Graduation Announcement Templates and Wording Ideas for Every Grad
What Goes On a Graduation Announcement in Four Lines
A graduation announcement has one job, which is to tell people that someone finished something hard and to tell them clearly enough that they can act on it. That means a name, a school, a date, and a way to respond. Everything else is decoration. The families who agonize for weeks usually do so because they are trying to write a speech on a 5 x 7 card.
The difference between an announcement and an invitation matters here. An announcement shares the news and expects nothing back. An invitation asks people to show up somewhere at a specific time. Plenty of families send one card that does both, and that is fine, as long as the two jobs are visually separated on the card.
4OVER4.COM has printed 10 billion+ cards and print products since 1999, and graduation season is one of the heaviest card windows of the year. The layouts below are the ones that come back clean off press: generous margins, one photo that is actually in focus, and type that a grandparent can read across a kitchen table without reaching for glasses. Start from a Graduation Invitation layout and the sizing is already handled.
Line 1: the school and the honor
Open with the institution and what was earned. “Lincoln High School, Class of 2026” or “Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Michigan.” Latin honors go here too, in italics, right after the degree. Keep it factual. This line is the reason the card exists.
Line 2: the graduate’s full name
Set the name larger than anything else on the card and use the full legal name, middle name included, exactly as it appears on the diploma. This is the one moment where formality reads as pride rather than stiffness. Nicknames belong in the note you write by hand, not in the printed line.
Line 3: the date, time, and place
Spell out the day and month for formal announcements, so “Saturday, the sixth of June” rather than “Sat 6/6.” Add the venue name and the street address on separate lines. If the ceremony and the party are different events, give each one its own block or its own insert card.
Line 4: the response
Close with how people reply and by when. A phone number, a text-friendly line, or a short RSVP link all work. Give a date roughly two weeks before the event so you can give the caterer a real headcount. If no reply is needed, say “no gifts, just your presence” and let people relax.
Shop the day
Graduation printing collection
Announcements, invitations, cards, and banners built for the whole graduation season.
Free Graduation Announcement Templates You Can Actually Order
Most template libraries hand you a JPEG and wish you luck at the copy shop. The layouts here are different because each one is a live product page. You pick the size, drop in the photo, type the wording, and the same file goes straight to press on the stock you chose. Nothing gets re-flowed, re-cropped, or surprise-scaled between your screen and the paper.
Three template families cover almost every graduation. The flat announcement is the workhorse, the folded card is for families who write real letters, and the large format piece turns the same artwork into the thing people stand in front of for photos. Pick the one that matches how your family actually celebrates, then match the finish to the tone.
- Flat photo announcement. One portrait, name, school, date. The cleanest option and the cheapest to mail.
- Folded card with a photo collage. Senior photos on the front, the ceremony details inside, a handwritten note under that.
- Announcement plus insert. The formal card carries the news, a smaller insert carries the party address and the RSVP.
- Party invitation format. Bolder color, bigger type, the open house hours front and center.
- Banner and card set. The same artwork printed small for the mailbox and large for the driveway.
If you are printing certificates or awards for the same ceremony, the layout rules overlap almost exactly, and our guide to graduation certificate templates covers the trim, bleed, and stock choices side by side. Families comparing print shops on price and stock quality can see the full breakdown in our graduation invitation alternatives comparison.
Print picks
Three graduation formats worth a look
Live prices, ready to customize with your photo and wording.
Graduation Announcement Wording for High School Grads
High school wording sits in a sweet spot between formal and warm. The family is usually the sender, the tone is proud without being stiff, and the card often doubles as a party invitation. Write it as though you are telling a neighbor the news in one breath, then trim it until every word is load bearing.
- “With pride and joy, we announce the graduation of Maya Elizabeth Reyes, Lincoln High School, Class of 2026.”
- “Twelve years, one cap, one very proud family. Daniel Okoye graduates from Riverside High School on June 6.”
- “She did the work. We just packed the lunches. Please join us as Sofia Marin receives her diploma.”
- “The Whitmore family invites you to celebrate Ethan James Whitmore, honors graduate, Class of 2026.”
- “Caps off to Amara Boateng. High school is finished, the next chapter starts in August, and the party starts at four.”
