The History of Personalized Stationery
Stationery was first used by the elite in Europe during the late 17th century to announce important social occasions. The royal class announced new family members or invited their peers to elaborate celebrations through the delivery of handwritten notes. Writing was a privilege of the educated so there was no demand for the mass production of stationery products.
For many years handwritten stationery was considered a luxury item enjoyed only by an entitled few. Each stationery note or card could be individually customized with the recipient's name, address and a personal sentiment. Hot wax seals of the family crest were often used to close the envelope for privacy and decoration. Servants hand delivered stationery to worthy recipients on foot or on horseback.
The printing press did not have a role in social stationery until the end of the 19th century. Printed notes were still expensive and out of financial reach for most people. Following tradition, the aristocracy soon began sending mass produced notes as a symbol of their wealth. As industrialization drove down the cost of printing, stationery gradually became available to the mass market.
Many original methods of printing stationery are still available. Recently there has been a resurgence of custom stationery that is handmade and assembled. Today, with desktop publishing software and personal printers, it is even possible for many people to design, write and print their own social stationery. No matter what technology brings, the finest stationery still requires high quality paper and a traditional printing processes.