When it comes time to choose your wedding invitations, it can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to settle on your invitation style (with styles ranging from rustic to classic to minimalist, the choices are plentiful!), but you also have different printing methods to think about.
There are two printing processes that are most common on wedding invitations – thermography printing and flat printing, which is also known as digital printing.
So what’s the difference between the two? We’re here to solve the mystery for you!

What is Thermography Printing?
Thermography is a method of printing wedding invitations that results in a raised ink. You can see the elevation of the printing and it has a glossy or shimmery appearance. Thermography wedding invitations are classic, absolutely gorgeous and best of all, affordable!
Here’s how thermography is printed: a wedding invitation is printed and while the ink is still wet, resin is sprinkled and exposed to heat. The resin and ink fuse together, raising the lettering and artwork enough that you can see and feel the detail.
Why you’ll love it: Thermography looks expensive and is often mistaken for much more expensive engraving, but it’s really affordable. You can choose from a multitude of ink colors and even combine up to two colors, when you choose wedding invitations printed with thermography.

What is Flat or Digital Printing?
Digital printing, also known as flat-printing, is perfect for printing colorful, modern wedding invitations.
Here’s how digital wedding invitations are printed: an image is transferred to a plate, which is treated so that ink adheres to the image. The image is then applied to your wedding invitation through a press, resulting in a smooth, flat design and wording.
Why you’ll love it: Digital printing uses high-resolution, digital color to print images with excellent quality. The result is vivid color and incredible detail. While digital printing is less traditional than thermography, it’s become one of the most common methods of printing wedding invitations because of its affordable price and endless color options.
