Invitation and Menu Printing.
Build a stationery set around the invitation or menu. Include RSVP cards, envelopes, save-the-dates and place cards where needed. Send quantities, wording, dimensions and a reference for the paper or effect you have in mind. For menus, explain whether they are single-use or kept between services. The shop will review stock, finishing and timing for the set.
Request a quote. The shop will confirm options and timing.
Products and options to discuss.
Use these examples to describe your job. Material, finish and format availability are confirmed in your quote.
What to include in your quote request.
| Property ↕ | Detail ↕ |
|---|---|
| Components | List invitations, menus, RSVP cards, envelopes and matching pieces |
| Sizes | Check card and envelope fit before finalizing artwork |
| Paper and effect | Share a sample or reference; confirm compatible options |
| Menu use | Explain handling, cleaning needs and how often wording changes |
| Personalization | Supply approved guest names, quantities and final wording |
Industries & use cases.
What to know about invitation and menu printing.
These planning notes explain common print choices. Confirm the materials, dimensions and finishing available for your job with the shop.
Cotton, linen and the stocks that hold an impression
Letterpress and blind debossing both work by pressing a plate into the sheet, so the stock has to be soft and thick enough to take the impression and hold it. 100% cotton is the traditional answer, and double-thick cotton is what gives a deep, obvious dent you can read with a fingertip.
Linen is textured rather than soft and takes flat digital printing and foil well, but it will not hold a deep press the way cotton does. Pearl and metallic stocks vary in surface treatment and print compatibility. Ask the shop to assess the particular paper and effect. If you want a specific effect, choose the stock for the effect rather than the other way round.
Sizing a suite and its envelopes
Invitation sizes are named by their envelope. An A7 envelope takes a 5 x 7 card, an A6 takes a 4.5 x 6.25, an A2 takes a 4.25 x 5.5 and is the usual RSVP size. Working from the envelope backwards is the reliable way to avoid a card that does not fit or slides around.
A full suite is usually the invitation, an RSVP card with its own smaller envelope, a details or directions card, and often a belly band or a liner. Every added component is another print run and another assembly step, so it is worth deciding the component list before pricing rather than after.
Menus that survive a dinner service
A menu takes more physical abuse than almost anything else a restaurant prints. Some coated or laminated constructions improve resistance to handling, but a coating alone does not establish that a menu can be wiped clean. Uncoated and linen look better and mark more easily. Lamination extends the life of a menu considerably and is the usual choice for anything that stays on the table between covers.
If prices or dishes change seasonally, printing a fixed outer with a slotted or tipped-in insert is cheaper over a year than reprinting the whole menu each time. Describe how often the content changes when asking the shop to review construction options.
Ordering by date, not by lead time
Event work is unusual in that the deadline is fixed and public. Tell us the date of the event and the date you need the invitations in hand to mail, and let the shop work backwards from there.
The broader event category, including day-of signage, banquet paperwork and the rest of the occasion set, is on the event and special occasion printing page. Bound programs and order-of-service booklets are quoted through booklets and programs.
Examples and print options
Illustrative images include product photography and mockups. They show print ideas, not a dated portfolio of completed client jobs.
“Thank you Valley Press for the outstanding customer service!
Often ordered alongside.
Three fields. One screen. Send your request.
The shop will review the specifications and deadline during business hours, then confirm options and timing.