A single line of humor is welcome, but keep it in the second sentence and let the first sentence carry the facts. The people most likely to keep this card on the refrigerator for a year are the ones who want the name and the date readable from across the room.
College and Graduate School Announcement Wording
By college, the graduate is usually the sender, and the wording shifts from “we are proud of her” to “I did this, and you were part of it.” Name the degree precisely. A card that says “Bachelor of Arts in Political Science” carries more weight than one that says “finally done.” Graduate and professional degrees deserve the full credential spelled out.
Thank-you language belongs on this card in a way it does not on a high school announcement. The people receiving it often helped pay for the thing being announced. One sentence acknowledging that turns a notification into something worth keeping, which is exactly the case for the folded format where you have an inside panel to fill.
- “Jordan Alexis Pierce, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, summa cum laude.”
- “Four years, one thesis, and a lot of coffee later. I am graduating, and I would love you there.”
- “Thank you for every phone call at midnight. Priya Raghavan, Doctor of Pharmacy, Class of 2026.”
- “I am proud to announce the completion of my Master of Social Work at Hunter College this spring.”
- “You believed in this before I did. Marcus Hale, Juris Doctor, University of Texas School of Law.”
Wording for Open Houses and Graduation Parties
An open house card has a different job again. People need hours rather than a start time, an address they can navigate to, and a clear signal about whether to bring anything. The wording should be relaxed, because the whole point of an open house is that nobody has to commit to a four hour block on a Saturday in June.
Give a window, not a moment. “Two until seven, drop in anytime” prevents twenty people arriving at once and gives out of town family a chance to make two parties in one day. Add parking notes and a rain plan in small type at the bottom. Those two lines save more phone calls than anything else on the card.
- “Open house for Elena Castillo, Saturday June 13, two until seven, drop by whenever you can.”
- “Burgers, cake, and one very proud grandmother. Come celebrate Tyler’s graduation, Sunday afternoon at the house.”
- “No gifts, no formalities, just come eat with us and congratulate the graduate in person.”
- “Backyard party for the Class of 2026. Park on Maple, follow the balloons, stay as long as you like.”
- “Cap, gown, and grill. Celebrating Naomi Fischer, Saturday from noon, rain or shine under the tent.”
Quantity and price
Graduation invitation pricing and specs
Real configurator numbers. The more you print, the lower the per-card cost.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 79.1¢ | $19.77 |
| 50 | 50.5¢ | $25.27 |
| 100 | 42.8¢ | $42.84 |
| 200 | 25.8¢ | $51.62 |
| 300 | 20.1¢ | $60.42 |
| 400 | 17.3¢ | $69.20 |
Announcement Wording From Parents and Grandparents
When the family sends the card rather than the graduate, the voice changes. You are allowed to be sentimental in a way the graduate cannot be about themselves. Name the effort, not just the result. The relatives receiving this card watched the whole thing from a distance and want to know it was hard and that it was worth it.
Two names on the sign-off line, or a full family name, keeps it clear who is hosting. If grandparents are sending a separate announcement to their own circle, they should use the graduate’s full name up top and their own relationship at the bottom, so recipients know immediately whose grandchild they are celebrating.
- “We watched him rebuild his schedule three times and never quit. Please celebrate Andre Villanueva with us.”
- “Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chen joyfully announce the graduation of their daughter, Grace Wen Chen, Class of 2026.”
- “Our first grandchild is a college graduate. Come raise a glass to Isabel Ortega on the twentieth.”
- “The Halloran family invites you to honor Ryan Patrick Halloran on the completion of his high school years.”
- “She grew up faster than we agreed to. Celebrating Zoe Kimura, graduate, on Saturday the sixth.”
Folded format
Graduation greeting cards
An inside panel for the note that a flat announcement has no room to carry.
Matching Announcements to Invitations and Thank You Cards
Graduation is rarely one piece of print. Most families end up with an announcement, a party invitation, and a stack of thank you cards written after the gifts arrive. Designing all three at once, from one set of colors and one photo shoot, is faster and cheaper than designing them separately across three weeks in May.
