Photo Birth Announcements – Photo Paper or Card Stock?

There are many decisions to be made when choosing and ordering your Photo Birth Announcements. Where will you order from? What kind of design? What photo of your baby will you use? But another important decision that should not be overlooked is choosing what type of paper your Ads will be printed on.

Some online birth announcement shops only offer their cards printed on photo paper. Others only offer cards printed on cardstock. But many online merchants will offer you both options. It is necessary to understand the differences between these options to make the best decision for your personal preferences.

Photographic paper

Birth announcements printed on photographic paper will be an actual photograph. This means that the back of the card will be just like any other photograph you have seen, with the manufacturer’s logo and perhaps some printed copyright text or other identifying text from the printer.

In terms of image quality, printing on photo paper will more accurately represent your image. This can have positive or negative results. If your image is of good quality, high resolution, well lit and sharp in focus, photo paper will show this quality the best. However, if your image is poorer quality, low resolution, or slightly out of focus, photo paper will also make these blemishes more noticeable.

If you choose a photo paper option, make sure the birth announcement company you’ve chosen uses only professional-quality photo paper, such as Kodak Endura Professional Paper, and prints your cards in a professional lab. The matte finish works best with photo cards as they are easier to see and resist fingerprints.

cardboard

Having your ads printed on cardstock will cost a little more than photo paper, but cardstock will give it a more formal look and a sturdier appearance. An added benefit is that you can often request the back to be printed as well, perhaps with additional photos or a message of your choice. Or if you leave the back blank, you can handwrite your own messages.

Most online photo birth announcement companies that offer cards printed on cardstock usually offer several options to choose from. Many offer sample packs of their stock, but usually charge a small fee to ship them. Understanding the differences between cardstocks will help make choosing your preference easier.

Semi bright – a heavyweight cardstock with a smooth finish. This stock is not very shiny, but has a slight shine to it. Depending on the type of pen you use, this material may be more difficult to write on than matte materials.

Semi-gloss with UV coating – adding a UV coating to the Semi-Gloss material will give it a high gloss (glossy) finish. Most companies will charge a bit more for this finish.

Matte Linen – a medium weight matte paper with a slight linen texture. This paper can have a very elegant and formal feel, due to the texture of the linen, and is a very popular choice among consumers.

Matte Watercolor – a lighter broth with a slightly grainy texture.

Some stores also offer metallic and pearl finishes that give the cardstock a metallic or luminescent finish, respectively. These finishes, while unique, can cause some images to appear distorted when viewed from different angles. These print finishes often look better for fine art landscapes, abstracts, or portraits, rather than a baby announcement photo.

When deciding where to order your photo birth announcements, be sure to review all the options offered by the online merchants you’re considering. Having a good understanding of the differences between these options will not only make your decision easier, but will also help ensure that you are happy with your final printed product.