Suggestion for a wedding invitation card

[Ishi]

Hello there, so my mate asked me to design a wedding invitation card for him so I kept asking him about the paper size to which he replied last night that its up to me.

 

I want to create a unique wedding invitation card and I want it to be purely PDN and he told me that they're on a peach color motif. I want every single element to be PDN and if I were to use some decorative images, I would want to pull them from the images I took myself. Well I have to download a third party font suited for the design though.

 

So can anyone suggest something very neat and elegant and also the ideal paper size? I also want to have filigrees in it entirely PDN.

If I had time, I want it rather a bit ambitious because this guy's a real close friend to me.

 

Thanks.

[toe_head2001]

If it was me making the invitations, I would call up the print shop that's going to be printing them.  They'll give you standard sizes, how high the DPI needs to be, ect.

[Ishi]

I have been to a printshop and will check another. I pretended to be inquiring things but I'm actually trying to get an idea.

I was hoping that someone had something much better in mind and I don't want to start from pre-made templates. Also, these guys use Photoshop so they are of another graphics religion.

 

I was thinking, I either do it all on PDN or its a PDN+MS Publisher combo as I have gained some skill with that underrated program as well and export it to a 300 dpi PNG for maximum quality.

 

[Beta0]

@Ishi Somehow, A1 and A2 came to mind since they're small, like cards. But, if you want a folded card, then, the size should be bigger, possibly double, depending on the orientation (portrait or landscape.) Maybe Papersizes.org might help you. There's a chart about A paper sizes, with measurements.

 

If you're going to a print press, then toehead's advice is good. I did a supervised practice in one, and the problem (at least, in that print-shop) wouldn't be if the card was made on Photoshop or not; it's the measurements they might have already set for printing and for when they need to use the printing press cutter. There are margins and bleeds involved, as well as printing layouts.

 

Also, print one copy for testing. It's just to be sure if it'll come out right (the right colors, the position of the cards, etc.), and if the cutter won't mess up the cards. I once had a bad time printing something (it happened way before the practice), and it was because I didn't know a thing about how press printing worked.

 

There's this issue with RGB and CMYK since I've read and heard that many print-shops use the latter. RGB has a wider range of colors than CMYK. So, RGB files printed in CMYK come out dull, as if some colors of the original file disappeared. I've read here that it's possible to set MS Publisher to CMYK.

 

Finally, check what types of files the press prints (like pdf, jpg, png, etc.)

 

Sorry if I don't seem clear with all of this. It's been a few years since I worked on a press print. And sorry about not having an advice about filigrees and fonts. 

[Ishi]

Thanks for the advice Beta0. I did not know there was a setting in MS Publisher that converts the printing method to CMYK which most if not all the print shops in our town use. Some useful links by the way.

 

Most if not all of them do not use Publisher so if I intend to have something printed I'd just bring a 300 dpi PNG because its possible to make Publisher export your finished work into a PNG or even a PDF that I once did on a document that was printed on one of those shops.

 

I guess I could sort out the paper size later.

 

Perhaps a design and layout suggestion would be great for now.

 

Thanks.

 

[Maximilian]

As for the font, I suggest Roger White's Hanford Script if its aspect may be of any appeal. It looks elegant to me, and it's currently free to use even for commercial purposes.

[Beta0]

You're very welcome. The funny thing is...I didn't know about it, either. I was searching through Google so I could refresh my mind a bit. X]

 

I didn't know about exporting to PNG, but to PDF yes. MS Publisher is a desktop publishing program, like InDesign.

 

When it comes to design and layout, all I remember is that:

• The work should have balance;
• It must catch the viewer's attention, and;
•  Less is more.

So, I've searched and I've found this and this. They might give you some inspiration on how to begin. I'm not good with cards, but that's what I've learned about design.

[dipstick]

16 hours ago, Maximilian said:

As for the font, I suggest Roger White's Hanford Script if its aspect may be of any appeal. It looks elegant to me, and it's currently free to use even for commercial purposes.

Thanks Max, that looks interesting..

[Maximilian]

5 hours ago, dipstick said:

Thanks Max, that looks interesting..

Very welcome!

There are 114 free fonts by the same author if you want to pay a look at them: Free fonts by Roger White

 

Edit:

I've just found a font that may be of help for the filigree designs (Nymphette font). Alternatively, let's remember it's also possible to do swirly strokes with Red ochre's Flourish plugin.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Maximilian

[Ishi]

@Beta0 I have made some birthday cards before, shown on my gallery but I suppose my collage and bright-colors design is too cheesy now to begin with. I wanted something new as if it were done by another artist yet professionally competent. So I went to a print shop today and inquired, pretending to be interested by their work but actually picked up a few ideas and about what we could expect with the price range. I think I should settle with 8.5x11 as I only need to design two pages for the front and back which you could then fold into threes. A bunch of scented, design embossed, peach colored paper should do the trick even more.  Then they should probably find some people with fine dexterous hands to do the ribbon cutting to wrap the cards as if they were presents.

 

But I saw the guys in there working with Photoshop. They had these layouts, well fitted and very clean looking fonts. I did not feel good about myself.

 

Some very useful Info there @Maximilian. I did not even know about the Flourish plugin. I will try it now.

