scoring tool (we use a scoring board here), score your program backers at 1 1/2 inches.

3. Download Program Print Templates & Customize

Next, download the zip file of program print templates by clicking the link above, and customize for your wedding by changing fonts, colors, and information.

The zip file includes four 4 x 9 1/8 Microsoft Word templates with sample wording in standard font.

What font is that?
The fonts shown on the sample program are as follows (just look them up by name to download for free!):

• Initial (L): Backspacer Tribute to Pearl Jam
• Plain Text (Allie + Mike): Josefin Sans
• Handwritten Text Headings (The Ceremony): Halo Handletter

4. Print Layers

Once your program layers are good to go, print them all out!

Need help printing custom sized documents?
Then check out this instructional video on printing custom sized invitations at home – it’s very helpful!

5. Punch Holes for Ribbon & Tie

Align your text weight layers, center them beneath the fold of your program backer, and punch two holes for ribbon. You can measure for equal distance or eyeball.

Note: You will need a very sharp hole punch or paper drill to do this, as you are punching through several layers of paper.

Finally, thread ribbon, twine, string – whatever you chose – through the two holes, tie into a knot or bow, and you’re done!

For the next 48 hours (12:00 AM EST 12/3/2012 – 11:59 PM EST 12/4/2012) ALL ORDERS SHIP FREE! All orders qualify for this promotion.

Get a 2nd Free Shipping Offer when you spend $75.00 or more (before shipping / tax & after any other offer).

Stock up on Paper products for the New Year, Get an early start on making invitations for an upcoming event, Order printed envelopes for your Holiday party. Whatever your reason, make your purchase in the next 48 hours, and let LCI cover your shipping expenses.

Terms & Conditions:

• Promotion order value is before shipping & tax & after any other offer
• Promotion is as stated on the date of the promotion
• Promotion countdown is Eastern Standard Timezone (EST)
• 48 hour Promotion begins at 12:00 AM EST 12/3/2012 and completes at 11:59 PM EST 12/4/2012
• Promotion will not be applied to any order outside this timeframe for any reason
• LCI Paper will not guarantee delivery times or the shipping method for free shipping
• LCI Paper will not be responsible for late deliveries
• Free Shipping Offer & Coupon is valid for the 48 contiguous USA states
• Free Shipping Coupons will be forfeited for orders refunded, returned or no longer meet the qualifying criteria
• Free Shipping Coupon is redeemable for a single purchase made 01/01/2013 – 02/28/2013
• Only 1 Free Shipping Coupon per customer, per shipping address, per day
• Free Shipping has no cash value, and any unused Coupon will be forfeited

If You Qualify Find Your 2nd Free Shipping Offer in Your Confirmation Email & Printed Cash Sale

The Details

For the next 48 hours (12:00 AM EST 11/26/2012 – 11:59 PM EST 11/27/2012) we will be giving away LCI Cash with purchases! All items in our store qualify for this promotion.

1. Make a purchase of $50.00 or more (before shipping / tax) and receive $10.00 LCI Cash
2. Make a purchase of $100.00 or more (before shipping / tax) and receive $25.00 LCI Cash

Stock up on Paper products for the New Year, Get an early start on making invitations for an upcoming event, Order printed envelopes for your Holiday party. Whatever your reason, make your purchase in the next 48 hours, and get LCI Cash to ring in the New Year

Terms & Conditions:

• Promotion order value threshold must be met before shipping & tax
• Promotion is as stated on the date of the promotion
• Promotion countdown is Eastern Standard Timezone (EST)
• Promotion is available for the period of 48 hours
• Promotion begins at 12:00 AM EST 11/26/2012 and completes at 11:59 PM EST 11/27/2012
• Promotions will not be applied to previous orders for any reason
• Promotions will not be applied to orders after the expiration date
• LCI Cash will be forfeited for orders refunded and/or returned that no longer meet the qualifying criteria
• LCI Cash Coupon is redeemable for a single purchase made 01/01/2013 – 02/28/2013
• Only 1 Coupon can be earned per customer per day of the promotion
• Only 1 LCI Cash Coupon may be redeemed per transaction
• LCI Cash has no cash value, and any unused LCI Cash will be forfeited

Find Your LCI Cash Coupon Code in Your Confirmation Email & Printed Cash Sale

Awesome Paper Selection, Fast Service, Expert Advice, and People That Make a Difference

We want you to be happy and tell others about your experience with LCI Paper. If at any time you are not satisfied or think we can do it better, let us know. We are here to help make it right.

Customer Testimonials

“Thank you LCI!! I am not a crafty person, but decided to try my hand at making my own wedding invitations. I saved a TON of money (like 50%). LCI offers truly quality products and shipping was super fast. I ordered samples several times before making the big purchase and always had my goodies in less than a week. My favorite part of shopping with LCI was the instructional videos!! You guys really want to help people before and after the sale, and it shows. Also loved all of the info provided for each item that helped an inexperienced person like me know if I could print at home, etc…Thank you for the products, the support, the service!!”

