Choose a digital download if you're short on time, want to print at your own size or material, or want to keep costs down. Choose professionally printed stationery if you want it ready to use with no printing to sort out yourself, especially for a destination wedding. This applies across invitations, save the dates, welcome signs, table plans, menus, place cards, order of the day signs, and thank you cards, both options give you the same personalised design, the difference is in turnaround, control, and convenience.
The Short Answer
| Digital Download | Professionally Printed | |
|---|---|---|
| Turnaround | Ready within 24 hours | Dispatched within 3 working days |
| What you get | A print-ready file, emailed to you | Professionally printed stationery delivered to you |
| Where it's printed | Wherever you choose | One of our print houses in 33 countries, closest to your delivery address |
| Works for | Invitations, save the dates, signs, table plans, menus, place cards, thank you cards | Same full range - printed and ready to use |
| Best for | Tight timelines, DIY printing, budget flexibility | No printing hassle, destination weddings, a guaranteed finished look |
| Shipping | None - it's a file | Free worldwide shipping included |
Digital Download: What You're Actually Getting
A digital download is a personalised, print-ready file, your names, date, wording and colours all set exactly how you want them. It's emailed to you, typically within 24 hours of ordering.
From there, you can:
- Print it yourself at home
- Take it to a local print shop and choose your own paper, card stock, or board (foam board, acrylic, wood, or canvas for signs; premium card stock for invitations, save the dates, and menus)
- Resize it to fit a specific frame, easel, or envelope you already have
Choose digital if:
- Your wedding is coming up fast and you need something in hand quickly
- You want to control the exact size or material yourself
- You're working to a tighter budget and want to print locally
- You already know a local printer whose work you trust
Professionally Printed: What You're Actually Getting
Professionally printed stationery arrives as a finished piece, no printing, cutting, folding, or mounting required. Signs, table plans, and order of the day boards are printed on 5mm white foam board: strong enough to handle transport and display, but light enough to move around easily on the day. Invitations, save the dates, menus, place cards, and thank you cards are printed on premium card stock, ready to send or set out as they are.
We work with print houses in 33 countries, so your order is printed as close to your delivery address as possible. That means faster delivery, lower customs costs, and one less thing to arrange if you're planning a destination wedding. Free worldwide shipping is included either way.
Choose printed if:
- You'd rather not deal with sourcing your own printing and materials
- You're planning a destination wedding and want it to arrive ready to use
- You want a consistent, guaranteed finish without printing it yourself
- You'd rather spend your planning time elsewhere
What About Proofs?
Whichever option you choose, you'll see your design before it's finalised in most cases. For simple personalisations (just names and a date) we usually go straight to production unless you ask for a proof first. For colour changes, more complex wording, or bespoke designs, we always send a proof within 24 hours of ordering, so you can approve it before anything is printed or sent as a final file.
Which One Actually Costs Less?
Digital downloads can be the more budget-friendly option, since you're only paying for the design file and handling your own printing. That said, our printing is surprisingly affordable, professionally printed stationery includes the board or card stock, professional-grade printing, and free worldwide shipping, so there's no separate print shop trip or material cost to factor in on top. Once you add up ink, card stock, or a trip to a print shop yourself, the gap between the two options is often smaller than you'd expect.
Our Recommendation
If your wedding is more than a few weeks away and you don't mind printing being taken care of for you, professionally printed stationery is the easier, more hands-off choice, especially if you're getting married abroad. If you're working to a tight deadline, a tighter budget, or you simply want full control over the finished look, a digital download gives you that flexibility without the wait.
You don't have to pick one option for everything, either, plenty of couples order a printed welcome sign but go digital for place cards, or the other way around, depending on what each piece needs. Either way, you get the same design, personalised to your day - the only real question is how much of the "getting it printed" part you want to take on yourself.