[Beta0]

@Ishi I checked them out. The colors and designs are more for other kinds of celebrations. So, the choice of a neutral color and/or tint (peach) is okay. 

 

By folded, do you mean like a brochure or like this? As for the ribbons, I think that's possible. I remember that, during practice, few students doing practice (including myself) or were in a work/study program were ordered to work folding brochures with an elaborate design. The job lasted for a whole day. I couldn't even go to work with the shirts. X]

 

Did you got discouraged about that? o.o

[dipstick]

22 hours ago, Maximilian said:

Very welcome!

There are 114 free fonts by the same author if you want to pay a look at them: Free fonts by Roger White

 

 Just checked that link. I'm guessing that Roger White dude is from Massachusetts. I mean he has Swansea, Newtown and Milford fonts. All towns/cities in Massachusetts. I grew up in Milford, Mass....

[Maximilian]

1 hour ago, dipstick said:

Just checked that link. I'm guessing that Roger White dude is from Massachusetts. I mean he has Swansea, Newtown and Milford fonts. All towns/cities in Massachusetts. I grew up in Milford, Mass....

That's a very sharp observation, dipstick!

 

However, I've checked the guy's webpage and although I haven't found anything about his origins, he claims to live in Suffolk. And given the British spellings I'm seeing on his page, I would say it's safe to take him for a Brit.

Besides, there's also a Swansea (a city) in South Wales and a Newtown (a town) in Wales, plus a number of Milfords scattered throughout England... besides the Massachusets' namesakes you mentioned of course.

 

But your guess is really good if we omit his personal page and the map of the UK

[Ishi]

@Beta0 Yes, like the "brochure" link you just posted. That's what I am most likely to do if I actually got to design it because its very simple and I have done that before in MS Publisher. However I had the feeling, that they might have somebody else design it. 

 

I didn't feel good about myself because those guys in the printshop seem to be doing a more polished product with Photoshop.

[Beta0]

@Ishi Okay. Hmm... Better if you keep in touch with them about it and come to a decision. Just to be sure. *nods*

 

It's normal to be discouraged. The Adobe Suite is considered a standard in many jobs related to Graphic Design, including the film industry. Said statement was repeated many times while studying at college, a time when I felt like the only person who had (and still has) programs that were not from the Adobe Suite (aside from a professor who encouraged the use of these programs.) But, after some observation, I understood that it's not the program (whether it's simple or complex, popular or somewhat underrated); it's the person who works with it. The person has knowledge through education, experience or both. This applies to the guys at the printshop, too.

 

Also, here's a little extra. X]

 

(None of those videos belong to me. Sorry if they seem out of topic.)

 

 

[Maximilian]

Don't feel bad, Ishi. Even supposing that your card isn't very polished, I say that a rustic card design has its own appeal as well. If I were to be wed, I'd like some rusticity in the cards. It would give the whole thing an unusual touch. Of course it very much depends on what your friend prefers, but you can always make your case and try to convince him to go with your design. In my humble opinion, there's too much elegance in weddings and wedding cards, so I'd go with one unpolished layout for a change ?

[LionsDragon]

Ishi, first of all your work is awesome. Second, I've done everything from wedding announcements (my own) to professional restaurant signs in PDN. The ONLY issue I've ever encountered was when I needed a vector image. *grimace*

 

I have total faith in your ability to blow their minds. Congratulations to them btw!

[Ishi]

Well thanks Beta0, Maximillian and LionsDragon.

 

I assume those guys in the printshop use pre-amde elements on their work cause they needed it done fast but there is no denying that Photoshop has an advantage with polished fonts. I am well capable of those font styles they use on PDN but it would be a little more crude I believe. 

 

But as a PDN artist, I start from scratch and I take pride in that. As of now, I havent come up with anything yet cause when he called me days ago, he told me that the list of participants are not even complete and final yet. And I need the list so I can fit them into the canvass and see what works best. I have an outdated digital camera, served me well for almost 6 years now and so I used it on another wedding event last Tuesday as an unofficial photographer when I later had a most hilarious moment at the hall with the bridesmaid who happen to have caught the flower bouquet with maybe 3 dozen people present. I have traced out selected flower images from the photography into PNGs that I plan to use on the card.

 

@LionsDragon You are very right with vector graphics. They are well too smooth and fine for us to replicate on PDN. Their neatness is such a must have for design.

[Beta0]

@Ishi You're welcome.

 

Well, at least, you started with something. :]

[Scooter]

Ishi, I hope you are making progress.  All the advice so far is what I would have said as well.

  My suggestion would be to just let your imagination flow on to the screen. Each attempt and trial will yield even more ideas and directions to go in.  All of that is good, as you will create a large amount of things to pick and choose from. Also do not be afraid to ask someone else their opinion of your idea(s) , like a friend, neighbor, a clerk in the store, anybody,   as they may see things  you had not realized were even there. It could go from "it stinks" to " it's magnificent"; but more than likely somewhere in between. Then you can rework those areas and incorporate new ideas in your revised work.

As my old commercial art teacher would say "try anything, revise everything, throw out anything that is not 'perfect', then start again"  The idea was to develop you ideas, but don't be afraid to toss out a favorite idea and replace it with an even better idea.

Let us know how your doing, it sounds like a great project.