This year proves to be an interesting mix for the Holidays. We have so many new designs and companies popping up all over because of the ease and ability of new printing methods. There are two very popular styles of printing, digital and letterpress.

Digital printing has changed dramatically and with it, has changed the printing industry. The innovations make printing today fast and extremely detailed. Take for instance, Holiday photo cards. These cards used to be offset printed by the thousands because that was the only way to keep the cost down. Today short runs of custom cards can be printed with high tech laser printers for a fraction of the cost. So the cost for customization just gets better for the consumer.

Here is an example of some of the new digital photo cards we are seeing.

Holiday Photo card example

Holiday Photo card example

We will continue with letterpress in our next post.

This Christmas there is a whole new assortment of holiday photo cards that has just been released. These cards are quite the opposite from their letterpress printed cousins but the offer such a tremendous bargain for less expensive and budget conscious  shoppers.

Even shoppers in New York couldn’t argue these cards were any less enticing than those Christmas cards that are letterpress printed. I would have to agree. The one thing that is so nice is the ability to print and design on the front and the back of the card which really is well favored.

Another aspect is the ease of use for getting your pictures onto the card. With letterpress they need to be taped, which is still great because even after you get your photos done in Soho, real photos always make the card stand out and look nicer. But with the new digital cards there is none of that, just upload and the designers place it and optimize and then let you take a look at it. How easy is that!

Cards Found in New York

Here are a few ideas how using little love messages or notecards may help your communication and relationship with your spouse. We had some customers ordering note cards and stationery and I happened to  ask one what they used the stationery for, like condolences or thank you notes. That is what I expected him to say. To my surprise he said he uses them to write love notes to his wife. He places them around the house and even puts them in her purse and her locker at the gym. I guess he has the key. But how romantic is that!

I thought that was a great use and I am happy to see the love notes being used like this to help people in some way.

Well don’t read too much into the title but let me share a little secret with you, the love note never went out of style. In fact, they are more important than ever and even recommended as sexual therapy for couples. Basically, it’s like flirting, and everyone loves to flirt, married or not. If your significant other was there watching you flirt with someone else you would probably be a bit embarrassed or you wouldn’t do it at all. But I believe it is healthy to flirt with your spouse or loved one. Flirt like you did in high school or college, it will help strengthen your relationship with one another. Even Dr. Laura Berman recommends them.

Read More Here: Using Love Notes the Old Fashioned Way

Your baby birth announcements will be something that you will cherish for the rest of your life. One of these birth announcements will mark the arrival of your little girl or boy and is a special way of spreading your love for your child to the rest of your family and friends. Choosing the correct words to describe how you feel about the new addition to your family can be difficult though. There are basic examples, though, that may make it easier for you to decide on the words you will use.

The Essentials of Baby Birth Announcements

Opening- The portion that is often difficult for parents to decide on is the opening of photo birth announcements. In the opening section, parents can choose which words they wish to use to welcome their little newborn into the family. The opening may be a short simple sentence, a cute and fun line, or a stanza from a favorite poem or song.

Name and Gender- While the information on each birth announcement will vary from parent to parent, the majority of these baby announcements include the baby’s name and gender. These are the first pieces of information that your friends and family will want to know as well. Some parents start out newborn baby announcements with an immediate declaration of the gender by saying “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!” The first and middle name are generally included on the announcement, and sometimes the last name also appears.

Read More: What Should Your Baby Birth Announcements Say?

When creating your birth card announcements, you may be confused as to whether to choose letterpress or digital printing. Each type of printing gives the birth announcements a unique and wonderful look that you will be sure to love, and deciding between them can be difficult. Here are the advantages of both types of printing and what they each offer when it comes to the perfect keepsake announcement.

Letterpress Birth Card Announcements

For a traditional and classic look, there is nothing more elegant than letterpress. Even with the introduction of faster and easier types of printing, letterpress still thrives with individuals of discerning taste who appreciate the keepsake quality of letterpress printing.

