You’re about to graduate high school or college and want to let the world know about your accomplishment. At least, you want to let all of your friends and relatives know.
You may have considered making your own announcements, thinking that’s the cheapest route. Think again! With the cost of printer ink or toner plus special paper for the announcements, you may be spending a lot more than you thought.
Minted.com has one of the best selections of graduation announcements I’ve ever seen, and it’s super easy to customize your announcement using one of their gorgeous templates. Here’s how to make your own perfect graduation announcement in 15 minutes or less!
This post may contain affiliate links; please read my disclosure here.
If you’re planning to include a photo, start by selecting a few of the best recent shots of yourself. You’ll want to make sure you have a digital photo that fits well with whatever graduation announcement template you choose later.
One of my favorite templates is actually the “Through the Years” one. It lets you include eight pictures of yourself, spanning your lifetime. You can upload a baby picture plus the best pictures you have from elementary school, middle school and high school.
Try to pick photos of yourself wearing various colors. They need to be high resolution pics taken with a quality camera or phone, or scanned at a high resolution.
Make a list of everyone who should receive an announcement. If possible, ask your parents and grandparents for help.
You’ll want to make sure you don’t miss someone who might feel hurt or offended if they don’t receive a graduation announcement. You’ll also want to skip anyone who’s likely to think you’re just angling for a gift. Parents and grandparents can be a big help with this. Plus, they can ensure that you have correct mailing addresses for everyone.
When you’re ready, click here to access Minted.com’s graduation announcement section.
The card choices default to ordering by “Editor’s Picks.” If you’re looking to see the lowest cost ones, select Price (Low to High) from the drop down.
In the other filters, choose the graduation type at the far right.
For the format, Postcard and Petite will be the least expensive. Petite cards measure 4 1/2″ by 6″.
For the photo on front option, choose no photo or one photo for the least costly choice.
Finally, choose Flat rather than Foil Pressed as the Printing Type if you’re looking to save money on your graduation announcements.
Next, look through the templates and select the one you like best. Try to imagine yourself in the template. Does the announcement fit with your personality?
After picking your template, select your quantity and options on the next page. The more cards you order, the less you’ll pay per announcement. I recommend the Signature paper, which is also the cheapest option.
You can also choose to add thank you cards here, if you’d like to have personalized thank you notes for any graduation gifts you receive in response to your announcements. I am a huge stickler for thank you notes. Whether you order them with your graduation announcements or not, it’s important to send a note thanking each and every person who sends a graduation gift.
Paper thank you notes seem to have gone by the wayside for many folks, but this is a common courtesy that must not be forgotten. You’d want someone to thank you when you give them a gift, right?
After choosing your quantity, paper and thank you cards (if desired), click the Personalize button.
Here is where you choose the color scheme you’d like to use and upload your photo (if applicable). You can also click Chat to get help live from a Minted.com rep, in case you get stuck.
Click Upload (in the middle) and select the photo you’d like to use, then click Save.
Click in the card template to change the name, school and any other text information available for you to customize on the announcement.
On the left side, choose various colors to find one that looks best. At this point, you should click Save to save your design, then click Next.
You’ll see options for the back side of your graduation announcement. Make your choices and click Next.
On the following screen, you can choose your envelope design, including free recipient addressing and return address printing for an additional fee.
Click Next, and you may be prompted again for thank you cards. Either select a quantity or click Next again. One advantage to ordering thank you notes with announcements is that you almost force yourself to take the time to send thank you notes, since you’ve bought them already. It’ll be quick and easy to write a quick personal note inside and pop it in the mail after each gift you receive.
Click the box to verify that everything on your card preview is correct, then enter any special requests. Then, click Add to Cart.
You can then proceed through getting your digital proof and checking out to pay for your custom graduation announcements.
Make sure the digital proof looks exactly the way you want it before completing your order.
How About You?
Are you going through a graduation this spring, either your own or a loved one’s?
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