2024 College
Graduation
Announcements

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EXPRESS GRATITUDE THROUGH YOUR COLLEGE GRAD ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INVITATIONS

College graduation is the perfect opportunity to send an announcement that is reflective of the commitment put into earning that diploma. Since this is such a special moment for you or your grad, you should settle on nothing but the best to announce this moment of academic success.

With Minted, you can find an array of college graduation cards in different styles, from classic and elegant to modern and bold to simple and minimalist. Each one-of-a-kind design is made by an independent artist and printed on the highest quality, luxurious paper. Choose from various card sizes, including postcards, petite, our classic 5” x 7” size, or our new grand size. Maybe you’re interested in something with a special shine to it, in which case one of our memorable foil-pressed college graduation cards might be the choice for you. No matter which college graduation announcement card you select, Minted will help you tweak and personalize your design through easy-to-use customizable elements.

In addition to capturing the importance of this milestone through an elegant design, a college graduation announcement/invitation is the perfect chance to express gratitude towards those that helped you or your college grad on their educational journey. College graduation announcements are a great way to express thanks towards family, friends, teachers, coaches, mentors, and other influencers for all the support and encouragement provided over the years. This accomplishment calls for a celebration with your loved ones.

OUR PERSONALIZATION TOOLS FOR EACH COLLEGE GRADUATION CARDS

Now that you’ve begun to look for the right card, it may be helpful to consider what sort of theme or style you’d like to evoke with your card. On Minted, you can use the “style” filter at the top of this page to help sort your options. For example, selecting “simple & minimalist” will yield you designs with clean lines and simple text to keep all the focus on the college graduate and their accomplishment. If you’re looking for something more attention-grabbing, use the “bold and typographical” filter to find designs that pop with large lettering or skillfully handwritten text. Maybe you’re looking for a floral design? Use the “botanical” filter to find designs that have subtle floral and garden elements that may be perfect for celebrating a backyard party or garden party. If you or your grad are looking for something more light-hearted, use the “funny” filter to view cards that poke fun at the grad and how far they’ve come. Or perhaps you’re looking for something that has a more refined and timeless feeling, in which case you can use the “classic and formal” filter to find cards featuring elegant fonts. For a more artistic approach to your college grad announcement or invitation, the “painterly” filter will display designs that feature whimsical brushstrokes or colorful hand-painted lettering.

Once you’ve selected a design styling that you love, you can begin to personalize the individual card so that it is representative of the graduate and their journey through college. First off, you will most likely want to share a photo, so friends and family can see how the graduate is becoming a young adult. If you haven’t taken graduation pictures yet, here are a couple of ideas for an informal or formal photoshoot:

• A photo of the grad on their college campus
• A photo of the grad with the school mascot or famous on-campus statue/monument
• A picture of the college grad in their dorm room
• A cap and gown photo
• The grad with family and friends

If you have more than one photo you love, maybe a multi-photo grad card design is the card for you! You can use filters to select how many photos you want on the front of the design. Don’t forget, we allow you to add additional photos on the back of the card too!

Once you’ve landed on the perfect photo or photos to include, you can play with the card format to see which you’d be interested in. Send a more traditional card enclosed in an envelope, or opt for more unique approach like a postcard or magnet. A magnetic announcement allows recipients to showcase their card on their refrigerator as a keepsake. Another creative option to consider is our booklette format, where you can share page upon page of graduation news. Lastly, for a very sophisticated presentation, experiment with a vellum overlay design. Combine two layers of stationery in eye-catching design-forward ways.

Once you’ve chosen a format that you love, you can then toggle between the different color options we provide. We encourage you to experiment with the grad’s college colors to incorporate some more school spirit into your mailer. If you’re interested in a foil-pressed design, adjust background colors to see how their pair best with our metallic foil colors of gold, rose gold, glittery gold, silver, glittery silver, red, and black.

Next, it’s time to add a personal touch to the back of your card. Minted offers an array of backer options specifically designed to share graduation details. Choose from more than a dozen options for the look of the back of your card. Below are some of these options:

• Party Details: If you prefer to dedicate the front of your card to the grad’s accomplishments, you can use our “Party Invite Text Only” backer template to share important details about a party.
• Then and Now: Use this design to highlight a childhood photo and graduation photo side-by-side to show the transformation. Included detailed text to chart the progress that has been achieved and the years that have passed between both photos.
• 3-photo Timeline: This is the perfect way to capture the grad’s growth over time and what they have accomplished on their journey towards earning their degree.
• Senior Year Highlights template: Capture different moments during the student’s senior year, including events like moving in, sorority formal, big football game, pep band showcase, or thesis award ceremony.
• Map: Maybe your friends and family aren’t too familiar with the location of your university. Choose our “map” backer for the perfect way to visually show where your University is located and how far you may be from home.

ELEGANT DESIGN TOUCHES

At Minted, we focus on every detail to ensure your mailed correspondence is well-received. Small touches can often leave lasting impressions. One such small touch is to add custom foil text to your card. Highlight your graduation date in shiny gold foil so the date becomes unforgettable. Next, you can choose from one of our many luxurious envelopes and liner options to conceal your card in class. Choose from various envelope colors including navy, black, silver, speckletone kraft, aubergine, spruce, and more. You can even choose to use our free recipient address printing feature and add a specially designed address to the front of your envelope. Choose from a recipient address design that pairs with your selected design, or one of many other skillfully designed formats.

COLLEGE GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT WORDING

When customizing your announcement or invitation, there are a few key items you’ll want to make sure to include:

• Grad’s Full Name: Whether the grad’s name is front and center on the design or subtly placed to the side in subdued text, be sure to include their name on the card.
• University Name & Location: Make sure to include your college or university name and location on the card to show your pride!
• Your Major: Show your friends and family what you’re an expert in by highlighting your major (and any minors) you completed in college.
• Any Honors & Accolades: A graduation announcement is a perfect chance to share the successes your grad had in the classroom.
• Graduation Date: Don’t forget to include your graduation date to mark this momentous occasion.

FAQs & ETIQUETTE

Announcement or Invitation? Simple. If you are having a party and inviting friends to attend, then opt for an invitation. Our invitation designs will feature text fields that highlight all the important party details. If not hosting a party, an announcement is the way to go!

How far in advance do you send your college announcements? If you’re planning on including details about the graduation ceremony, we recommend sending your card out at least three weeks before the event. If there is a certain subset of family and friends who you know would want to attend, we recommend sending them a save the date or note at least three months before the event in the case that they need to plan travel. If you are simply sharing the big news and do not plan on including ceremony or party details, you have ample time to share your news. You can send the announcement anywhere from two weeks before the event to 6 weeks after.

Who do you send announcements to? College graduation announcements are the perfect opportunity to share the big news to not only your close loved ones and friends, but anyone who had a hand in the grad’s growth over the years. Consider sending announcements to teachers, mentors, coaches, nannys, and anyone who has impacted the grad in a special way.

When is college graduation season? Typically college graduation season is in mid to late May. However, depending on your grad’s path, they may graduate in September or January of their school-year depending on what requirements their program of study has. In most cases, the large college or university ceremonies are held in May.

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