frequently asked questions

I'd love to work together. What's the best way to contact you? 

Please contact us via email (hi@swellpresspaper.com) or by clicking the appropriate category under ‘contact’ in the menu bar. The more information you're able to provide in our initial communication, the better we'll be able to serve you. Please read below for more information as well. We do not offer any kind of information regarding working together via Direct Messaging on Instagram.

How long does the process take? 

Just as the scope of projects varies, so do  the timelines for design and production. We generally book up a few months in advance for any custom work, and only take on a limited amount of fully custom projects per year, so if you're interested in a custom project please contact us as soon as you have a general idea of what you're looking for.

Design Time: For our Collection designs, the design process for the initial concept presentation / first draft takes anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks depending on the scope of edits requested. This timeline begins when we’re officially booked, which means a deposit has been received and we have all the necessary information and wording. We generally allow a total of 7-10 weeks for the design and revision phase for sCollection designs, though this timeline can vary depending on how quickly feedback is received.

Printing and Production Time: Typically printing takes four weeks. We are able to print on a faster turnaround if needed, though a rush fee will apply. 

How much does a Swell Press wedding invitation suite cost? 

Swell Press customers appreciate artful craft & design and know that unforgettable communication takes time, creativity, and investment. Due to the custom nature of every project, we are not able to give a blanket cost for wedding invitations. Many factors contribute to the cost of a wedding invitation suite, not limited to the number of inserts, the print method(s), level of customization, and level of finishing. Typically a wedding invitation suite from our Collection* begins at $2,250 for an invitation, reply card & envelope, and outer envelope for a quantity of 100.

Custom wedding invitation designs (a la carte of save the dates or day-of goods) typically begin around $9,500. Invitations containing fully custom design, assembly, envelope calligraphy, and postage typically range between $9,500 and $22,500+. Our custom clients budget a minimum of $30,000 for their wedding stationery, such as save the dates and invitations, or invitations and day-of items such as menus and signage. You can read more about our custom process here.

What is a Collection design? 

Our Collection offers a lower investment level with minimal to no design edits. Additionally, most (but not all) of the designs seen on our Instagram are ‘stock’ designs or variations of and are available for selection as a Collection design. The minimum pricing for an invitation, single insert card for a web reply and details, and an outer envelope for 100 suites generally begins at $2,250.

Do you offer wedding 'day - of ' items such as menus, programs, and escort cards?

We offer day-of items for our wedding clients only. We do not offer day-of items such as menus, place cards, or welcome notes if your invitations were created by another company.
If you are a wedding client we suggest continuing the design process throughout the materials of the big day. We offer letterpress printing, as well as digital printing, napkin printing, laser cut signage and / or cocktail stirrers,  and screen printing. We do not allow design elements from invitations we’ve created to be used or printed elsewhere.
 

I have designed my own wedding invitation -OR- I am a designer, are you able to print for me? 

We are not currently booking print-for-hire projects.

I live in Los Angeles, can I come watch my invitations being created in person? 

Due to our printing schedule we do not accept visitors at this time. However if you'd like to be able to witness your items being printed, please let us know when the time comes, and we'll make sure to show as much as we can on Instagram Stories. We love when our brides, grooms, and branding clients are able to watch the creation of their special items!

Can you tell me more about your studio? Can I come visit?

We’re located in Redondo Beach, California. Our 1,400+ square foot space contains 6 presses (2 Vandercooks, 1 Kluge, and 3 Heidelbergs), 2 paper cutters, and a variety of other equipment. If you’re a Swell Press client and live in Los Angeles, you’re welcome to come by for an in-person consultation. We are unable to offer drop-by or other appointments for non Swell Press clients, though our lessons and workshops are a great way to see the space and explore letterpress. Starting Spring 2022, we will have limited open retail store hours.

I'd like to know more about exploring the letterpress method, starting my own letterpress studio, or getting into the stationery business. Can you help me? 

Yes! We have a variety of offerings for aspiring printers or stationery designers. We have an online letterpress class that has helped hundreds of printers launch or further their careers. Visit learnletterpress.co for more information.

You'll find in-person lessons offered here.  For tips and tricks, we suggest tuning into our weekly Instagram Live Q&A, which is hosted most Thursdays at 6pm PST. We've found this live, group Q&A format to be incredibly helpful to those curious about all things letterpress. Our Blog also contains ‘show notes’ from our Live Q&As with helpful tips, links, vendors, and the like.

We do accept a limited number of personal one on one training via Zoom, where you're able to have a more private setting to ask questions. We also offer a more hands-on mentorship role, where you can apply for here (price upon request).

We also have seasonal weekend intensive workshops in a small group format. We typically announce our workshops on Instagram, and they fill up quickly, so make sure you’re following along to stay in the loop. We understand traveling to Los Angeles for our workshop might not be possible for everyone, so we’re also planning on launching an online, live weekend-intensive class. If you’d like more information about the weekend workshop when it launches, please let us know via email at hi@swellpresspaper.com using the subject line ‘weekend intensive’ and we will make sure to notify you as soon as it’s solidified.