Shannon – NE

Read more testimonials »

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5 different silver metallic cardstocks & papers are currently available at LCI Paper. They each have a double-sided metallic finish that comes from a mica infused coating, each shimmers, each shines, and on their own, each one looks like your average gray metallic, or silver sheet – but there’s more to gray than meets the eye! When these sheets are placed next to one another and compared as a whole, you will see that each one is slightly different in hue.

Shop All Our Silver Metallic Cardstock Papers

105lb Card Stock 11 x 17 - Stardream Silver $46.50per 50 Pack	98lb Card Stock 11 x 17 - Petallics Silver Ore $45.50per 50 Pack	105lb Card Stock 12 x 12 - Stardream Silver $16.50per 25 Pack	105lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 14 - Stardream Silver $31.50per 50 Pack
98lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 14 - Petallics Silver Ore $31.00per 50 Pack	10pk 98lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 - Petallics Silver Ore $8.00per 10 Pack	98lb Card Stock 12 x 12 - Petallics Silver Ore $32.00per 50 Pack	98lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 - Petallics Linen Silver Ore $22.00per 50 Pack
98lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 11 - Petallics Silver Ore $21.50per 50 Pack	98lb Card Stock 13 x 20 - Petallics Linen Silver Ore $45.50per 50 Pack	98lb Card Stock 11 x 17 - Petallics Linen Silver Ore $45.50per 50 Pack	98lb Card Stock 8 1/2 x 14 - Petallics Linen Silver Ore $31.00per 50 Pack
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Microsoft Word’s table feature can come in quite handy if you are designing and printing your own wedding stationery. Once you are familiar with designing and formatting tables in Word, you can easily place multiple cards of any size on one standard, printable 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, which has all kinds of great benefits!

• Save time – print multiple cards at once
• No custom paper size issues – every printer knows and loves an 8 1/2 x 11
• Print little cards or thin strips (favor tags or personalized belly bands) – no card is too small!
• Print bleeds (text or designs that go right to the edge of the paper where the printer normally can’t reach)

Below, we’ll teach you how to insert and format Microsoft Word tables so you too can do all kinds of cool things with your DIY wedding stationery!

Note: The instructions and screen shots below were created using a Mac OS X version 10.7.4 and Microsoft Word for Mac 2011. Although your computer and version of Word may differ, the main components of inserting and formatting tables are similar throughout all versions of Word.

For our example piece, we will create a table of four 3 x 5 inch cards to be used as additional information cards in an invitation ensemble.

1. Determine Table Size -
How Many Cards Will Fit on one 8 1/2 x 11 Sheet?

Begin by determining the size of the cards you need and how many will fit on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet.

In this case, we can fit four 3 x 5 inch cards on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet. We will be making a table that is two 5″ columns wide and two 3″ rows rows high.

See right.

2. Open and Set Up a New Word Document

Next, open up a new Word document and set the margins and page layout.

Note: Word defaults to an 8 1/2 x 11 inch document. If your are printing on a different size paper, you will need to enter those dimensions within Page Setup

Set Landscape or Portrait Mode
Change the orientation of your document to accommodate your table/cards. Do this by clicking Under File > Page Setup, then selecting Landscape or Portrait mode.

Since we will be orienting the text on our cards horizontally, we will need to change our 8 1/2 x 11 page to Landscape instead of portrait.

Change Margins to Accommodate Table
Figure out how much space will remain on the length and width of your 8 1/2 x 11 sheet after inserting your table. This will tell what to enter for page margins to accommodate your table.

Under File > Page Setup enter your margins.

In this case, we have 1 inch remaining on the 11 inch side of the paper (two 5 inch columns = 10 inches) and 2 1/2 inches remaining on the 8 1/2 inch side of the paper (two 3 inch rows = 6 inches).

To fit our table, we will enter .5 inch margins all around.

3. Insert Table

Now that your page is set up to accommodate your table, you are ready to insert the table.

Click Table (in the top menu) > Insert > Table. This brings up the Insert Table menu.

Enter the number of columns and rows in your table, in this case, 2 x 2. Then click OK. This will place a simple 2 x 2 table in your document.

4. Enter Column & Row Dimensions

Enter your column and row dimensions to match the dimensions of your cards by using the Table Properties menu. You can get to this menu two ways:

• Right click the plus sign next to the table and click
• Click Table > Table Properties using the top menu

To Enter Dimensions:
In the Table Properties menu:

• Click Row
• Check off Specify Height
• Type in height of row (in this case 3 inches)
• Select Exactly
• Click Next Row and repeat

Repeat for Column, entering 5 inches at the width.

5. Set Appearance of Table Borders for Print

In the same Table Properties menu, click Borders and Shading to change the appearance of the borders around your table.

Note: As table borders will be visible on your printed cards, we recommend you set them to print very lightly or not at all (by selecting “none”).

In the Borders and Shading option, notice you can change the weight of the lines, as well as the color.

6. Set Text Alignment

Next, right click on the table and select Cell Alignment to set the alignment of the text you will enter in each table in the next step.

See right.

7. Format 1 Table Cell for Print, Copy & Paste the Rest!

In one of your tables, type and format the text you wish to print out on your cards.
Once it looks good to you, copy and paste the entire design into the other tables.