This type of printing can be done in three different ways, either by platen, rotary, or flatbed. Most often, birth announcements and many other types of announcements are created using the platen method. The announcements may be die cut, embossed, or engraved to create a one-of-a-kind feel.

Some of the advantages of using letterhead printing include:

Unique, handcrafted, and distinctive look that you are sure to love (and relatives will keep for years)
Use of high quality inks and the finest paper
Raised words and pictures, which speaks of the quality of the announcement
Allows environmentally friendly paper to be used

Digital Birth Card Announcements

Digitally printed baby announcements offer parents a modern look that allows for interesting and beautiful announcements. This type of printing can be ideal for those who need to quickly produce a large number of newborn baby announcements.

Read More: Benefits of Digital and Letterpress Printing For Birth Card Announcements

As a mother-to-be, newborn baby announcements may be the last thing on your mind, but if you are on a tight budget, they should be. If you start gathering the information you need and begin to search for the perfect birth announcements early, you may not only be able to stretch out your money, but may be able to budget your time as well.

Stretching Your Time for Your Newborn Baby Announcements

During the nine months of your pregnancy, you will most likely be bombarded by many distractions. Between doctor’s appointments, swollen ankles, a growing belly, and baby showers, your time may be stretched to the limit. After the baby is born, though, your life will be even more hectic. Planning now for the creation of your baby birth announcements may be an important way to guarantee that your announcements are completed and delivered shortly after your new bundle of joy arrives.

To begin planning your birth announcements, here are some tips:

Begin searching for the type of announcement that you want. Remember that this decision is important, because your baby’s announcement will be a keepsake item that you will treasure for the rest of your life.

While you may feel a bit creative and want to complete them yourself, don’t underestimate the convenience and quality of professional work. Even with a professional, you will still be able to make all of the creative decisions.

Before the baby is born, gather together a list of all the names and addresses you will need to deliver the announcements.

Decide on the information you want to include in the baby birth announcements, even if you don’t yet know the sex of the baby yet.

Read More: Plan Early For Your Newborn Baby Announcements

Baby birth announcements are not simply for declaring the arrival of a new addition to the family. They are a unique and wonderful way of spreading the joy of birth. The information that is included inside of these birth announcements will be treasured by parents and family members for many years. These announcements can include photos, poems, and wonderful words describing the new baby.

Getting ready for a baby shower takes time and preparation and organization. Done right the party will be a blast. With that in mind start with the first thing your guests will see, the baby shower invitations.  Don’t be mistaken, the baby shower invitations should be sophisticated and fun. Since you’re hosting the baby shower you want to make sure everybody comes in the best mood and spirits possible. And why not start with the invitation itself.

You don’t want something drab, but the shower invitations say a lot about your style and the style of the party so we want make sure the invitation is modern sophisticated and in tune with your thoughts for the party is going to be. Styled well, your invitation to bring lots of guest with lots of presents. And that’s really what it’s all about making sure that your friend is taken care of and giving lots of nice gifts to help them with their new baby.

Then there is the question of which gifts to give the expecting mother. Some popular baby shower gifts are the usual diaper cake as kind of a joke, but some others include baby monitors, baby jumpers and bouncers on the high side but these are very useful and they would be appreciative. Some relatives go as far a getting furniture like changing tables or cribs but some of these depend on decor and may be best left to the mother.

Fathers can appreciate gifts like the Graco pack n play which is the staple of portable cribs for babies. You can always do well with clothing and there are some great handmade items now available on etsy. If you are into handmade then you might want to consider letterpress baby shower invitations or maybe the more affordable digital birth invitations .  She could save the letterpress for the birth announcements instead.

Planning ahead for your party makes a big difference and try to have a little something for all your guests like mimosa or some wine if it is a luncheon. Good luck and have fun!

Emails and Tweets may be quick, but they can never replace the experience of receiving a hand written letter or note card. Especially when it’s written using personalized stationery for men. Find out what else you need to write dazzling and masculine letters to those you love. Continue reading to see some great examples.