How does letterpress look on different colours and thickness of card?

When letterpress printing was invented an impression into the card was never intended - the technique was purely to transfer ink.

However, letterpressing is such a cool, physical printing process, that in modern times we like it a bit more touchy-feely. Running your fingers over the vintage-created texture is certainly a big part of the appeal.

The final result of your letterpress depends on a few factors. Obviously the colour ink you choose is very important, but so too is the type of card and the thickness/weight (gsm) that you choose.

Standard or Double Thickness stock?

Letterpress printing on a more rigid stock like Gmund Colors Matt or Woodland will produce a crisper result with less impression than on a softer cotton-blend stock like Gmund Colors Cotton.

• On the left is Woodland Matcha in the single thickness/weight of 302gsm. On the right the Matcha's been duplexed to Double Thickness 604gsm. There's a greater depth of impression (the shadows created have also made the colours look a little a darker in this example).
• With Double Thickness stocks we can apply more pressure to the stock to create a greater impression.

Letterpress printing on coloured card

Don't forget that the colour of your letterpress ink is also affected by the colour of your stock. 

• Pantone uncoated inks used in Letterpressing are translucent - you'll only get a close colour match to your chosen Pantone Uncoated colour if you choose a white stock. A change in colour is slightly noticable on pale coloured stocks.
• Because Pantone inks are translucent, you can't use an ink lighter than your stock - the ink will just sink into the stock and either disappear or leave just a 'shadow' in the impression on the card.
• Choosing stocks and Pantone inks in the same colour palette (green on green, blue on blue etc) works really well and can look stunning. It's also a bit easier to anticipate the final look.

This two colour (2PMS) design uses the same two inks (Pantone 346 and Orange 021) on different coloured stocks - so you can really see the difference.

On a white stock the Pantone inks are a very close match. 

On the Terracotta stock, both colours are darker and the orange ink is more intense.

Design Tips

• The easiest way to choose a Pantone colour is using our Paper Colour Values Chart. 
• You can also use a Pantone book. It must be the Pantone Solid Uncoated colours (PMS U) book.  
  It's essential you choose from the Solid Uncoated book (or choose from our Paper Colours Value Chart) as the 'recipe' is different to other unsuitable Pantone colours. Even the same colour COATED ink can appear very different to uncoated ink.
• Don't reference CMYK or Hex codes - we can't match these to a Pantone for you.
• Remember that colours look very different from screen to screen. Computer screens display in RGB, so you'll get an idea, but not a match to the actual Pantone ink.

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