Lock three things across the set: the typeface for the graduate’s name, the accent color, and the photo treatment. Everything else can vary. The thank you card can be smaller and simpler, the party invitation can be louder, and the announcement can stay formal, and they will still read as one family’s stationery when they land in the same mailbox a month apart.
- Announcement. Flat card, formal wording, mailed two to three weeks before the ceremony.
- Party invitation. Same palette, bigger type, hours and address, mailed at the same time or as an insert.
- Thank you cards. Folded, blank inside, ordered with the first batch so they are waiting when gifts arrive.
- Banner or sign. One scaled-up version of the announcement artwork for the party backdrop.
Scale it up
Graduation banners
Take the same artwork, the same colors, and the same photo, and print it large enough for the driveway or the party wall.
Choosing Card Stock, Size, and Finish
Size drives cost more than anything else, because it decides both the press layout and the postage. A 5 x 7 flat card is the standard for a reason: it holds a vertical senior portrait, fits an A7 envelope, and mails at the regular letter rate when it stays under the thickness limit. Go bigger only if the photo genuinely needs the room.
Stock weight is what people feel before they read a word. A 16pt card feels substantial without being stiff, and heavier stocks in the 18pt and up range are what you reach for when the card is the keepsake. Coating changes the photo: gloss deepens color and contrast, matte softens skin tones and takes pen ink for a handwritten note.
- 5 x 7 flat. The default announcement. One portrait, four lines of text, standard envelope, standard postage.
- 4 x 6 flat. Cheaper per piece and lighter to mail, best when the list is long and the photo is tight.
- 5 x 7 folded. Four panels of space for photos on the front and a real note inside.
- Matte or soft touch. Ink-friendly, glare-free, and the right call if anyone is writing on the card.
- Gloss or foil accent. Higher contrast for the photo, metallic detail on the year or the name.
Compare finishes
Popular card stocks, side by side
Stock, finish, size, quantity, turnaround, and price in one table.
 Save the Date Cards |  Greeting Cards |  Velvet Greeting Cards |  Response Cards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min price | $19.77 | $56.02 | $617.67 | $19.77 |
| Paper / stock | 14pt Gloss Cover | 14pt Gloss Cover | 16 Point Soft Velvet Laminated | 14pt Gloss Cover |
| Finish | Standard Finish | Standard Finish | - | Standard Finish |
| Size | 4.25" x 5.5" | 8.5" x 5.5" fold to 4.25" x 5.5" | 10" x 7" scored to 5" x 7" | 4.25" x 5.5" |
| Default qty | 25 | 50 | 500 | 25 |
| Turnaround | 5 business days | 5 business days | 7 business days | 3 business days |
| Rating | ||||
| View & customize | View & customize | View & customize | View & customize |
Printing Your Graduation Announcements in Time
Work backward from the ceremony. Announcements should land two to three weeks ahead, which means mailing three to four weeks ahead, which means approving the print file about five weeks out. Add another week if you are waiting on final senior portraits, because that is the step that slips in nearly every graduation timeline.
Start from a print-ready layout in the design templates library so bleed and safe margins are already correct, then upload your photo at the highest resolution the photographer gave you. A file that looks sharp on a phone can still print soft, so aim for 300 dpi at the final trim size and avoid anything pulled from social media.
A five week timeline that works
- Five weeks out. Pick the size and stock, finalize the wording, gather the mailing list.
- Four weeks out. Drop the photo into the template, proof the spelling of every name, place the order.
- Three weeks out. Cards arrive, address the envelopes, write the personal notes.
- Two weeks out. Mail everything, including the out of state relatives who need the extra transit days.
- Ceremony week. Hang the banner, print any last-minute cards for guests who were added late.
Start fast
Announcement templates and print-ready blanks
Free layouts plus exact-size blanks so your photo lands inside the safe margins the first time.
Wally helps you fill in the blanks
Pick the template, borrow the wording, send it to press
Stuck on the wording? Use the four-line structure: school and honor, the graduate’s full name, the date and place, then how people should respond. Borrow a line from the sections above, drop it into a template that is already sized and bled correctly, and your file goes straight to press on the stock you picked. No re-cropping, no surprise margins, no copy shop guesswork the week before the ceremony.
