Invitations

What it's for

A printed invitation tells guests the day matters. Families order them for graduation parties, baby and bridal showers, milestone birthdays and retirements; businesses and nonprofits order them for grand openings, ribbon cuttings, holiday parties, galas and fundraising dinners. A card on the fridge gets remembered in a way a group text does not. Start from a template, add a photo if you like, and we will look over every detail with you on the proof, from the spelling of a name to the RSVP date.

Sizes, paper and printing

Invitations are printed in full color on thick card stock, on one side or both, standing tall or laid wide at the same price. Choose 5 by 7 inches, the classic invitation size; A2, 4.25 by 5.5 inches, for smaller invitations and for RSVP and reply cards; 4 by 6 inches, which mails as a postcard; or 6 by 9 inches for a big announcement (for a card that folds and opens, see our greeting cards). Put the event on the front and the details, a map or an RSVP QR code on the back. Design yours online from an invitation template, or upload a print-ready file.

Invitations for every occasion

The templates cover graduation parties, showers, birthdays, retirements, reunions, holiday parties, customer appreciation nights, ribbon cuttings and galas, in layouts from formal serif type to bright and playful. Every one has the lines guests look for: what it is, who it is for, the day and date, the time, the place and how to reply. Change the colors to match the party, swap in your own photo and move things around until it looks the way you want.

Sizes and the envelopes they fit

A 5 by 7 invitation fits an A7 envelope, which measures 5.25 by 7.25 inches, and an A2 card fits an A2 envelope, 4.375 by 5.75 inches. The A2 size is also the usual size for a reply card tucked in with a 5 by 7 invitation, so the two sizes work well together. Envelopes are a separate order. Need envelopes? Ask us.

Paper and finish

Standard card is thick enough to feel like an invitation and stand up on a mantel; Premium is thicker still, and Luxe is laminated. Glossy makes photos bright, matte reads without glare, soft touch feels velvety, and writable leaves a back you can write a note on. Colors and photos print sharp, and a background can run all the way to the edge.

Pearl and kraft invitations

For a wedding, a shower or a gala, pearl paper has a soft shimmer in the card itself that catches the light; for a rustic or garden party, kraft is a thick, natural brown board printed without white ink. Both come in 5 by 7 and A2, with business cards to match. See every finish on our specialty printing page.

Gold and silver foil invitations

For a wedding, a gala or a milestone party, our foil invitations put gold or silver metallic foil on the names, the date or a border: select the words or shapes that should shine and press Foil, and they shine on screen as they will in print. They come in 5 by 7 and A2 on a thick laminated card. See every foil piece on our metallic foil printing page.

What an invitation should say

Lead with the reason for the party and the guest of honor, then the day, the date and the time, then the place with a full street address. Close with how and by when to reply: a phone number, an email, or a QR code that opens an RSVP form. Keep the QR code about an inch square, print the web address beside it, and test it with your own phone before you approve the proof. Spell out the date with its weekday, and check both against a calendar.

Mailing invitations

A 5 by 7 card in an A7 envelope is a standard letter to the post office, so it usually goes for one first-class stamp. Square envelopes and very thick or lumpy envelopes cost more to mail because they cannot run through the sorting machines. Weigh one finished invitation with its envelope and any inserts before you buy stamps for the whole list.

When to send them

As a rule of thumb, mail party and shower invitations three to four weeks ahead, galas and business events four to six weeks ahead, and wedding invitations six to eight weeks ahead, with the reply date about three weeks before the day. If guests are traveling, send a save the date months earlier. Work back from those dates to decide when to order, and leave a few days for the proof.

How ordering works

Design it online: start from one of our templates or your own logo, or upload a print-ready file in the designer, and see the price for every quantity as you go. The price is for the whole order, from 25, and the more you order, the less each one costs. We check every file and send a proof within 1 business day, and nothing is made until you approve it. It is ready to pick up or ships 4 to 6 business days after you approve the proof. Rush orders are printed the next business day, with no separate proof: the design on your screen is what prints. See how rush printing works. Pick it up free at our Hopewell Junction shop, or we ship it anywhere in the US.

Questions about invitations