DIY: Invitations

Some of my friends and family members in and around Fitchburg, Ma will ask me occasionally to design invitations for them. The one caveat they usually have is they want it done on the cheap. Since most of their events are informal and don’t need the super deluxe treatment, I let them in on a little secret and tell them they can print their own invitations at home for under a hundred bucks.

There are a lot of do it yourself invitation kits to choose from at places like Michaels, Joann Crafts, even Wal-Mart and like most areas, we have these stores around Fitchburg. Heck, I know someone who found decent print-your-own invitations at the dollar store that they used for a bridal shower! They come in a variety of styles, shapes and sizes and range from formal to simple. Some larger kits even have response cards and envelopes, as well as embellishments like ribbon or fancy tags to add some extra flair to your invitation.

Pros and Cons

As you might expect, any DIY project has its benefits and drawbacks. Although this seems like it should be pretty straightforward, printing and designing your own invitations is no different.

The first pro is, of course, the cost savings. If you aren’t super picky about what your invitations need to look like, then you can really find some inexpensive options out there. Another benefit is that you can change the wording, fonts, colors as many times as you like without any added costs, something that you would have to pay for when using a professional. You can also control when you print them and not be at the mercy of the standard two week turn around time that most commercial print vendors require.

So what are some of the drawbacks of designing and printing your own invitations?  A big one that most people would never expect is the time that it takes to design and print. These are the types of projects that people in my industry know will take far longer than expected due to file mishaps, weird printing issues, and general unforeseen wacko circumstances that inevitably pop up. I was recently printing a card from a template like this. I had it all set up and ready to go, but each time I printed it, the set up was off. It looked perfect on the screen but for some reason, I still don’t know why, it just would not print correctly. I had to adjust the layout in the file and test print until it was right. Needless to say by that point the file looked completely bonkers and I had wasted cards in trying to fix this bizarre error. Which leads me to the next con; you have a limited number of chances to make mistakes. Most kits will provide a few extra cards, but if you run into any issues with printing like the one I did, you will likely have to buy an extra pack to replace what you lost. Another sacrifice you make is quality. The ink from your printer is not the same as the ink that is used with a commercial printer. It will very likely look dull or faded once it’s printed out, and you have less control of the color that prints. It will almost never match what you see on your screen. But I think the biggest drawback is that you will have to spend more time than you expect on designing the invitation. Choosing fonts, color, and creating a layout that looks more interesting than a paragraph or a few sentences takes time. Most folks don’t really know how to begin designing a layout beyond a letter format. And if, like most, you only have the fonts that came with your computer, then you are very limited unless you know how to find and download safe fonts online.

So to recap; pros are potential cost savings, unlimited editing, freedom to print according to your own schedule. Cons are it’s very time consuming, there’s a small margin of error for printing issues, which could actually cost you more money than you planned on, and graphic design is subject to your abilities and the limitations of what resources you have available to you.

The bottom line is, if the event is laid back and casual and you just want to get the word out, take a stab at creating your own invitations. But if it’s a formal event or one that is really important to you, an beautifully designed invitation is the way to go. Sometimes it’s just best to hire a professional graphic designer.

Thanks for reading! If you have any design questions, please contact me. I’m happy to help! And if you liked reading this, please share!