Choosing A Paper Weight
Once you have your paper selected, its time to choose the weight, or thickness.
In the U.S., cardstock is measured in pounds , whereas in Europe cardstock is measured in grams per square metre . While the American system is less unified and uses a different weight for different categories of paper , since were based in the U.S. were going to be talking in terms of American pounds.
Just note that when it comes to paper weights, a sheet of 80# text weight paper is totally different than 80# cardstock paper. This can get confusing when purchasing paper from places like Amazon, so always make sure youre buying cover weight or cardstock paper.
Cardstock weight ranges from 45# to 300# or higher. While it comes in varying weights, the feel of cardstock most closely resembles that of a postcard or business card. Its sturdy and doesnt bend easily, which makes it perfect for wedding stationery.
A good rule of thumb is the higher the weight in pounds, the thicker the cardstock. The thicker the cardstock, the better your invitations will look and feel, especially if youre printing them yourself.
Cardstock weight is a personal choice that depends on budget, preference, and the overall tone you want to set for your wedding. Heres how the different weights stack up.
Looking For Printing Companies To Print Your Designs
There are lots of great printers in Ireland that can take the hassle out of home printing and often for pretty competitive prices. Many of these companies will take your own designs to print, collate and cut to size. If you are going this route, be sure to have them do a test print first to make sure you are happy with the colour and quality.
How I Printed My Invitations For $60
So in case youre wondering how I printed my reception invitations for less than $60, heres the breakdown:
- Bought 100 pre-cut cards and envelopes from Michaels on sale: $22
- Bought two rounds of black photo ink from Amazon: $24
- Sent everyone to our wedding website for details and RSVP: $0
Total cost: $46
But even if you are going to buy a template, you can purchase some pretty $13 templates and still come out around $59.
So there you have it! Our tips for making your own wedding invitations without breaking the bank. Have questions? Need more details? Let us know in the comments below.
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Unless Youre A Designer Buy A Template
Listen, I have years and years of graphic design experience, and there were still many times in the process of designing and making my own wedding invitations that I wanted to scream. Do yourself a huge favor and buy a template from a designer. Etsy is absolutely swimming with different options in almost any style you could imagine. But before you commit to one, read on for more guidelines to consider.
Print At Home Invitations: Top 3 Questions
Are print at home invitations easy to edit yourself, even if youre not tech savvy?
YES! Of course, it depends on where you shop. For printable wedding invitations at , the process is very easy. They use Templett, built right into your web browser, which makes it extremely easy for you to edit the details yourself.
Are these wedding invites printable at any print store?
YES! These wedding invites can be printed at home with your own printer if youre not extremely savvy with your printer, we recommend going to a copy center i.e. FedEx Office, Kinkos, Staples, OfficeMax / OfficeDepot, or photo lab such as CVS or Costco.
Can you buy stationery other than printable wedding invites?
YES! Wedding invites arent the only printable available you can buy matching products from bridal shower invites to be my bridesmaid cards, all print at home!
Lets take a look at examples of printable wedding invitations to inspire you.
Floral Printable Wedding Invitations
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Cost For My Diy Wedding Invitations
In total I spent $167.85 for all the papers, but if we want to break it down to cost-per-invite, heres the tally:
I got 2 pieces of SeaGlass backing out of each sheet so that is .54/2= .27 per piece
I got 2 pieces of Opal middle layer out of each sheet which is.22/2= .11 per piece
I got 3 pieces of IceBlue top layer out of each sheet which is.54/3= .18 per piece
For the reply cards I got 5 pieces per IceBlue sheet which is.54/5=.11 per piece
.27 + .11 + .18 + .11 + .19= .86 PER INVITE for the paper.
Printing Cutting And Assembling The Invitations:
The invites are 3 layers in different shades: Seaglass, Opal, and Ice Blue. The paper I purchased will yield the 3 pieces for each invite, plus a response card and map card to also go inside the envelopes. The Ice Blue layer is the only printed layer of the invite itself. I used the custom print size settings to print the design onto the top layer of the invitation before assembling the layers.
