How to Create Your Own Graduation Announcements for Free
Graduation is a major milestone in a student's life and there's no reason to be shy about tooting your own horn and letting everyone know what you've accomplished. Depending on the next step you're about to take--college, job hunting travel abroad--you may be watching your budget and reluctant to splurge on an order of formal announcements from the local print shop. The solution is to take an original approach and do it yourself. Even if you're not an artist, you can create a unique memento without purchasing any supplies, leaving your keyboard or paying for postage.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Word program
- Scanner (optional)
- Digital camera (optional)
- Photo editing software (optional)
Instructions
-
-
1
Decide on the overall tone of your graduation announcement. Examples might include a humorous poem, a nostalgic trek down memory lane or an inspirational message reflecting your appreciation of those who helped you reach your goal.
-
2
Open a new document in Word. This can either be a blank page or a pre-installed template such as a certificate or custom stationery. For example, if you use an award certificate template, the only thing you have to do is delete the sample text; borders and artwork will be retained. Select a font that's either consistent with the tone of the announcement or your future plans as a new graduate. For example, if you're bound for Broadway, you might opt for Americana, Calligraph 421, Impact or Rockwell. An elegant approach to sharing your news would be a good match for Segoe Script, Monotype Corsiva or Lucida Handwriting.
-
-
3
Determine the placement of your text and graphic elements such as clip art and photographs. In most cases, the page layout will be vertical and your graduation announcement text will be centered. You might, however, want to experiment with a horizontal layout and bookend your announcement text with artwork. A horizontal format also works well if you create a humorous timeline of significant historic events that culminates in the date of your graduation.
-
4
Upload or scan your own photographs into the announcement. If you have photo editing software, experiment with features such as light and color saturation, collages and special effects such as transforming images into cartoons. Incorporate free clip art into your document from websites such as iClipArt and 1ClipArt. Websites such as MorgueFile yield thousands of royalty-free photographs (see Resources).
-
5
Email your finished product as an attachment to friends and family in your address book.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
When importing clip art and photographs from external sources, it's always easier to create a text box in the document first and then insert the image.
Eschew a cluttered look. Less is more when you have exciting news to share in an announcement. Your email recipients should be able to tell at a quick glance what your document is all about.