Design your graduation announcements →By the numbers
Why families print graduation announcements with 4OVER4.COM
Volume, stock range, and delivery record behind every card that leaves our press.
- 10B+ Cards and print products, printed since 1999
- 150,000+ Customers served, families and businesses
- 60+ Paper types, across cards and invitations
- 99.8% On-time delivery, tracked orders
Writing an Announcement That Sounds Like Your Family
Keep reading
Guides and comparisons for graduation season
The next pages to read before you place the order.
Guide Graduation Certificate Templates Trim, bleed, and stock choices for certificates and awards. 
Compare Graduation Invitation Alternatives How the big-box options compare on stock and price. 
Templates Free Design Templates Print-ready layouts with bleed and margins already set. 
Shop Greeting Cards Printing Every folded and flat card format we print. Explore more
More ways to celebrate the graduate with print
Related pages across 4OVER4.COM, one card for every kind of page.
Collection Graduation Printing Announcements, invitations, cards, and banners in one place. Product Graduation Invitations The flat announcement, sized for a standard envelope. 
Product Graduation Greeting Cards Folded cards with an inside panel for a real note. 
Product Graduation Banners Scale the announcement artwork up for the party. Shop Greeting Cards Printing Browse every card format, stock, and finish. Templates Design Templates Start from a layout that is already press-correct. Guide Graduation Certificate Templates Print certificates that match your announcements. Alternative Grad Stationery Compared Where 4OVER4 lands against the big-box printers. 
Article 10 Brochure Ideas You Haven’t Thought Of Yet Fold and layout ideas that translate to any card. 
Article 10 Fun Ways to Use Logo Stickers Stickers for envelope seals and party favors. 
Article Poster and Flyer Design Ideas Large-format thinking for party signage. 
Article 100 Art and Craft Business Name Ideas Naming inspiration for the graduate starting something. Ready to send an announcement worth keeping on the refrigerator?
Pick your wording, choose a stock and finish, upload the senior photo, and let us print the whole graduation set so the announcement, the party invitation, and the banner all match.
Graduation Announcement Questions Families Ask
What is a graduation announcement template?
A graduation announcement template is a pre-built card layout with the trim size, bleed, and safe margins already set, so you only add the photo and the wording. On 4OVER4.COM every template is tied to a live product, which means the file you approve on screen is the file that goes to press. That removes the usual step where a downloaded design gets rescaled or re-cropped at a copy shop and comes back with the graduate’s name sitting too close to the edge.
How do I choose the right graduation announcement template?
Start with how your family will use the card. If it only shares the news, a flat 5 x 7 announcement is enough. If you want to write a personal note to each relative, choose a folded card with an inside panel. If the same card is doubling as a party invitation, pick a layout with a dedicated block for hours, address, and RSVP so the two messages do not compete. Then match the finish to the tone, matte for handwriting and gloss for a photo-heavy design.
What does a graduation announcement template cost and how are prices set?
The template itself is free. You pay for the printing, and price is set by quantity, size, paper stock, coating, and turnaround. Graduation invitations start at $19.77 and graduation greeting cards start at $56.02 for a full custom run, with the per-piece cost dropping sharply as quantity rises because press setup is spread across more cards. Heavier stocks, foil accents, and rush turnaround each add to the total, and the live configurator on the product page shows the exact number before you commit.
What sizes, stocks and finishes are available for graduation announcements?
Flat announcements are most common at 5 x 7 and 4 x 6, with folded formats available when you need interior space. Cards print on 60+ paper stocks ranging from lightweight text weights to heavy premium boards, and finish options include matte, gloss, soft touch, spot UV, and foil accents. Matte and soft touch take pen ink well and are the right choice when you plan to handwrite notes. Gloss deepens photo contrast, and foil is usually reserved for the graduation year or the name.
How long does printing and shipping graduation announcements take?
Turnaround depends on the product, the stock, and the finish you choose, and it is quoted directly in the configurator before checkout. Standard runs typically move through production in a few business days, and expedited options are available when the ceremony date is close. Plan to approve your file about five weeks before the ceremony so cards arrive three weeks out, leaving time to address envelopes and mail so they land two to three weeks before the day, including transit for out of state family.
