Custom Design

If you can imagine it, we can almost certainly create it. Find your inspiration in our designs, and let us tailor invitations, stationery or holiday cards to fit you perfectly. Customizing can be as simple as choosing your colors, or as multifaceted as starting fresh on something completely new and all you.

PAPER & MATERIALS

PRINTING TECHNIQUES

TYPE & LETTERING

CUSTOM ILLUSTRATION

PAPER & MATERIALS
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PRINTING TECHNIQUES
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TYPE & LETTERING
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CUSTOM ILLUSTRATION
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PAPER & MATERIALS

Paper, ribbons, rhinestones, and other accoutrements to enhance your color palette.

Paper

Real Card Studio offers eco-friendly paper, in an array of colors, in textures ranging from smooth and shiny to cotton and rustic. Papers are produced with tree-free, recycled and post-consumer materials, or in mills that use alternate energy sources, like water or wind.

Liners & Layers

With handmade papers made in the U.S.A., Germany, Italy, India, Nepal, Thailand, Japan, Mexico and other exotic paper-making places, you can add color and interest to you envelope as a liner, or as an accent layer on your invitation.

Ribbon

We use only the highest quality ribbons, including double-face satin, hand-dyed ombre silk, dupioni silk, cotton herringbone, taffeta, grosgrain, sheer organdy, waxed cord, suede cord and other distinctive materials. (Our bow-tying skills are rather impressive, too.)

Rhinestones

Swarovski crystals in a multitude of colors and sizes, expertly hand applied, will give your piece exactly enough sparkle.

Felt Dots

The softer, fuzzier, more fun cousin of the rhinestone! Flat, circular dots in a range of bright colors in a variety of sizes to playfully embellish any card.

PRINTING TECHNIQUES

Artisan print techniques include letterpress, foil, offset, embossing and custom die-cut shapes.

Earth-friendly letterpress and offset printing is done with vegetable and soy-based low VOC inks, with minimal waste and proper disposal. We re-use all packing and shipping materials, minimize waste, and recycle everything else. We’ll recommend the most eco-conscious materials and practices for your project.

Letterpress

Using a polymer plate, printing is pressed into the paper with ink, leaving an inked impression and giving dimension and texture to the design. (Works without ink for, what is called, a blind hit or blind impression.)

Metallic Foil

Also a letterpress method, using a copper plate, printing is pressed onto the paper against a sheet of colored foil, leaving a slight impression with completely opaque results. Ideal for printing light colors on dark papers, or adding a dazzling metallic shine to your design.

Gloss or Pigment Foil

Just like metallic foil, without the mirrored effect. It’s a bit like printing in nail polish: completely opaque, with a glossy shine. If you want black paper with white printing, gloss pigment foil is how we’ll print.

Die-Cutting

Circles, rounded corners, stars, quatrefoils, ogees, peace signs . . . if your dream card or folder has a shape other than rectangle or square, it will be die-cut. We have a great selection of in-house options for pocket folders, custom envelopes, all the shapes listed above (and then some), as well as the unique ability to create something new just for you.

Duplexing

Get thicker, more interesting cards with a custom 2, 3 or 4 ply combination. We can custom duplex any paper to make it heavier, or make a two-sided paper with a different color or pattern on the back.

TYPE & LETTERING

Modern, distinctive, classic and beautiful typestyles and custom hand lettering to perfectly relay your message.

Layout

Follow our lead, mix and match designs throughout our collection, or relay your own ideas and let our designers layout a couple of options to bring your vision to life.

Type

We have a vast selection of Studio Typestyles to choose, from thin sans-serif, to bold roman styles, and plenty of fancy script or hand-writing style as well. Pick your favorite, or let us recommend something suited to your event and

Lettering and Monograms

Many of our designs feature calligraphy, which is hand lettered by an artist. Having a custom monogram or your name lettered by hand gives it a very unique look, not achievable using cursive fonts. Hand lettering is also available, for envelope addressing, seating cards and place cards, if you really want to spoil your guests!

ILLUSTRATION

Library of motifs, borders, flourishes, as well as custom illustrated portraits, custom icons and hand-drawn maps.

Illustration

Choose from one of our Studio Illustrations, request something you don’t see that we may have in our archives, or have our illustrator create something just for you. Custom illustration is a great way to get that just right icon to represent special events, a keepsake portrait in lieu of a photo, a custom wedding party illustration for your program, or a hand drawn map specific to your event location.

