Q: What’s the difference between a custom ketubah and a print?
A: A custom ketubah starts from a blank sheet of watercolor paper. I hand-calligraph your selected wedding vows in one of several fonts of your choice, and then paint your unique design around the text. It is a one-of-a-kind piece of art. A ketubah print, also called a giclée, is a reproduction of one of my original watercolors, which is scanned and digitized so that it can be printed on special paper with archival inks. The texts are typeset with computer fonts instead of hand-lettered. Because the quality of the reproduction is so high, many people are unable to detect the difference between an original and a print.
Q: How much does a custom ketubah cost?
A: A custom ketubah costs between $1000-3000 depending on the complexity of the design and the length of the texts. I can give you a range of prices when you ask about a specific design, but the final cost can’t be determined before I know your specific requirements.
Q: What is a custom print?
A: A custom print is a good alternative when your budget doesn’t allow for a custom ketubah, but you want something unique to you as a couple. I try to make it possible for every couple to have their perfect ketubah so I offer some alternatives to a fully custom ketubah. In a custom print, changes have been made to the print file. I can add/subtract symbols, change the colors, change the text, even do a hand-calligraphed text, scan it, and insert in into the print file. Depending on the extent of the changes a custom print might cost between $400-700. I’m sometimes able to use a digital photo of an existing custom piece, make changes to it in Photoshop, print it with texts done in computer fonts, and then paint details on the resulting print. The result is a hybrid print/painting. This type of ketubah might cost between $700-1000, depending on the extent of the changes and how much painting I do after it’s printed.
Q. What is a print on canvas?
A. You can choose to print your ketubah on canvas rather than paper for the effect of an oil painting. I use the industry standard–Breathing Color™ Chromata LYVE Canvas with a protective varnish finish which resists fading and discoloration for 100+ years and eliminates the need for protective glass. You can purchase the print on unstretched canvas with a 2″ border for stretching later, or stretched on 1.50″ deep wooden stretchers . Either way you can choose to add a frame to your canvas or not.
Q: How long does it take to receive our ketubah print?
A: Allow about 3 weeks after you place your order for your ketubah print to arrive.
Q: How long should we allow for a custom ketubah?
A: You should allow at least 4-6 weeks for a custom ketubah.
Q: What about rush jobs?
A: For print orders received less than three weeks before the wedding ceremony, there is a $25 rush job. There is an extra charge for overnight shipping. For custom work there is a 20% surcharge for orders received less than one month before the marriage.
Q: Can we make changes to the ketubah after we submit the order form?
A: Yes, but there is a fee according to the extent of the changes.
Q: What if we don’t know the spelling of or don’t have Hebrew names?
A: Just write the English transliteration and I’ll find the correct Hebrew spelling. If there isn’t a Hebrew name, I’ll transliterate the English name into Hebrew.
Q: Can more than 2 witnesses sign our ketubah?
A: If it is an Orthodox ketubah you can have just two witnesses. For all others you can have as many signatures as will fit on the ketubah. You just have to designate the number on the order form. The number and designation of Hebrew and English signatures does not have to match. In an Orthodox and Conservative ketubah a witness may not be a close relative of the couple.
Q: Can we see the text of our ketubah before we receive it?
A: Before I go to print, I’ll send a pdf of the texts exactly as they will look on your finished ketubah. You and your officiant should check it very carefully for errors. For a custom ketubah I’ll send a photo of the hand-calligraphed text for approval before I begin the illumination. Once a ketubah text is approved, I’m not responsible for any errors.
Q: What kind of pen should we use for signing?
A: I ship an archival, waterproof Micron pen with each ketubah. If you want to use your own pen, just make sure it’s archival or a ball point. A regular felt tipped pen will fade within a year or so.
Q: How is my ketubah shipped?
A: All ketubahs printed on paper and unstretched canvas are put into a clear plastic bag and then shipped in heavy-duty cardboard tubes via United States Postal Service Priority mail which is usually 2-3 days. Overnight shipping is available for an extra charge. Stretched canvases are shipped in cartons also via USPS.
Q: How do I get my ketubah to lie flat after I remove it from the shipping tube?
A: You can flatten your ketubah by rolling it the opposite way it was shipped. For example: if I ship the ketubah with the image rolled to the outside, reroll it with the image facing in and it will flatten.
Q: Can we see a sample of your ketubah prints?
A: For $10, refundable with your order, I’ll send you an 8.5 x 11″ sample.
