Baby Announcements

Every aspect of your child’s birth announcement is important including the paper or card you decide to print it on. There are a number of different paper and card options on the market these days and the choices can be a little overwhelming. Below are just a few of the available birth announcement card options for you to consider.

The recycled or green birth announcement is very fashionable these days. Recycled cards could mean the paper is made from 100 percent recycled goods or a percentage of the card stock is composed of post consumer waste. The main drawback of recycled paper these days is not the texture but the cost. It can be almost double the price of traditional planet destroying paper. If you go this route you may as well go whole hog and combine recycled paper with soy inks.

Textured paper or cardstock is a great way to give dimension and tactile properties to a birth announcement. The paper can be coarse or linen raised (smooth) or contain something such as rose petals, pieces of bamboo or simply other types and colors of paper. This is a nice option but can make a difference to how the final text will print and be absorbed by the different textures. Ask your printer for a sample first.

Scented paper is a sweet idea for a baby girl. You can either purchase scented paper with the printing already on or have your birth announcements printed and spray them afterwards. Be sure to use non staining scented sprays if you are doing the work yourself. Always test on the back of a spare announcement before spraying.

Vellum is a sort of frosted plastic paper that works great on birth announcements. The vellum is usually used in tandem with traditional cardstock to create an overlay effect. I like this look but it’s definitely a matter of personal choice. Consider vellum additions to your announcements to add texture, layering and aesthetic detail.

Cardstock is the traditional way to create baby birth announcements and these days, it’s certainly the cheapest way to go. There are a number of finishes available on the printing market today from matte to high gloss, post card and fold over as well as pop out and easel stand styles. Always begin with checking out the cardstock options of your online printer and then move on to the specialties.  Budget and beauty must go hand in hand.

Filed under: birth announcements on June 30th, 2010