If you haven't had any young people in your life for a few years, it may come as surprise to you that very few graduates send traditional invitations with a wallet photo of themselves in a cap and gown anymore. There are a lot of reasons for that, including the fact that many schools limit the number of guests a student can have at graduation. The biggest reason, though, is just that there are so many more possibilities. Many seniors (and their parents!) are pleased to discover that Custom Graduation Announcements are often less expensive than the traditional invitations the school is offering. They also give the Senior the opportunity to say anything they want, include several of their favorite pictures and choose a design that shows their personality. 

Things to remember when designing your Grad Announcements:

1) Ask your photographer if the images on the announcement will be retouched, most professionals include this service, but some charge an additional fee. 

2) If including a lot of pictures is important to you, you might want a folding card with four or six sides instead of a flat card with just two sides. 

3) If you are making a photo collage, close ups look better  if you want to include full length portrait, choose less images so they won't be too small on the finished card  

4) If you order a 5x7 card and include a single image on one side with no text, it makes a frameable print for your relatives who receive the card. 

5) If you want your card to stand out from the others people are receiving you might want to consider a square card or custom shape. 

6) Custom Announcements are a great place to include the details of your graduation ceremony or graduation party if you want to invite everyone. 

7) If you are planning to make a Photo Thank You Card designing them both at the same time so they coordinate is a nice touch and will save you time later on.

8) Details matter - don't forget to look at different paper and envelope options. 

9)  You will have a lot of writing to do this year. Printing your return address on the envelope or ordering matching return address labels may be a great time saver.