10 design programs to use for your DIY wedding invitations (including 5 FREE ones!) #Invitation advice#diy invitations#invitations#web tools April 23 2015 | Catherine Clark bijouxandbits Feeling the design spirit and want to do DIY wedding invitations? We get you. Sometimes what you want only exists in your brain and only you can pull it out. You'll need some tools to make this happen, so let's talk wedding invitation design software, both big and robust or small and easy-to-learn. Adobe Creative Suite contains access to an array of professional-level graphics programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign which will allow you the most freedom to play and create. Creative Suite runs about $60 per month (with a 30-day free trial!), so it's not for everyone. But if you already have access or want to get started with these programs anyway, Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign will be your best bets. Just keep in mind that since they are professional level programs, they have a professional level learning curve, too. Let's explore these options and then go into some free and cheaper software where the learning curve isn't quite as steep. Adobe Illustrator For invitation suites where typography is key, Illustrator is ideal. The graphics are vector-based (meaning not made of pixels), so you'll get the smoothest output on your type and illustration elements while still being able to include photos or other pixel-based graphics. You'll be able to include any of your favorite fonts, favorite stock or custom illustrations, and be able to arrange them as you please. Adobe Photoshop Photoshop has similar layout capabilities to Illustrator with added robust graphical manipulation effects that you might already know about. You'll be able to create type and include photos or other graphics, but make sure you're setting your image size to be 300 dpi (dots per inch) or those pixels will start to look pretty janky in this kind of graphics program. Related Post Funny wedding program: So you're going to sit through a wedding… If you spied Karen and Ian's program entitled "So You're Going to Sit Through a Wedding" and wanted to know what was inside, we've got... Read more Adobe InDesign InDesign isn't a graphics program like Illustrator or Photoshop, but rather a layout tool that allows you tons of control over documents where text and paragraphics are key, like on your programs. A great combination would be to create your graphics in Photoshop or Illustrator and then import them into InDesign to lay out your type. It will make creating well laid-out paragraphs a cinch. But what if you're not Adobe software-savvy? Most beginners aren't ready to tackle these hefty programs just for their wedding invitation set, so let's see what other free/cheaper/easier options there are to try. MS Publisher Yep, MS Publisher is still kicking around giving us desktop publishing layout options. It'll get the job done and might already be installed on your PC. Pages for Mac For Apple users, Pages is a pretty standard word processing tool, but it has some fairly nice layout options similar to InDesign that allow you to crank out some layouts pretty easily. Inkscape Inkscape is another vector program (like Illustrator) that has similar drawing tools, type elements, and of course, the ability to crank out some invitations. You can check out all the features here. Editor by Pixlr Editor by Pixlr is a very pared-down version of a Photoshop clone that is completely hosted online, which means you don't have to download anything. It will give you enough tools to get the job done without being totally overwhelming. Bell Jar Wedding Invitations from: Minted GIMP GIMP: GNU Image Manipulation Program is a mainstay in the open-source graphics market and runs on most platforms. It's pretty Photoshop-like, so you'll get similar tools to that set. GimPhoto GimPhoto is definitely going for a Photoshop feel, so you'll be encountering similar tools and capabilities to GIMP. Seashore For Apple users, Seashore is an OS X application that brings you some basic image editing tools with a streamlined interface. Related Post 5 printable wedding invitations that nature-lovers will want to download TODAY Whether it's fields of gold, or fields of flowers, your love of your partner is only rivaled by your love of nature, ammaright? Well then,... Read more Printable invitation sets In case you're starting to doubt your ability to craft up invites with which you'll be satisfied, don't want to be burdened with learning a new software tool, or are just running out of time in your DIY wedding invitation schedule, consider some printable wedding invitation options. Printable invites allow you to purchase a (usually pretty inexpensive) template, customize it with your information, and print it up yourself. e.m.papers is one of our vendors who offers printable wedding invitations, thank you notes, save the dates, and escort cards in loads of styles. A Printable Press and of course Etsy offer great options, too. This cute mason jar wedding invitation design is from Minted. Quick tips: Always set your dpi to at least 300 to make sure that your invitations won't look pixelated when they are printed out. This includes any graphical/photo elements you want to import into the document. Make sure to embed your graphics and fonts (or turn your fonts into outlines) before you send your file to your preferred printer. Speaking of printing, you can get pretty great deals from places like VistaPrint to print your invitations on a budget. Need more wedding invitation tips? What invitation design software should I use for my DIY wedding invitations? Whether it's because of the rotten economy or because you want to add a personal touch, I support anyone who uses the tools at hand to bring their wedding to… Read More 5 tips (including the oldest trick in the book) when it comes to DIY wedding invitations DIYing your invitations is a great way to save money and it is much easier than you may think to get jaw-dropping, one-of-a-kind pieces. However you approach your invitations the… Read More This post features Offbeat Vendors! Check out their vendor listing to see how they cater to Offbeat Brides: e.m.papers Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo