Engaging Connection: Printing & Sending Custom Invitations

You’re invited. Two very powerful words when it comes to events. Big or small, for work or pleasure, events simply can’t be successful without the people who attend it. And the best way to draw a crowd? Send unique, hold-in-your-hand custom invitations. Taking the time and effort to design, detail and print invitations translates to the time and effort your organization takes in caring for its business relationships. (And you thought it was just a card with a date and location on it.)

Go beyond the standard flat invitation and let your design pull double-duty. As a leading in the online printing industry, Smartpress offers a variety of folding options, including custom folds, and an array of paper stocks to accommodate and complement any invitation design. Tri-folds and Z-folds give you plenty of room to add dates, times and locations and are self-standing, while a gate-fold creates anticipation as it reveals your information inside. Have large graphics to display? The double/French-fold is exquisite.

All that folding and unfolding gives your guests a chance to not only see the paper quality, but also feel it. Eric Riley, Managing/Creative Director of 4Creeks Creative, chose the Felt Weave paper to advertise an event space. “I knew the paper would give the piece a nice texture and high-quality feel, but I did not expect to get such a pop from the photo. It turned out beautifully.”

Hint: If you choose a folding option, a lower cover weight or text weight will be important to maintain the integrity of your piece. If you forego folding, consider a thick stock for an elegant look and substantial feel.

For graduations and galas, business events and banquets, direct mail marketing engages with your guests in ways digital just can’t. Physically holding an invitation or other marketing materials increases the likelihood of the content being read, which increases the awareness of your brand, organization or event.

Sarah Forystek, American Advertising Awards Chair for AAF Central Minnesota, says direct mail printing was the only option for her formal event. “To honor the hard work of our members, we felt the print medium added to the overall pomp and circumstance of the event. A digital invite would fall flat for our audience!”