Photo Birth Announcements – Photo Paper or Card Stock?

Many decisions must be made when choosing and ordering your Photo Baby 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 stores only offer their cards printed on photographic paper. Others only offer cards printed on cardstock. But many online merchants will offer you both options. Understanding the differences between these options is necessary to make the best decision for your personal preferences.

Photographic paper
Birth announcements printed on photographic paper will be an actual photograph. This means the back of the card will be like any other photo you’ve ever seen, with the manufacturer’s logo and perhaps printed copyright or other printer identification text.

In terms of image quality, printing on photographic paper will represent your image more accurately. This can have positive or negative results. If your image is of good quality, high resolution, well lit and in sharp focus, photo paper will display this quality best. However, if your image is of poor quality, low resolution, or slightly out of focus, photo paper will also make these imperfections 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 has your cards printed 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 bit 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 bright, but it does have a slight sheen to it. Depending on the type of pen you use, this material can be more difficult to write on than matte materials.

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

Matt Linen – a mid-weight matte paper with a light linen texture. This paper can have a very elegant and formal feel, due to the texture of linen, and is a very popular choice with 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 landscapes, abstracts, or fine art portraits, rather than a baby birth announcement photo.

When deciding where to order your photo birth announcements, be sure to review all of 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 print product.