It bothers us when couples cut back on their wedding stationery after spending so much money and putting so much effort into their wedding décor. Here is a list of very affordable papers and materials that you can use for printing your own wedding stationery. Combined with a great design, it will look professionally done. If you don’t have a flair for design, then do consider the free printables as well. You can buy these stock papers in any art shop, and if you don’t know where to look, try looking in areas with art schools nearby.
KRAFT STOCK
+ Use a laser printer or print just one copy and photocopy the rest
+ Use dark colours – all black is a favourite with designers
+ Suitable for rustic and vintage themed wedding invitations, programme booklets, tags and anything else!
+ Great texture
+ Environmentally friendly
+ It comes in varying thickness, and the thick card might not feed into your printer, so make sure you get a printer that can print thicker stock
+ The dark paper colour restricts design choices
WHITE PAPER STOCK
+ Use an inkjet printer and print on the white, uncoated type (non-gloss), also known as ivory white. Alternatively, just look for those that have a smoother surface
+ Leave more white space for a more elegant look
+ For DIY, it is always best to use minimal colour – it gives a more finished look somehow
+ Suitable for invitations, programme booklets, tags and anything else, no matter what the theme is
+ Colour accuracy is almost perfect, making it suitable for all kinds of designs
+ The white paper gives a very modern look
+ It comes in varying thickness, and the thick card might not feed into your printer, so make sure you get a printer that can print thicker stock
+ When printing with a laser printer, it might look like cheap digital printing because of the coating laser printers leave behind
BLACK MATTE PAPER STOCK
+ Use a laser printer or print just one copy and photocopy the design onto black paper
+ Use big block letters for readability
+ Suitable for contemporary, black and white wedding themes as Save The Date cards, simple programme itineraries and menus
+ Looks effortlessly stylish and elegant
+ Contemporary designer look
+ Achieving that spot UV look for a fraction of the price
+ Not suitable for night use
+ Not suitable for older guests that might have bad eyesight
+ The dark paper colour restricts design choices
TRACING PAPER
+ Print one copy and photocopy your design. There are two types of tracing paper on the market, so it is extremely important that you make sure yours is tracing paper for photocopy machines
+ Suitable for contemporary and glamorously themed weddings as inserts and menus
+ Looks stylish and elegant
+ Comes in many colours, with white, grey, blue and pink being the favourites
+ Goes well with simple white stock
+ It might warp if placed under the sun for too long or if it comes into contact with water
+ The translucent surface means you can see through to the material at the back
+ The material doesn’t absorb ink very well, so colour accuracy might be an issue. This looks nice if you are going for an opaque, romantic look
VINTAGE RECYCLED PAPER
+ Use an inkjet printer to create the opaque look, or print on magazine or dictionary paper. Works better on non-gloss paper
+ Use thick fonts for readability
+ Suitable for vintage, rustic, artistic and travel themed weddings as posters, labels and perhaps thank you notes
+ Looks stylish
+ Endless possibilities
+ Every piece looks original
+ The paper stock might be too thin, making it more suitable to be framed for display purposes
+ It is quite hard to imagine the outcome until you actually try it
LUNCH BAG
+ Use an inkjet printer or stamp on the design using stamps and an inkpad
+ Used mostly for designs in black
+ Suitable for vintage and rustic themed weddings as programmes, menus and wedding favours
+ Creates a rustic and environmental feel
+ Dual function as the bag can be used for other things
+ You will have to pay close attention during the printing process to make sure every piece runs through the printer properly
DOILY
+ You can’t print on this, though you can stamp it using stamps and an inkpad
+ Gives a great finish to DIY stationery when done correctly
+ Goes well with kraft paper
+ Suitable for vintage and rustic themed weddings as invitations, menus and wedding favours
+ Creates a rustic and environmental feel, with a hint of romance
+ It is too thin for printing