Catherine Clark Catherine Clark is Offbeat Bride's Senior Editor. In her spare time she loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur baby, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com. @enidjcoleslaw @bijouxandbits @bijouxandbits PREVIOUS Show the kids at your wedding some extra love with heart-shaped PBJs NEXT Kids, musicians, and a red dress makes Michelle & Sean's Winter wedding shine Show/Hide comments [ 9 ] These suggestions are great! I used Canva to design my invitations, RSVP postcards and business card sized inserts about the rehearsal dinner and hotels and I found it really easy to use. They have a limited number of free graphics, graphics for $1 and you can upload your own. And they have some beautiful templates! Once designed I them I used Vistaprint (and the great Offbeat Bride article about Vistaprint: http://offbeatbride.com/2013/05/vistaprint-tips-and-tricks) and saved lots of money on printing! Reply Also: make sure your colors are set as CMYK. RGB is for computer display, CMYK is for printing. If you don't do this, your colors might be off when they're printed. Reply I used Inkscape for the first time to design my invites, and I loved it! (I was going to write up a post about the tools I'd used, but hey, this gives a wider range!) I have used GIMP a fair bit in the past, so I was familiar with basics of image manipulation, and somewhat ready for the open-source learning curve. It was a bit tough at times (and there were probably better/faster ways to do what I wanted), but I figured it out ok in the end! There are also lots of video tutorials and such out there, so if you've got a design idea but don' t know how to, say, make the text go on a curve, your friend Google will help you find a tutorial for it! Yay open-source. 🙂 Reply I have used Adobe photoshop in editing my pictures. But, I'm not confident risking my destination wedding invitation for amateur editing skills that I have. I might as well try Microsft publisher. It's more user friendly. Also, you could try Picmonkey.com. It's photo editing website and has lots of features. Reply Thanks your sharing. I have used the photoshop and Amoyshare photo collage maker. I think they are very nice. Photoshop is professional tool which has rich features. Amoyshare collage maker, it's a simple and creative photo tool which suits for amateur people. Reply Excellent ideas! Thanks for sharing. I created video invitations for my wedding, for that i used http://inviter.com/ platform. I sent them to my guests via email & it also have rsvp option. It is simple tool & also affordable. Reply Wow, its really great designs. May be I am going to create one design for my brother wedding. Best blog ever on card designs. I think I should contact to a card printer from http://www.theweddingmall.in/ to print it. Reply I have used GIMP to create the background images for the invitation. Then I added them in PowerPoint, because that's how I learned to make posters in university and it has worked great for all my print work. In PowerPoint I added text, other images (our invite comes with instructions) and crop marks. Save as PDF and done! FiancĂ© is super happy with them and so am I. It was totally worth learning to use GIMP a bit! Reply Hi If you was to print them yourself, what type of printer is the best one for home use.? Reply Join the conversation Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. 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These suggestions are great! I used Canva to design my invitations, RSVP postcards and business card sized inserts about the rehearsal dinner and hotels and I found it really easy to use. They have a limited number of free graphics, graphics for $1 and you can upload your own. And they have some beautiful templates! Once designed I them I used Vistaprint (and the great Offbeat Bride article about Vistaprint: http://offbeatbride.com/2013/05/vistaprint-tips-and-tricks) and saved lots of money on printing! Reply
Also: make sure your colors are set as CMYK. RGB is for computer display, CMYK is for printing. If you don't do this, your colors might be off when they're printed. Reply
I used Inkscape for the first time to design my invites, and I loved it! (I was going to write up a post about the tools I'd used, but hey, this gives a wider range!) I have used GIMP a fair bit in the past, so I was familiar with basics of image manipulation, and somewhat ready for the open-source learning curve. It was a bit tough at times (and there were probably better/faster ways to do what I wanted), but I figured it out ok in the end! There are also lots of video tutorials and such out there, so if you've got a design idea but don' t know how to, say, make the text go on a curve, your friend Google will help you find a tutorial for it! Yay open-source. 🙂 Reply
I have used Adobe photoshop in editing my pictures. But, I'm not confident risking my destination wedding invitation for amateur editing skills that I have. I might as well try Microsft publisher. It's more user friendly. Also, you could try Picmonkey.com. It's photo editing website and has lots of features. Reply
Thanks your sharing. I have used the photoshop and Amoyshare photo collage maker. I think they are very nice. Photoshop is professional tool which has rich features. Amoyshare collage maker, it's a simple and creative photo tool which suits for amateur people. Reply
Excellent ideas! Thanks for sharing. I created video invitations for my wedding, for that i used http://inviter.com/ platform. I sent them to my guests via email & it also have rsvp option. It is simple tool & also affordable. Reply
Wow, its really great designs. May be I am going to create one design for my brother wedding. Best blog ever on card designs. I think I should contact to a card printer from http://www.theweddingmall.in/ to print it. Reply
I have used GIMP to create the background images for the invitation. Then I added them in PowerPoint, because that's how I learned to make posters in university and it has worked great for all my print work. In PowerPoint I added text, other images (our invite comes with instructions) and crop marks. Save as PDF and done! Fiancé is super happy with them and so am I. It was totally worth learning to use GIMP a bit! Reply