You've picked the date, the location, and the theme of your event. Now all you need is for folks to turn up! If you want to invite people to your party, you need to create and send out invitations. Some people might think that invitations are old-fashioned and not timely anymore. However, it is not true. Invitations can evoke positive emotions and leave a long-lasting visual impression.

Therefore, you should not ignore invitations as they are an important element of the event planning process. Whether you are planning a wedding, birthday, or a gender reveal party, make sure to create relevant and beautiful invitations for your guests.

But don’t sweat! It is not as challenging as it seems. All you need to do is to think of color palettes, typography, themes, photos, and event details. It can be fun. You can brainstorm ideas with your friends and family.

With thorough planning and attention to detail, you can learn how to make printable invitations. There is no need to have deep design knowledge or skills.

In today’s article, we have compiled a list of 15 useful tips. These tips can help you create memorable invitations for any occasion.

Benefits of Using Printable Invitations

Designing invitations for your event is something you can do to impress your guests and make your party even more special. Below are a few major benefits of using custom printable invitations.

• Lets your guests feel special

Indeed, every event you organize is a special occasion. Sending physical invitations shows that you put the effort and spend time to include your guests in your event. It also shows how much effort you have put into your event planning.

This will make your guests feel special. Since you would not make custom invitations for people you are not close to, they will appreciate your willingness to make them happy.

• Sets the tone of your party/event

The key here is style! Custom paper invites allow you to be even more imaginative. A personalized invitation conveys the significance of an event and clarifies what your visitors may anticipate when they come.

• Allows you to create a beautiful physical reminder

When you send custom invitations, you leave a physical reminder of the post and after the event. Every time they look at your invitation, they will remember how fun it was. In other words, they will experience positive emotions thanks to your invitation.

• It is cost-friendly

You might be shocked to find out that the cost of mass-producing store-bought invitations and printing your own invitations is around the same. This means you will be able to personalize your invitation for your individual occasion without spending a lot more money. So, if you believe you can acquire a high-quality personalized invitation without spending a lot of money, why not go with this option?

• Helps you create long-lasting memories

Depending on the style of invitation, visitors or event organizers may choose to save their invitations as souvenirs. For instance, if you're planning a first tooth party for your child, you might want to purchase additional invites to save as souvenirs for yourself. People always save such invitations!

• Allows you to save time

When using pre-printed invites, you'll have to go through and fill out the times, dates, and locations on each individual invitation, which may be a significant bother and time suck at best. Instead, you may create your invitation with all of that information already included so that once printed, all you have to do is send it to your guests. You just need to head to a post office that can handle this task for you.

• Enables you to use your creativity

Working with a printing business to make personalized invitations allows you to express your ideas. You'll be able to choose the type of paper you want, the color schemes you'll use on the invites, the typefaces you'll use, any photos or unique designs you have in mind, and, of course, what message your invitation actually conveys.

15 Useful Tips to Create Printable Invitations

1. Schedule and Plan Out

If you want to create a beautiful invitation, start planning out its design earlier. Make a realistic timeline for your small project. Use a vision board template, if needed, to imagine what options you have and what the final product will look like. If you rush, you are going to make mistakes and not achieve the results you want.

So, take your time. Think about the typography, layout, color schemes, and other details regarding your invitations. In this way, you can ensure that everything goes as planned.

2. Calculate All Expenses

Even if you print at home, the cost of ink and paper will add up, especially if you use high-quality paper. Consider factors such as invitation size, paper quality, whether your invitations will be flat or folded, and extra decorations. Don't forget about stamps and envelopes. All of these factors will help you assess if the cost savings exceed the benefits of purchasing from a professional.

3. Choose Your Invitation Dimensions

Your invitation sizes may vary depending on what type of event you are organizing and its context. Here are numerous invitation variations, ranging from tiny and square to thin and rectangular.

Below are some common dimensions for invitations:

• 3.5 x 5 inches (RSVP card)
• 5.25 x 5.25 inches (square invitation)
• 4.25 x 5.5 inches (response card)
• 4.5 x 6.25 inches (response card)
• 5 x 7 inches (standard invitation)
• 5.5 x 7.5 inches (large invitation)
• 6.5 x 8.75 inches (large invitation)
• 4 x 9.25 inches (thin invitation)

4. Pick Colors Wisely

Using the right colors is one of the essential aspects of a design. Knowing how to pair different colors together can help you set a particular tone or emotion.

