Light
Digital file only
£425
one-time, digital delivery
- Personalised watercolour illustration
- High-resolution digital file (PDF) of the final design
- Giclée printed cards
- Handmade envelopes
- Posted to recipients
- Bespoke seal stamp
Bespoke watercolour commissions
Personalised
watercolour
illustrations,
designed for you
in our London studio.
Send us your images and the desired illustration. We design a bespoke watercolour illustration, printed on fine art textured paper with hand deckled edges in our studio.
We can even have them stamped and posted directly to recipients from your address book.
- Personalised watercolour illustration from your images
- Textured art paper, A6 folded, deckled by hand
- 3 rounds of refinement included
- One finished card to approve before the print run
The process
Four considered steps, no surprises.
Every card is a bespoke commission, designed from scratch. Here is what to expect from the day you order to the day your guests open theirs.
- 01
Send your images, illustration brief, and announcement
Upload up to eight images (baby, people, places, clothing, house, etc.) and tell us the details: what they should be wearing, how to pose them, the florals and palette you imagine, any keepsakes you'd like included. Send through the words to print inside as well: the name, date, weight, or a line of your own. We can also choose a direction for you.
- 02
Designed in our studio
We design your personalised watercolour illustration and send a first draft within five working days. Three rounds of refinement are included before the commission is approved. Further refinements are charged at £100 per round.
- 03
Approve a sample
Before any quantity is printed, we send a single finished card to your door. Hold it in your hand, feel the paper, approve it. Then we go to print.
- 04
Printed, finished, sent
Cards are Giclée printed on hand-deckled, textured fine art paper and paired with handmade envelopes. Deluxe orders are also stamped and posted directly to recipients from the list you provide.
The card
One card. Made to be kept.
We make the cards we would want to keep ourselves. Each commission is digitally composed and art-directed, then printed as a fine-art giclée piece on Hahnemühle German Etching, a 310gsm fine art paper from a German mill that has been pressing paper since 1584. The surface is heavily textured and matte, holding watercolour with the depth and softness of original artwork. It is 100% alpha cellulose, archival rated to over a century, so the colours hold for a lifetime.
Every print is then deckled by hand. We tear each edge rather than cutting it, the way fine art paper was naturally edged for centuries when sheets were lifted from the deckle frame. No two torn silhouettes are alike, the line catches the light, and the card carries a quiet sense of craft the moment it is opened. One tree is planted for every order.
The card folds from a single A5 sheet down to A6. Your announcement sits on the inside: the name, the date, the weight, a line of your own.
- Paper
- Hahnemühle German Etching, 310gsm
- Surface
- Heavily textured, matte, natural white
- Format
- A5 folded to A6, your announcement on the inside
- Edges
- Hand-torn deckled, one card at a time
- Envelope
- Handmade, paired tonally to the illustration
- Printed
- Giclée, archival to 100+ years
Packages
From a digital illustration to a fully sealed and posted edition.
Choose how far we take your commission. A finished card sample is included with every printed package before the full print run. All prices in GBP and inclusive of VAT.
Most chosen
Full
Printed and sent to you, in handmade envelopes
From
£520
for 10 cards · per-card price decreases at larger quantities
- Personalised watercolour illustration
- Giclée printed on fine art textured paper
- Personalised announcement stamped inside the card
- Handmade envelope, one per card
- Finished pack sent direct to you
- Stamped and posted to recipients
- Bespoke seal stamp
Deluxe
Stamped, sealed, and posted to recipients from your address book
From
£620
for 10 cards · per-card price decreases at larger quantities
- Personalised watercolour illustration
- Giclée printed on fine art textured paper
- Personalised announcement stamped inside the card
- Handmade envelope, one per card
- Bespoke seal stamp on every envelope
- Stamped and posted directly to recipients from your address book
Pricing details
How the pricing works.
Each Ottilie Paperie announcement begins with a bespoke artwork commission, followed by a printed sample for approval. Once the sample is approved, your full edition is printed on German etching paper, giclée printed, hand-deckled, and paired with handmade envelopes.
For Full and Deluxe commissions, the final price depends on the number of cards ordered. The commission deposit is paid at order; the balance is paid after sample approval, before the full print run.
Commission deposit
Paid at order. Covers the artwork commission and printed sample.
- Bespoke artwork commission
- £325
- Printed sample card, delivered
- £30
- Total deposit
- £355
Per card
Paid after sample approval, before the full print run.
- 10 to 24 cards
- £16.50 per card
- 25 to 49 cards
- £15 per card
- 50 to 99 cards
- £13.50 per card
- 100 to 249 cards
- £12.50 per card
- 250 cards or more
- £11.50 per card
Each card includes giclée printing on German etching paper, a hand-deckled finish, and one handmade envelope.
Minimum order: 10 cards.
Deluxe service
For clients who would like the entire announcement handled from start to finish.
- Address, seal, stamp & post
- £10 per card
Includes recipient labelling, sealing, stamping, and posting from your supplied address list. A bespoke seal stamp is included and used on every envelope.
International postage quoted separately.
Refinements
Three rounds of refinement are included with every commission. Further refinements are charged at £100 per round. Most commissions are approved within the included three rounds.
Our promise
What you can count on.
A personalised commission, never a template
Every card is a bespoke watercolour illustration, designed from scratch in our studio. No filters, no presets. Each commission is original to you.
Three rounds of refinement
We expect to refine. The first draft is a conversation: adjust the pose, the florals, the palette, the words. Three rounds are included with every commission. Further refinements are £100 per round, and most commissions are approved within the included three.
A sample before we print
We post a single finished card to your door before the full run. Approve it in your hands, on real paper, in real light. Only then do we go to press.
Questions
Most asked, answered.
Can't find what you're looking for? Write to us directly at studio@ottiliepaperie.com.
How long does it take from order to delivery?
Standard turnaround is 3 to 4 weeks from the day you place your order: roughly a week for the first illustration draft, a few days for refinements, three days for the sample card, then print and finish.
What if I want changes to the illustration?
Three rounds of refinement are included with every commission. Most commissions are approved within the included three rounds. Further refinements are charged at £100 per round, so you always know where you stand.
Can you send the cards internationally?
Yes. The studio is based in London but we ship the finished commission anywhere in the world. For the Deluxe package, we will also have your cards stamped and posted directly to recipients from the list you provide. International postage is charged at cost.
What do I need to provide?
Up to eight images and a detailed brief: what the figures should be wearing, how they are positioned, any florals or motifs, the palette. The more specific you are, the closer the first draft will be to what you imagined. You also provide the words for the inside of the card. We can choose a direction for you if you would rather we lead.
Who writes the announcement message inside the card?
You do. The card folds from A5 down to A6, leaving the inside free for your announcement: the baby's name, date of birth, weight, and any line of your own. Send the wording through with your brief and we set it in our typography. We can suggest phrasing if you would prefer we draft something for you to approve.
When do I pay?
A deposit is taken when you place your order. This covers the illustration work and the sample card. The balance is charged once you have approved the sample and we proceed to the full print run.