1. When should I order invitations and save-the-date cards?
2. How does the ordering process work?
3. I’m not local -- can I still order from you?
4. I am local -- can I meet with you?
5. How long will my invitations take?
6. Who is responsible for proofreading?
7. When and how do I pay?
8. Is there tax on my order?
9. Is my deposit refundable?
10. Why does letterpress printing cost more than other methods?
11. Do you have order minimums?
12. Can I change an existing design?
13. Does design cost extra?
14. Do you do completely custom design?
15. Can you do invitations for other events?
16. Can I get coordinating programs and menus?
17. Can you assemble my invitations?
18. Can I get samples?
19. I already designed my invites -- can you just print them?
20. I'm making my wedding invites -- can you just design and print the invitation card?
1. When should I order invitations and save-the-date cards?
We recommend placing your invitation order at least 6 months before your wedding date. Please inquire about our availability.
Ephemera is a small studio, and we can only take on so many projects -- our press schedule fills up quickly. It is not uncommon for us to turn away business due to being too busy. A long lead time secures your space on our press schedule, and that you will receive your order with time to spare!
Keep in mind that invitations are typically sent out 8 weeks before a wedding -- you will want to allow yourself, your calligrapher, or your maid of honor (!) plenty of time to hand-write all those addresses.
Save-the-date cards are typically sent out 6 months before your wedding, allowing your guests to make travel plans with your event in mind. If your order will include these, you will want to place it 8-9 months before your wedding.
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2. How does the ordering process work?
To get started, simply fill out the appropriate online order inquiry, or if you prefer, just give us a call! Since every order is custom, this is simply a conversation starter – once you contact us, we can go over your preferences, options, budget and timeline.
Once we have confirmed your order details, we will supply you with a contract, a detailed wording guide, and an invoice for a 50% deposit. This deposit is non-refundable, required to hold your space on our press schedule, and for us to begin design work.
Once you finalize your wording and submit it to us, you will receive the first digital proof of your set, and we’ll invite you to give us feedback. When everything is finalized, we print your project.
The balance (plus any shipping charges) is due before we can ship your order. If you are picking up your order locally, you can pay the balance due at that time.
The whole process takes approximately 8 weeks from the date the first digital proof is supplied.
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3. I'm not local -- can I still order from you?
Absolutely! Whether Edmonds is just a tad too far, or you are on the opposite side of the country, that is no problem whatsoever. We have worked with clients as far away as London, and have set up our business so that everything can be accomplished over e-mail. If you are at all concerned about buying something you have not seen, please let our samples speak for themselves.
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4. I am local -- can I meet with you?
Definitely! If you are local, we prefer to meet with you in person so that you can look through our past projects, and we can talk at length about your options. It's the best, most efficient way to get started. Just give us a call to set up an appointment in Edmonds.
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5. How long will my invitations take?
Once the contract, wording, and deposit have been sent to us, and we have supplied the first digital proof to you, you should have your order in about 8 weeks. We can accommodate rush orders when our press schedule permits. Additional charges apply, and depend on the level of the rush.
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6. Who is responsible for proofreading?
The client is responsible for proofreading. We will do our best to notice if you have spelled it “San Farncisco,” but ultimately it is up to you to triple check the digital proofs you are sent. We recommend showing the final draft to a few different people, including a fresh pair of eyes.
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7. When and how do I pay?
Once we have confirmed all the order details, we will request a 50% non-refundable deposit. This deposit is required to hold your space on our press schedule, and for us to begin design work. The balance (plus any shipping charges) is due before we can ship your order. If you are picking up your order locally, you can pay the balance due at that time.
We accept personal checks.
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8. Is there tax on my order?
Orders delivered or shipped to addresses within the state of Washington are subject to 8.9% sales tax.
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9. Is my deposit refundable?
No, deposits are not refundable. When we initiate an order, time is spent, and materials are purchased. In addition, once we have secured your ship date and our calendar gets booked, we begin to turn away new business. We cannot absorb those costs.
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10. Why does letterpress printing cost more than other methods?
Letterpress is very labor intensive and time consuming. Once everything has been set up to perfection, we feed each card into our manually-operated, antique press by hand, and inspect each print for quality control. We also use the finest artist’s papers, mix custom colors by hand, and go to great lengths to make sure your design is perfect well before printing begins.
At Ephemera, you actually get great value considering how much time, effort and care goes into your invitations!
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11. Do you have order minimums?
We require a minimum order of 25 of any particular item, but beyond that, but you may order any quantity you like -- even a number like 93. Simply submit an order inquiry for a more exact quote.
When specifying your quantity, remember that you will want at least 1 extra invitation as a keepsake for yourself. Many people also order a few extras in case of last minute guest list additions.
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12. Can I change an existing design?
Yes!
We encourage you to make any of the Ephemera designs your very own by customizing the ink colors, typefaces, papers, and extras you like the most. We are also able to change the shape and orientation – rectangles can become squares, or portrait designs could be changed to landscape versions. We can even create Z-folding, tri-folding, or booklet-style invitations.
The Ornament collection is even more flexible! Browse our online catalog of ornaments to your heart’s content, and pick out your favorite image(s). You can further customize your order by specifying your favorite ink colors, typefaces, papers, extras, shape, and layout.
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13. Does design cost extra?
No. Unless you need a completely custom illustration or custom monogram drawn for your project, any of the Ephemera designs or Ornaments are included in the pricing you'll find on our web site.
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14. Do you do completely custom design?
Yes, that’s our favorite -- hence the name, Ephemera Custom Letterpress!
If you have not found exactly what you’re looking for, let us create it for you! Completely custom projects usually involve the creation of a new, unique illustration just for you, and are subject to additional fees which vary widely depending on complexity (typically $50-200). Just let us know what you have in mind!
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15. Can you do invitations for other events?
Absolutely! Corporate events, anniversaries, bar or bat mitzvahs, birthday soirees – anytime you need to make a distinctive impression with letterpress, Ephemera is here to help.
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16. Can I get coordinating programs and menus?
Yes. We can design and print much more than invitations! Whether your heart is set on a sweet little booklet program, an ultra-simple program card, or even a program that doubles as a fan on a hot summer wedding day, we can create something that echoes your invitation perfectly.
We can also make menus, favor tags, place cards, escort cards, wish bowl or guest book note cards, and just about anything else that you may need.
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17. Can you assemble my invitations?
Yes! While assembly is not included in the pricing listed in this web site, you can certainly add it on for an additional charge. This is typically $50-150, but depends entirely on your particular order. Otherwise, you will receive (for example) a package of invitations, a package of envelopes, a package of reply cards, a roll of ribbon, and so forth.
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18. Can I get samples?
Yes. Please visit the samples page for information and instructions.
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19. I already designed my own invites -- can you just print them?
No, unfortunately we do not print others’ designs. Sorry, we are just not set up like a commercial print shop.
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20. I'm making my own wedding invites -- can you just design and print the invitation card?
At this time, we do not offer invitation-only packages. While it may cost more to have your complete set created by Ephemera, it does result in a more unified look than when two different printing and design styles are used. In addition, when you consider our competitive pricing, and weigh it against the time, skill, and patience it takes to design, print, and cut all that paper on your own, you may find it worthwhile to have Ephemera to take care of everything!
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