An announcement is just that - a way to share the exciting news about your senior graduating. There is no mention of a party and no expectation of gifts. A graduation invitation is often dual-purpose. It serves to announce the graduation of your senior and invite the recipient to a party or open house to celebrate the graduate.

Most common recipients include immediate family, close relatives, and friends of the graduate. Don’t forget about those favorite teachers or coaches who may have played a meaningful role in their life.

Graduation announcements are typically sent 3-4 weeks before graduation. It’s acceptable to send the announcement up to 2 weeks after graduation, giving recipients time to congratulate the graduates before they head off to college or a new job.

This can vary based on your graduation card, but in general you can edit the Trim Shape, Color, Paper Type, Foil Color, and Text. Additionally, you can change the entire layout for the back of your graduation card if you wish.

Most designs will include a small section for a personalized message. The wording should be celebratory and informative. Best practices recommend using this space to announce the date of your senior’s ceremony and what their plans are after graduation (college, area of study, job, travel, etc.). See a couple of examples below:

“Ellie is heading to Columbia University in the Fall to study nursing. We are so proud of her!”

“We are so proud to celebrate Nathan and this exciting milestone! Nathan will graduate from Smithton High on May 27th. He will be attending UNC in the fall.”

This is a common concern. Generally, people do not feel obligated to send a gift if they receive an announcement. Most people see it as a way to simply share exciting news about a graduate’s achievements. Depending on how close the recipient is to the graduate, they may still send a gift, but it’s not expected.

Most of our graduation announcements include room for 3-5 photos of your graduate. This allows you to show different interests or aspects of their personality.

Our graduation announcements are available in five premium paper types:

Signature - Our most popular card stock with a luxurious, soft texture
100% Recycled - Made entirely from post-consumer waste
Stock - Ideal for bold contrast and crisp text
Pearl - Adds a subtle shimmer and unique glow
Linen - A lightly textured matte press paper

The most common graduation card size is 5x7”.

Yes! At Mpix, we include envelopes free of charge so your announcements are ready to address and mail. You can also save loads of time by adding return & recipient address printing to your order (only available for 5x7” Cards).

Once you’ve finalized your graduation card design, select “Address Printing” and “Recipient & Return Address Printing”. Once you’ve chosen your font style, you will be prompted to add your return address and upload a spreadsheet of your recipient addresses. We also have an excel template available for download to further simplify the formatting process.

You can expect to receive your graduation cards in as little as 2-7 days (Expedited shipping also available).