I created cutting templates so that I could take the papers to Kinkos to get the papers cut. They charge $1 per cut.
Their industrial paper cutter can do exact measurements and cut 100s of sheets at a time. It cost me $16 plus tax to get the paper cut.
It was so worth it- imagine cutting 100s of pieces of paper and trying to do it accurately! Save yourself the headache and take your paper to Kinkos! I cannot stress this enough.
Get the Layered Invitation Cutting Templates Here:
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Greetings Island Coffee & Cakes Bridal Shower Invitation
Invite friends and family to join you for the best meal ever with these retro-inspired bridal shower invitations. This pink-on-pink hue is fun and modern, and the artsy illustrations add a special bespoke touch. Personalize it with your details then print it out at home or send it digitally.
You Can Print Invitations At Home
Some of the most popular customer questions have to do with how to print your own invitations at home. Most people are perfectly comfortable printing 8 1/2 x 11 copy paper but feel anxious about printing on different sized sheets and card stock, like an invitation card.
Were here to assure you that printing invitations at home can actually be quite simple because most home printers are fully capable of printing different paper sizes. In this printing video, well clearly explain the 5 steps to printing invitation cards at home.
1 Measure to Identify the Dimensions of Your Card
Start by using a ruler to measure the height and the width of the card you are printing.
You will need to know the dimensions of your card for two reasons:
2 Create a Printing Template Sized to the Dimensions of Your Card
Create your printing template using your favorite page layout or word processing program such as Microsoft Word.
- Open up the program and create a new document
- Locate the page set up area and a custom dimensions field
- Enter the width and height of your card
The document on the screen now matches the measurements of your invitation card and you are ready to type in and format your wording.
Note: In the video learn tricks and shortcuts like using .
3 Load Card in Paper Tray & Adjust Plastic Guide
5 Print One Card as a Test
Now Go and Have Fun Printing!
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Create A Physical Invitation
If youre savvier with a fountain pen than a mouse, you may prefer the old-fashioned way of creating wedding invitations. Stockpile your cart at Michaels or Amazon with everything that youll need to create a paper invitation from scratch, such as paper, materials for writing or a text rubber stamp, any decorative accents you desire such as ribbon or embellishment, lots of glue dots and double-sided tape, and envelopes. Then, let the creative process commence.
Tip: Practice, practice, practice. Human error is never more prevalent than in DIY projects. Theres the potential for misspellings, mis-measurements, mishaps with glue or glitter, and the like. Create a few iterations first and model your invites off of your favorite version.
Printing Our Wedding Invitation Envelopes
To start, youll want an Excel spreadsheet of all of your guest addresses. I suggest one column for name , one for street address, one for street address 2 one for city, one for state, one for zip code, then a last one for country if you have any international invitations to mail. Next, create your envelope template in Word with the fonts and spacing for how you want your envelope addressed. Make sure you first change the page layout size to match that of your envelopes so you can get the scaling correctly!
I know I wanted a combination of a block font and a cursive one, and Id seen a few envelopes online with kindly deliver to written on them and liked that tiny detail. I used a text box and the font Didot to write the guest address, and wrote out the kindly deliver to in the font Amigirl Script . Complete a mail merge and youll magically have all of your addressed envelopes written out because nobody has time to copy paste 200 times!
Want my Word template of this invitation to use for your own mail merge? . No need to request access, just save it to your computer. Once its saved, open it in Microsoft Word and make any changes directly there! Remember youll have to get the fonts I used first to get my exact look , and you might have to change the paper size!
Hope this helps if youre considering printing your wedding invitation envelopes by yourself!
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Where To Find The Best Wedding Invitation Templates
Wondering where to find editable wedding invitation templates online? You’re in luck: The internet is full of resources if you know where to look. Customizable wedding invitation templates are a great way to put your own personal spin on your wedding details. Some templates allow you to adjust everything, from positioning to font and colors. Simply follow the directions and you’ll have a personalized wedding invite ready for printing. Here are a few of our favorite sites.
