All personalized stationery is customized to some degree. When selecting stationery or an invitation, the first decision in the selection process is to determine the paper you will use. Some papers, particularly those made from cotton or “rag” by-products, are often softer or more textured than paper made from wood fiber. Nevertheless, both are of extremely high quality and well-adapted for personalization. Hand-made and recycled papers and other crop alternatives are just beginning to emerge as environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional paper fiber sources. As you sort through the various paper samples, you will quickly identify the paper that “feels right” and has the right color and texture for your stationery or invitation.
Paper weight is also an important consideration in your selection process. Paper weight is measured in pounds (#) in the United States and grams in most other countries of the world. For instance, paper for copy machines is generally 20# (pounds): a measurement term established long ago as the weight of 500 sheets of uncut paper at a mill. We strongly suggest that you not get too hung-up on the technicalities of paper weight: The best way to determine the paper weight that works best for you is to “feel it and bend it.”
While the two prevalent paper colors are white and ecru (off-white or cream), there are hundreds of variations on these two colors as each manufacturer has their own versions of white and ecru. Also, within the last 10 years we have seen an explosion of paper that has been dyed to produce some stunning array of colors. In short, you have an endless source of color and paper combinations to stamp your personality on your custom-made stationery or invitation.