Stationery errors range from "annoying" (slight color shift) to "catastrophic" (wrong venue, wrong date). The remedy depends on which one is the source of the error — printer, designer, or you.
The proof approval step
Every reputable stationery vendor requires written proof approval before printing. This is non-negotiable and, when enforced, shifts responsibility significantly.
- If you approved a proof that said "June 14th" and the actual date was June 15th, the error is yours.
- If you approved a proof that said "June 15th" and the vendor printed "June 14th," the error is theirs.
- If there''s no written proof approval, Texas courts default to the contract''s specified delivery and the vendor''s professional duty to catch obvious errors.
Remedies for vendor-side errors
- Reprint at vendor cost: industry standard. Any reasonable stationer does this without a fight.
- Expedited shipping at vendor cost: if timeline tightens.
- Postage reimbursement if cards need to be re-mailed: yes, this is recoverable.
- Emergency "we''re sorry" alternative (email with updated info sent day-of postal arrival): sometimes offered alongside reprint.
Remedies for client-side errors
- Reprint at client cost: expected. Most stationers will do it at production cost rather than retail.
- Rush fee if timeline requires.
- Postage is on you.
The mixed-blame scenario
Proof said "14th," you approved it, but you meant "15th" and the designer noticed you had previously written "15th" in an email. Who''s at fault?
Texas contract law looks at:
- The last written authorization. (The proof approval.)
- Whether the vendor had reasonable notice of the correct information. (The earlier email.)
- Whether the vendor breached a professional duty. (Failing to flag the inconsistency is a yellow flag, but not automatically breach.)
Usually splits 50/50 in mediation. Full refunds are rare; partial reprints at production cost are common.
Guest-count-wrong scenarios
If the date, time, OR venue is wrong on the printed invite, you''re probably re-mailing or digitally supplementing. Do both. Send an email follow-up and a text blast with the corrected info 48 hours before the event. Don''t assume everyone reads the physical invite twice.
What to get in writing
- Proof approval records: print and keep a copy of every approved proof.
- Change logs: every time you or the vendor changed text, the date and who approved.
- The final approved file: not just a reference, but the actual PDF used for print.
The Texas-specific angle
Under the DTPA, a stationer who represents "error-free printing" or "professional proofing service" is making a representation that becomes contractually binding. If the vendor printed what you approved exactly, that was "error-free" per the contract. If the vendor printed something different from what you approved, it''s breach — and DTPA may apply, especially for repeat errors.
The emotional math
Stationery errors feel catastrophic day-of and survivable in hindsight. A misprinted invite is almost always a reprint-and-move-on situation. The one exception: wrong venue or wrong city on a destination-weekend event. That deserves the full dispute treatment.
Sources: Texas Law Help — DTPA, general Texas contract-law principles.