About Us

When it needs to be perfect.

Real Card Studio creates bold, beautiful invitations and stationery. We believe that luxury is personal, and a truly memorable invitation will not just announce your event, but reflect who you are. And it is our desire to make your personal statement a bold one.

Considered one of the most exclusive invitation collections by stationers across the country, owner and creative director Heather van Breda’s work combines elegance, daring and craft to create one-of-a-kind invitations. Impeccably letterpress printed on exceptional papers, and locally hand assembled to ensure the best quality production, Real Card Studio’s exciting designs take their cues from everywhere: nature and travel, architecture and graphic design, contemporary art, fashion and haute couture.

Who we are

Integral to launching the company in 2002, Heather van Breda became the owner of the business in 2007. As a University of Washington School of Art graduate, Heather found inspiration in such varied styles as Baroque sculpture, 20th century Mexican painting,
mid-century painting and architecture, and aboriginal art.
A coffee-addicted Seattleite, Heather is raising two beautiful boys with her husband Peter, a dashing émigré from South Africa.

‘We have searched the universe online for wedding invitations. Nothing made stars twinkle or bells ring until we came upon Real Card Studio.‘
Tonina, Scotland

‘Seriously! Jenni and I just squealed like little girls when our package came! I am in love love love love!!!!! Thank you so much! They are exactly what I was thinking!’
Lauren, Rock Paper Scissors, Franklin, TN

‘Thank you Heather. I am impressed (and grateful) at the level at which you work.‘
Mr. Ray, Charleston, SC

Store Locator

Visit one of our stationery partners near you to discuss your custom project, and experience our work the way it was intended: with your hands.

CHOOSE YOUR STATE

AL

CA

CO

CT

DC

FL

GA

IL

IN

KS

LA

MA

MD

ME

MI

MN

MS

NC

NJ

NY

OH

OK

PA

TN

TX

VA

VT

WA

WI

Contact Us

Please consult our listing of retailers across the country to find one near you. Should you not find a local shop, by all means contact us and we’ll make a personal referral or work with you directly.

GENERAL QUESTIONS
info@realcardstudio.com

TELEPHONE
206 / 320 7714

RETAILER INQUIRIES
partners@realcardstudio.com

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH US

Rock Paper Scissors in Franklin, TN

Union Street Papery in San Francisco, CA

You do such beautiful, consistent, professional and COOL work.’
Viva, Kate’s Paperie, NYC

‘Thank you so much for your professional handling of our order! I will show your book to clients with accolades for your wonderful customer service.’
Leorah, Ink! by Kymberli Parker, San Diego, CA

‘I can not tell you how many phone calls we make everyday to other companies about crooked printing, mistakes, wrong papers, and just poor quality! Doing an order from y'all is a treat for us because we don't have to worry about the quality!’‘
Kristen, RSVP Stationery, Virginia Beach, VA

Become Our Partner

We are always looking for professional partners to represent us in new areas.
If you have a retail stationery business and interested in offering Real Card Studio to your clients, please contact us.

RETAILER INQUIRIES
partners@realcardstudio.com

TELEPHONE
206 / 320 7714

Wedding

Mitzvah

Stationery

Holiday

Custom Design

When it needs to be perfect.

Who we are

Visit one of our stationery partners near you to discuss your custom project, and experience our work the way it was intended: with your hands.

Please consult our listing of retailers across the country to find one near you. Should you not find a local shop, by all means contact us and we’ll make a personal referral or work with you directly.

We are always looking for professional partners to represent us in new areas.
If you have a retail stationery business and interested in offering Real Card Studio to your clients, please contact us.

Wedding

Mitzvah

Stationery

Holiday

Custom Design

When it needs to be perfect.

Who we are

Visit one of our stationery partners near you to discuss your custom project, and experience our work the way it was intended: with your hands.

Please consult our listing of retailers across the country to find one near you. Should you not find a local shop, by all means contact us and we’ll make a personal referral or work with you directly.

We are always looking for professional partners to represent us in new areas. If you have a retail stationery business and interested in offering Real Card Studio to your clients, please contact us.

We are always looking for professional partners to represent us in new areas.
If you have a retail stationery business and interested in offering Real Card Studio to your clients, please contact us.