Letterpress is considered the oldest form of printing and it remained the primary way to print until the twentieth century when offset printing was developed. The process starts when ink is applied to raised surfaces of a metal plate, then the metal plate is pressed into paper to create an impression. Letterpress plates are available as photopolymer or copper, at Cannelli Printing we prefer to use copper plates because copper gives a deeper and stronger impression. The cost for copper is slightly higher than photopolymer but the overall quality is much better. Letterpress is most often used for business cards, save the dates and custom wedding invitations.​