8. Print and Cut!

Pop an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper into your printer, and print – no print driver set up necessary!

After printing, cut along the faint guidelines to yield each individual card/strip/tag, whatever you made using tables, and you’re done!

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Creating tables in Microsoft Word allows you the convenience of printing multiple small cards on one standard sized 8 1/2 x 11 sheet (multiple-ups) – but there is one thing that is not so convenient about using tables – adding pictures and monograms to them!

Although Word is a great word processing program that allows you to do all kinds of great things with wedding stationery, quite simply, it is not a page layout program, which limits it when it comes to adding design elements other than text. While adding images and monograms to multiple-up table documents is certainly something you can do, it requires a bit more time and effort than it would using page layout software.

If Word is the only program you have access to for designing your multiple-up wedding stationery (which is the case for many) – don’t fret and don’t get frustrated! We’ve worked with Word tables quite a bit, and we’ve found some tips and tricks that make this process a bit easier, all of which we are happy to share below.

The Basics: How to Add Images & Text Box Monograms to Word Docs

If you have never worked with clip art, photos, or text boxes (for monograms) in Word, here is a brief overview of how it works:

In a Nutshell
To add a photo, graphic, or monogram to a Word document, all you have to do is insert the image/text box into the document and format the box layout to Behind Text. This allows you to set the image or text box wherever you want without affecting the layout of the text that you have already worked so hard to format.

For More Detail
For detailed information on adding images and text box monograms to Microsoft Word documents, please consult the following articles:

How to Add Graphics and Photos to Wedding Invitations in Microsoft Word
How to Print Monograms on Wedding Invitations in Microsoft Word

Seems simple enough right? In a plain old Word document, it is! However, when it comes to adding image and text boxes to your table document, things can get a little hairy.

Boxes & Tables – Where & Why Things Can Go Haywire
When you set an image or text box Behind Text inside of a table, you are not only setting it to fall behind the text you have laid out, but the table that the text resides in as well. This may cause the following complications:

• The box gets “stuck” behind the table – no movement or editing allowed after placement without moving the entire table
• The box gets “lost” between tables if placed too far to the edge, no movement or editing allowed
• Size or location of table may change when placing text or image box inside

Now as promised, here are the suggestions we have for getting around these little annoyances:

As our example piece, we will add 4 monograms to a 4-up response card document that we have made with tables.

Before You Begin. . .
Make Sure Table Size is Locked in Place

The addition of text or images boxes to tables can cause them to expand in size to accommodate the box. Since the size of your tables corresponds to the size of the cards you need printed, you want to make sure they remain the same size regardless of what you put in them, simply done by changing a setting in Table Properties.

After your tables are the size you want them to be, navigate to Table Properties > Options. In the Options menu, un-check the box that reads “Automatically resize to fit contents.” This way, the addition of an image or text box will not alter the size of your tables/cards regardless of how large it is.

Now Save a Back Up Copy!
Save is Your Best Friend!

The biggest tip we can give you is to save, save, save your progress as you go!

• Once your tables are formatted, are the right size, and are locked into that size, save!
• After you start entering your image or text boxes and something is “right”, save!
• If you aren’t sure how long ago you saved, save!

It may seem a little excessive, but trust us, we’ve been there, and that back up copy is key! If you’re always saving, it’s not a big deal if something goes wrong and your formatting goes astray, because you can always go back to your “good” copy.

Edit, Undo is Your 2nd Best Friend

As we said above, once you place an image or text box “behind” a table, it may become difficult or impossible to edit or move. If you insert a text/image box in the wrong place, or it just doesn’t look quite right to you, undo it right away, because you might not be able to go back to fix it later.

We recommend placing one box at a time, and after probably several undos and redos, saving your document when it looks right to you – because again, if you forget to undo, you will always have that good copy to fall back on.

Get Image or Text Box Size/Color/Opacity Right First, Then Move

Before formatting your image or text box to lay behind the text, make sure it is the size, color and opacity you want it to be. This will save you some time and some undo-ing.

Why? Although text and image boxes can sometimes be moved after placement (discussed next), size, color, and opacity are more difficult to change without deleting and reinserting or yet another edit, undo.

Stretch Boxes Beyond Table
So They Can Be Accessed for Movement

Behind text text boxes can be moved after placement if, and only if, the box that surrounds it falls outside of the table. See below.

If the box outline is completely inside of the table, it becomes “stuck” beneath the table and can not be accessed for movement or deleting without moving the entire table.

Note about Image & Text Box Differences:
When you stretch the outline of a text box to fall outside of the table, the shape and size of the letter is not affected, but when you stretch an image outline, the image expands. If possible, place your image so that the outline sits outside of the table, as stretching the box will cause expansion and warping.

If All Else Fails, Print Twice!
Print Images/Monograms First, Text After

If after all these tips you still find yourself getting frustrated, there’s a very simple solution – print twice.

Run your paper through your printer once for images or monograms, then again with just text.

Although this is a roundabout way of doing it, you will not have to worry about your images or monograms affecting your text layout, nor will you have to go through the whole formatting process.

– - – - –

If you have any questions, comments, or additional tips for working with tables in Word, let us know! Post a comment below!