Tips & Advice

• Please submit one list for each type of envelope. If you want us to print Outside and Inside envelopes, two files would be best (please put the name on the order and whether it is the inside or outside list in the file name, i.e. lobanoff_outside.doc & lobanoff_inside.doc).
  
  
• If you provide a handwritten list (or a list not in a digital format), proofs are available after we have input your list. Expect at least 1 additional day added to the lead time of your order for proofing purposes.
  
  
• Envelopes addresses should be no more than 5 lines. Inside Envelope should be limited to 3 lines or less. If you are inviting an extra large family, you might want to consider seperate invitations as it may look cluttered on one envelope. You also have the option of addressing it to the whole family, i.e. "The Smith Family".
  
  
• Some of our fonts and typestyles do not recognize the "&" or "#" symbols. Please refrain from using these and instead use "and" or "No."
  
  
• If you are going to be receiving lists from other sources in your family, please combine them into one before submitting to us. That would be 1 list for all outside envelopes and 1 list for all inside envelopes (if needed).
  
  
• Delete all irrelevant information from the list. What we want on the list is the name line, the street address
  line(s), and the city/state/zip line just as you want it to be on your envelope. If you do not want this extra information (numbers keeping count, phone numbers, budgets, etc.) on your envelopes, we can clean-up your list for a $15.00 charge but would rather it be done before you submit it to us.
  
  
• It's safest (and necessary for weddings invitations) for you to eliminate all abbreviations other than "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Ms.", "Jr.", "Sr.", and "Dr." from your list. It's especially important for etiquette to spell out the states (California instead of CA) as well as the words "Street", "Avenue", "Drive", ect.
  
  
• Please make sure all abbreviated titles (listed in the bullet point above) contain a period (.) after the title, except for "Miss" which contains no period.
  
  
• "P.O. Box 121" should be "Post Office Box 121"
  
  
• Unless it's necessary, do not use the extra four digits on a zip code (94596-1221). It can make your envelope look too "commercial".
  
  
• Please do not use all capital letters when spelling out foreign countries. This can look very cluttered when formatted in many of our fonts.
  
  
• Spell out directions ("North" instead of "N.")
  
  
• Spell out "In care of" instead of "c/o". This is what is suggested by most etiquette sources and many of our fonts do not recognize the "/" symbol.
  
  
• When creating your lists, if you have both inside and outside envelopes, think of the outside envelope as the "delivery information" The inside list conveys exactly who is invited.
  
  
• PROOF, PROOF, PROOF and PROOF. Don't worry about a few mistakes, they will almost always happen. Just make sure you have extra envelopes to account for these errors. It's very helpful to have others proof your list as well.

Commonly Asked Questions

I have really thick or lined envelopes; will you be able to print on them?

We have been able to print on most envelopes in the past. We cannot guarantee it, but the best thing you could do is bring in a sample or samples for us to look at and possible test. That way we can give you a better answer. You should expect a higher rate of damage with thicker envelopes due to smears, jams in the printer and fuzzy printing. If you're concerned whether your envelopes will work with our service, come on by and let us see them.

Can I get my envelopes addressed with raised ink (Thermography)?

Inviting Ways cannot print with in Thermography. Currently, we do not know of any services out there that will print in any form of raised ink. The reason being that a special plate would need to be made for each address. At approximately $35.00 per plate, the cost to address your invitations would not be practical.

Can you print on dark envelopes?

Depending on how dark the envelopes are, the answer is usually no. If the envelope is not that dark and black ink will show, we might be able to do it (however the post office may not accept it). Our inks are soaked into the paper so the color of the envelope will always show through our ink...even if we use black. Colored ink should be used only on white or ecru (cream) envelopes, and occasionally on very light colored paper.

Can I choose any font/typestyle?

With a few exceptions, the normal answer would be yes. However, some typestyles will not look very good or be clear enough for the postman to read. If you have a specific font in mind for your envelopes, it is recommended you bring a sample in for us to look at and determine if we can match if and if we think it will look good on your envelope.

Will you hand address our envelopes?

Inviting Ways has chosen to discontinue their hand addressing services. Due to the high cost and high margin of error involved in hand addressing we've found more people opt for our Ink Jet services instead. If you have your heart set on hand calligraphy, we will happily refer you to some local calligraphers who produce beautiful work.

The printing on my envelopes is not quite as sharp and crisp as the printing on your samples. Why is this?

In some cases, the manufacturer of the envelopes may have folded them incorrectly. On every type of paper, there is a "good" and "better" side for printing. Some mass produced envelopes are formed by machines that do not know the difference. Unfortunately this is not detectable until the printing actually occurs. If you notice that some of the envelopes printed very well and others not so well, this may be the case. Inviting Ways will do everything in our power to provide you with the end product you desire, however we cannot be held responsible for situations like this. We are always willing to work with our customers to ensure their satisfaction.

The other cause of "fuzzy" printing could be lower grade paper. This does not necessarily mean "cheap" paper, it simply means the manufacturer used a lower grade. There are some manufacturers that we are confident use only the best paper available and we can recommend them if needed.

Can you print directly on Envelopment card stock?

Generally the answer is no, but we have found in some cases we can. This will need to be determined on a "case by case" basis depending on which envelopment paper you have chosen. Most likely we will recommend printed "tabs" to be affixed to the envelopment paper in lieu of direct printing.

Still have some questions?
Give us a call or shoot us an email and we'll happily assist you.