If you’re searching for an experienced calligrapher for your corporate event invitations, to write certificates in calligraphy or address envelopes to important business clients, the choice can be overwhelming. With so many calligraphers available throughout the UK, you’ll need to know what to look for – and the pitfalls to avoid when choosing a professional calligrapher for your brief.
Corporate and event calligraphy services – 7 essentials to look for when choosing a calligrapher
1. A calligrapher who will meet your deadlines and deliver on time
Let’s begin with the blatantly obvious: when you’re hiring a calligrapher to address invitations for a corporate event, it’s essential your calligraphy is delivered on time.
As a calligrapher with 20 years experience I’ve worked with many business clients. I know that it’s often a rush for my client to gather names and address details for invitees. I’ll clear my schedule in advance of a corporate calligraphy job landing on my desk, and ensure I’ve built in flexibility to complete the job to the required timelines.
2. An experienced calligrapher providing quality & versatility
The finished calligraphy has to look perfect. Professional certificates with calligraphy have to look impressive. Invitations for a showcase event will be sent to your prized customers, important clients and VIP guests. Every single one has to delight the recipient (and your company’s directors and shareholders). Quality is essential and only a very experienced calligrapher can guarantee this.
Versatility in calligraphy gives choice to my corporate clients. Rather than a single style, I offer multiple calligraphy style options for event calligraphy, from flourished modern lettering to classic copperplate calligraphy. Many modern calligraphers specialise in a single handwriting style, while my scripts have been developed over many years and based on timeless lettering traditions.
3. Someone whose lettering and customer service will meet expectations
Part of the process of ordering calligraphy for a corporate event is setting expectations. A professional calligrapher will explain the process, provide timings and be clear about what they need from you as their client.
Calligraphers need print overs – as a rule, 5 – 10% overs on your print run will be required. (If you have 200 names on your guest list, print 220 invitations to send to your calligrapher.) This allows for any imperfections in the card which might cause calligraphy ink to bleed. It allows your calligrapher to perfect alignment (especially important where names and addresses have to be centred).
Print overs also mean any last minute additions to your guest list can be added to your calligraphy order.
Finally, having spare invitations means your calligrapher can get into the flow of writing on the stationery you’ve provided. I say this as a calligrapher with more experience than most: even the very best calligraphers will agree that the first few invitations they calligraph won’t be their finest: establishing flow and familiarity with the job means smoother, better-looking calligraphy. Having enough invitations to practice three or four before beginning in earnest will mean all of your calligraphy looks equally beautiful.
Scheduling and timelines
Before working full time as a calligrapher, I worked with print teams in a marketing role. I’ve seen first-hand the tight turnaround times on 90% of print runs – and I know events are no exception.
From the outset, with any corporate calligraphy job I will ask for the timings you and your departments are working to. I will then provide a schedule to show you how long calligraphy and delivery is likely to take, based on your quantities. You’ll know from day one when to expect receipt of your calligraphed stationery from me.
4. A professional calligrapher who gives clear communication
I’ll let you know from day one what I can and can’t do, and how long your calligraphy will take. I can generally address 150 invitations in a day; or 50 envelopes.
I won’t promise to write on a paper type I haven’t tried and tested. (Glossy print, coatings or lamination of any kind can render paper unsuitable for calligraphy, for example.)
If anything goes wrong I will come to you straight away with a proposed solution. Most commonly, guest lists are delayed. The immediate solution is to send me what you have so I can make a start.
With delays of a day or more, we simply adapt the schedule (and I will have made room in my calendar to provide for this).
5. Mistake-free calligraphy on your event invitations, envelopes or certificates
This is where I confess to being a grammar and spelling nerd. I spot mistakes in guest lists. I have a slightly freaky knowledge of UK postcodes so if anything doesn’t look quite right I will often pick up on it and double check addresses and details with you.
Every calligraphy order that leaves my studio is checked and double-checked. You won’t receive errors in your calligraphy order*. You won’t be missing any names from your list*, and everything will be returned to you in order according to your list.
*Any mistakes which do happen – and I have to emphasise how rare this is! – will be rectified straight away.
6. Top quality packaging and safe delivery
A printer I once worked with carried out ‘warehouse testing’ on all the parcels they sent: packaging print orders as carefully as they could and then playing football with them before reopening and checking to see if the contents had survived in pristine condition. This isn’t something I’d ever do – but I’m aware that sometimes even the best couriers will drop (kick) a parcel or load a wardrobe on top of a small box of invitations in their van. So I will very carefully package any calligraphy order being sent by Royal Mail or DPD** as if it were the Crown Jewels. Even if certificates are delivered to me lightly wrapped in a flimsy box, they’ll come back to you in layers of protective wrapping, just in case someone tries to squish them in transit.
**These are the two delivery services I use, because they’ve proved to be most cost effective and reliable.
7. Availability to calligraph last minute invitations for stragglers
Just as with weddings, there are always last minute additions to a guest list for corporate calligraphy. You don’t have to worry about these: I’m fully expecting them! I’ll be there with my pens when you need me.
Last minute additions are best sent in batches (e.g. a list of 7 at the end of a day, rather than a new email every hour!) and if they arrive after your main order has been despatched, I’ll charge you for postage and packing.
My previous corporate calligraphy clients include:
The British Council
The BBC
Kirstie Allsopp
Louis Vuitton
Art Directors’ Club of Europe
Cottrills Jewellers
Grasmere Gingerbread
Selfridges
The Wolf House Silverdale
A note: in-store calligraphy service providers
I don’t offer in-store calligraphy services outside of Cumbria. Many UK calligraphers are available who can write on perfume bottles or gift wrap for Christmas in-stores. They’re often the modern calligraphers and specialise in this role – and do it brilliantly.
However, I’ve been approached in the past and the fees for this service are generally below minimum wage once I’ve included travel expenses. My event calligraphy services are generally pre-event: I’ll calligraph names on your invitations, address your envelopes and add names to place cards and certificates.
Please contact me with any questions.