You can read a lot about color theory on the internet. Consider consulting with your friends, colleagues, and family too. They can also give you some valuable feedback. In this way, you can compare different opinions and make a decision.

5. Try Different Templates

To create a beautiful invitation for your event, try different templates. Luckily, there are many templates available, and you can use the one that best fits your event/party. You can customize them without downloading the template.

Why use a template? It already has the design and illustration. All you need to do is make some changes regarding the text and color schemes to create more personal invitations.

To make your search more successful, be specific about the occasion the invitation is for. Choose an invitation template that fits your needs by adding keywords that relate to your theme, color scheme, style, and mood.

• Add text and images

To choose an image or illustration, use the drag-and-drop tool and move them to your invitation design. Also, add text boxes and other features such as animation and photo effects.

• Customize

You can customize your invite a bit more by uploading your own images, pictures, and artwork. Make sure to select your own background, color scheme, and font style. Rearrange pictures, change the size of the text and photos, duplicate or delete elements, and keep experimenting with your design.

• Print

Once you’re done, you can print them out and send them out to your guests.

6. Experiment With Fonts

A high-quality font is highly important when you make your own printable invitations. Similar to other design elements, typography plays a vital role too.

Different fonts arouse different emotions. That’s why you need to choose a font that best fits the style and mood of your event.

Luckily, there are many websites to get your fonts from. Many of them are free of charge. Even though some of these free fonts have poor designs, there are some reliable websites where you will be able to find free but high-quality fonts.

7. Choose Your Style

When creating your own invitations, make sure to have a distinct visual style for them. A visual style can highly affect the overall appearance of your invitation. Based on what visual style you choose, your color scheme, typography, and other elements will be.

Finding the right style for your invitation can be a little bit challenging at first, as there are multiple options you can try. Therefore, it would be great to do research to help you identify which style will work best for your occasion.

Consider using a mood board to gather all ideas in one place. You can also use Pinterest to get some inspiration. Simply search for invitations for a specific event, and Pinterest will bring relevant results.

8. Choose High-Quality Paper

Paper is the base of your invitation. Some people overlook the importance of paper. However, it is as important as other visual elements of your design.

You can choose from different paper options. For instance, you can use a thin or thick cardstock paper.

Smooth cardstock is a popular paper used for invitations, but there are different textures and weights to take into consideration when you create your own invitations.

9. Avoid Overdoing

When you create your own invitations, it’s crucial that you don’t crowd them with visual elements. You also need to make sure to leave blank spaces between images or text. In this way, it will be easier for people to read.

10. Add a Personal Touch

Today, many invitations are mostly designed online with the help of different design tools and software. However, it does not mean you cannot refrain from the norm and leave a personal touch.

If you are going to include handmade touches, make sure to leave space on the invitation.

11. Mind the Packaging

Invitations can include more than just a single card. The envelopes and other decorative details need to complement the invitation design but not overwhelm it.

That’s why it is important to think about your outer packaging thoroughly. Consider how the outer packaging goes with your invitation. Keep it consistent, and use the colors and typography you used for your invitations.

12. Pick Your Vendors

Online choices such as Minted and Zazzle provide beautiful invitation layouts at reasonable pricing. On Etsy, you may also discover a number of great designers that will alter their themes for you.

Consider print-at-home options as well as sending your final file to a printing shop for printing. A print shop will be able to assist you in selecting the best paper for your design, trimming the cards to the exact size, and providing that professional touch your guests deserve.

13. Decide On a File Type

To minimize unnecessary back and forth, make sure to inform your designer about the file you'll need for printing beforehand. You can choose a PDF file format if you want to achieve superb quality for your invitations.

14. Go to The Post Office

Once you are done with your invitation, head to the post office to be weighed. Keep in mind that the form of the envelope will also affect the pricing.

15. Choose Your Envelopes

After all of that printing is done, you'll need envelopes to put those lovely invites in. Choose an envelope that best suits your invitation. They do not have to be the same size as your invitation.

Summary

Want to organize a party and leave a long-lasting impression on your guests? If the answer is yes, then you should definitely consider making your own invitations.

It might seem overwhelming to choose a style, typography, and other visual elements for your invitations. However, if you plan out everything in advance and follow our tips, you will be able to easily create visually appealing invites.