Helpful Tips For Print
Print-your-own wedding invitations are affordable and easy when you have the right information to get you started. Here are some helpful tips hot off the press from Anns!
5 Steps for Print-Perfect Wedding Invitations
1. Identify the size of invitation card youll be printing. Most printers are capable of printing different sizes, so dont feel like you have to use 8½ x 11 sheets of paper.
2. Create a template on your computer. You can use Microsoft Word or similar software.
3. Begin typing your wording and customizing the layout, typestyles and font sizes.
4. When youre finished customizing, adjust the print settings. Go to File: Print: Properties, and change the default paper size to your card size. Load the printer with no more than 20 cards at a time. Use the manual feed tray for laser printers.
5. Run a test print to determine if all settings and positioning are correct. Make adjustments if needed and run another test print until the invitation is perfect.
10 Tips to Help the Process Run Smoothly
1. Use card stock paper to create wedding invitations with a quality look and feel. Dont worry, most home printers can handle thicker paper stock but youll want to check your printers manufacturers guidelines to see paperweight restrictions.
3. If you are not using a laser printer, be sure to allow drying time. Dry invitations individually, not stacked.
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Let Your Sense Of Humor Shine Through
Prepare your guests for a unique wedding experience with one-of-a-kind invitations. Unless you’re planning a very formal ceremony, there’s no need to stick with standard wedding invitations. Instead, focus on creative or whimsical invitations that let the fun start well before your wedding day.
If you or your partner has a bit of artistic skill, consider creating an illustrated comic book that clues in guests on the tone of your wedding. Include your favorite inside jokes and funny stories about your relationship, along with all the wedding details. For a fun twist on the classic invitation, print your wedding information on lightweight paper, roll it up to form a scroll, tie it with a ribbon, and mail it in a sturdy cardboard poster tube. Some couples may wish to create cleverly folded invitations, or invitations with hidden pockets that resemble the classic secret spy message. You can also create an invitation with a custom crossword, word find or Mad Lib puzzle that your guests will have fun filling out. Remember, it’s your wedding, so toss aside traditional and choose an invitation that fits your personality.
Online printing services like ComiXpress will print your comic book invite for just a few dollars a copy.
Where To Buy Paper For Wedding Invitations
There are a lot of different places to buy quality cardstock, but my favorite is a shop called Paper and More, and its the only place I buy cardstock from.
I am in no way sponsored by them and they arent paying me to write this article. I just love them so much I want to shout it from the rooftops.
That being said, I am enrolled in their affiliate program and if you buy their cardstock using my links I will receive a small kick back. This doesnt cost you anything, its a just a way of keeping this blog running and the DIYs flowing, so thank you!
One of the things I love most about Paper and More is that they stock almost every type of cardstock you can imagine in a ton of different colors and they let you sample the paper without having to buy it in bulk. Not to mention, they have amazingly fast shipping and great customer service to boot.
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What Youll Need To Print Your Own Invitations At Home
a) Cardstock for invitations
In order to determine the best paper to print invitations on, you need to know the maximum thickness of paper that your printer can deal with.
You will need to be realistic about the weight/ thickness of the card achievable if you opt for at-home printing. You wont be able to have super-heavyweight invitations, but with a bit of experimentation, you can identify the best quality card-weight that your printer can handle .
Be aware of how printing quality will be affected by the finish of the paper. For example, a glossy card may use more ink and textured paper may be more likely to have bleeding ink. Check a sample of paper youre hoping to use to check how well your printer performs with it.
With all the experimentation youre doing to check the best paper and printer settings, youll definitely end up using more card than you imagine. Toss in a few teething errors in trimming/ cutting card down and you should allow for c. 10-15% extra just in case.
Tip! To get a feel for different types of cardstock, why not try a sample pack of wedding stationery paper? You can nab one for free from or Vistaprint !
b) Ink
Ink will be one of the most expensive parts of printing wedding invitations at home.
