FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our most commonly asked questions. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Send us an email or give us a call, we are happy to help in any way.
WHAT IS LETTERPRESS PRINTING?
Letterpress is a centuries-old relief printing art form that presses a raised, inked image into paper to create a one-of-a-kind impression. At Chloe Clarke, every letterpress project is printed entirely by hand on an antique printing press - making each piece completely unique. In our technical age, letterpress is a rare hand craft. The small variations in inking, color, and position are a hallmark of authenticity and greatly add to the beauty and value of each piece.
DO YOU OFFER EMBELLISHMENTS?
Of course! We love to add ribbons, enclosures, wax seals and wraps to our invitations! We are happy to source and supply embellishments to you from our list of trusted vendors. Interested in having us assemble your suite? Ask about our White Glove mailing service and assembly offerings.
We are always looking for unique and creative ways of breaking the mold. Let’s dream up something completely unique together.
WHAT TYPE OF PAPER DO YOU USE?
At Chloe Clarke we love cotton, tree-free paper for letterpress printing. Our Premium weight house stock is everyone's favorite and available in three beautiful shades of white. We are also happy to create custom options made from our extra heavy Luxury weight. We also love to combine our cotton papers with color stocks which can be beautiful and subtle with a tone on tone effect, or bold and playful with a variety of foils.
WHAT PRINTING METHODS ARE AVAILABLE?
Our first love is letterpress, but we also use other services such a foil, engraving and flat printing (also known as digital.) We love to mix printing methods to create a unique and special piece. We have experience printing on acrylic, vellum, wood and velvet. Have something special in mind? We love trying new things and breaking the mold. Let’s talk about what we can do together, the options are limitless.
WILL YOU PROOFREAD MY DESIGN?
We are always happy to offer advice to help make your Invitation pieces perfect! We will do our best to catch any grammatical or spelling errors, however, the final proofreading responsibility is yours. We will provide you with a final PDF proof to approve so you can catch any errors before we begin printing.
CAN YOU PRINT A RUSH ORDER?
If time allows, we would be happy to accommodate a tighter timeline. Our standard timeline for an invitation suite is 6-8 weeks, however the earlier we can get started, the better. Does your order require a rush? Give us a call and we'll see what we can do (additional fees may apply.)
IS THERE A MINIMUM ORDER?
Due to the labor intensive nature of letterpress printing, we prefer the quantity of a printed item to be no less than 15. We love to work in partnership with our clients and are usually able to accommodate almost any request in multiples of 5. For pricing minimums, please visit our Investment page to learn more. All invitation suites begin at $2500 regardless of quantity.
I LIVE IN SEATTLE - CAN WE MEET?
Absolutely! We love to meet with clients to chat about future projects - and our studio (in Seattle's Portage Bay neighborhood) is the perfect place for such a meeting. To set up a consultation, please fill out the form below.
Not in Seattle? We are happy to set up a remote meeting via Zoom or the phone. Contact us to book your complementary consultation. Consultations are by appointment only.
HOW ARE MY INVITATIONS SHIPPED?
Are you in the Seattle area? If so, you are welcome to pick up your invitations at our studio! If you are outside the Seattle area we ship USPS Priority Mail with tracking or UPS or FedEx delivery.
Will you print an outside art file?
As a boutique design studio we take pride in the level of service we are able to offer our customers. In order to accommodate our workload and current list of clientele, we can not accept outside designs/art files.
DO YOU OFFER ASSEMBLY?
We are happy to provide White Glove assembly and mailing service to our clients. Included in our service is assembly of your Invitation suite, numbering of your Reply cards, postage adhered to all envelopes, and envelopes sealed. We are also happy to take your Invitations to the Post Office for hand cancelling. Please contact the studio for pricing.
CAN YOU RECREATE A DESIGN I FOUND?
Although we love to be inspired, we will not directly recreate or copy another designer’s work. We are happy to look at anything you provide for inspiration, and welcome Pinterest or mood boards to get a general sense of your visual aesthetic as we create your own unique design.
What if my plans change?
During the design process your needs may change. You may discover you need to order additional suites, add a new piece, or especially during the times of Covid-19, you may find your plans have changed entirely. We are happy to accommodate these requests. Please make sure to contact the studio directly to discuss your needs. Any adjustments/changes to your original plans will be reflected on your final invoice. Please keep in mind we have a minimum investment, regardless of quantity, which covers our time, materials and set-up costs for printing, you can learn more on our Investment page.
DO YOU have templates we can adjust?
Our studio finds joy in creating completely bespoke, unique to you, invitation suites. Because of this, we do not work with a pre-established collection of templates to be adjusted. We prefer to think outside of the box and start with a blank page so that we can create a one-of-a-kind suite that reflects you and your unique event. From our initial sketch to your final piece, everything will be customized and tailored to your liking.
THE FINE PRINT
PAYMENT: Chloe Clarke accepts multiple forms of payment including Credit Cards and Personal Checks within Washington State. Sales tax will be applied to all orders. Any shipping charges will be added to the final invoice which is due before your invitations are placed in the mail to you.
RETAINER FEE: A 50% retainer fee is required before work begins on your custom suite. This retainer is used to secure your place in our calendar, to cover design time necessary for your custom suite, as well as to begin the purchasing of materials. The retainer is non-refundable. Should the scope of work change, an updated Invoice will be sent to you with a revised balance. Please note our minimum investment remains the same regardless of quantity.
PROOFS: Complimentary PDF proofs will be sent to you throughout the design process. We do not offer digitally printed proofs or letterpress printed proofs as the production of would dramatically affect your printing schedule and timeline. We are happy to provide our clients with samples of our previous work, color swatches, envelopes and paper samples.