Writing graduation announcements and invitations is very straightforward. You only need to include the essential details—who, what, why, where, and when—about a graduation ceremony or celebration. The best grad card designs keep the text brief while making all the info visually appealing. They’re also personalized, typically with one or more photos of the graduate and a design that suits their style.
Mixbook’s collection of pre-designed graduation card themes makes the whole project extra easy. Pick a design you like, add your pics, edit the text, and done. The wording will be a little different between graduation announcements and graduation invitations, but both projects are easily customized to reflect your grad’s personality while celebrating their achievements.
From high school to higher degrees, your graduate worked hard to reach such a momentous milestone. Luckily, creating their graduation invites and announcements is sure to be a cinch!
Graduation announcements vs invitations
Graduation announcement cards and graduation invitation cards might look very similar—both showcase grad pics and offer key info about the milestone—but the wording reflects their different purposes.
Graduation announcements
A graduation announcement sent in the mail is a simple and traditional way to let people know that the milestone has occurred. An announcement doesn’t include, or imply, that you’re inviting the recipient to the graduation ceremony or other celebration. Nor is it an invitation to send gifts, according to the Emily Post Institute.
Parents or graduates themselves send their announcements to any family members, friends, colleagues, or other acquaintances who would be interested to hear the news. It’s also a way to show pride in the graduate and celebrate their achievement. Plus, a printed graduation announcement card can become a meaningful keepsake.
Graduation invitations
Graduation invitations are either invitations to attend the graduation commencement ceremony, or a party being held to celebrate the graduation.
Ticket availability to graduation ceremonies is typically limited, so these kinds of invitations are often just sent to immediate family members in advance, and require prompt RSVPs.
Invitations to graduation parties are like any other party invitation, fully customized to include all the essential info about the event and request an RSVP. They’ll also include the basic details about the grad’s academic achievement, so it’s usually not necessary to mail out both announcements and invitations.
Hosting a grad party? Check out our guide to Memorable mementos: Creative ideas for a graduation guest book.
How to write graduation announcements
While they’re fully customizable, graduation announcements really only need a few brief lines of text. The essential details to include are:
- Graduate’s name
- School name
- Diploma or degree level
- Class year
Other, optional, information to write in your graduation announcements might include:
- Honors or distinctions e.g. magna cum laude, dean’s list, valedictorian
- The grad’s major or minor
- Brief description of the grad’s future plans or next steps
- A meaningful graduation quote
- A personal message expressing pride, joy, or gratitude
Tip: Mixbook’s graduation announcements all feature placeholder text, which you can use as an easy prompt to write your own. Just double-click on the text and type in your own grad’s name, school, class year, and more.
Examples of graduation announcement wording
There are endless ways to communicate the essential details of a graduation announcement. Here are some examples to consider:
- Formal/traditional: “Mr and Mrs Thompson proudly announce the graduation of their daughter, Lucy Anne Thompson, from Springfield High School on June 3rd, 2026.”
- Modern/informal: “With great pride and joy, the whole Perez family is celebrating Ryan’s graduation from Fairview Community College. He will be awarded an AA in Music and is now heading to the University of Oregon to get his Bachelor’s Degree. Go Ryan!”
- Minimalist: Suzie Smith | Rydell High School | Class of 2026.
How to write graduation invitations
Graduation invitations need to include all the key information for a graduation announcement, plus event logistics and an RSVP request. As with any event invitation, be sure to include:
- A party announcement like "Grad Party" or "You're Invited"
- Location
- Date & time
- RSVP request e.g. “please RSVP to email/phone number” by (date)
Additional details, such as a dress code, directions, and whether or not food will be served, can be communicated separately from the invitation. Remember that two-sided graduation invitations give you more room to get creative and include more photos. Match the style of wording to the formality of the event.
For more graduation invitation tips, read our guide: How to make your own invitations
How do I add photos to grad cards?
Graduation cards and graduation invitations are both perfect opportunities to showcase any professional graduation portraits or senior photos. You can choose one favorite shot, a showstopper plus a few accent pics, or a whole selection of school-era photos for a collage.
When you’re browsing graduation cards on Mixbook, you can filter search results by the number of photos you want to include. Or, just browse the full collection and pick a card with a photo layout you love.
After launching the card template in Mixbook Studio™, upload your photos, then drag and drop them into the frames (look for “Drop photo here”). If you need to edit the photo, click on the photo and find a selection editing tools in the pop-up menu. You can zoom in or out, apply a filter, round the corners, and more.
How do I make sure my graduation announcements look great?
Beyond just adding your own text and photos to a card theme, Mixbook Studio™ tools make it easy to customize your card in all kinds of creative ways. You can experiment with different photo layouts, color schemes (to match school colors), backgrounds, and stickers. Change the font, size, and color of the text. Outline photos with a frame or drop shadow.
Also consider card options with real foil accents (gold, rose gold, or silver) and different trim choices (round, double round, ticket, crest, vintage crest, or square) for extra visual appeal.
Your best bet: Choose a design that matches your graduate's personality, whether it's whimsical and fun, serious and focused, or something in between.
FAQs about graduation announcements & invitations
Do people send official graduation announcements in 2026?
Yes! Even if you share the news in person and across social media, there are still many reasons to mail out official graduation announcements. It’s a timeless tradition that honors the graduate’s achievement, and is a lovely way for parents to show their pride. A card is also a tangible keepsake, so be sure to save one for your scrapbook!
Should I send both graduation announcements & invitations?
Usually not. If the graduation celebration is close to the time of the graduation, then there’s no need to send both an invitation and announcement to the same recipient. A graduation invitation should include the key details that would be covered by an announcement (and more), so the message is clear with just one card.
You might print and send both announcements and invitations if:
- There are people who would want to know about the graduation milestone, but you’re not inviting them to the celebration.
- A party is taking place later than the actual graduation ceremony (or TBD) but you still want to send an announcement out in a timely manner.
When should I send out graduation announcements?
There are no hard and fast etiquette rules about when to send a graduation announcement. However, it is an event with a fixed date, so it makes the most sense to mail out announcements within 2 to 4 weeks of the commencement.
If you want to use official graduation commencement photos on the announcements, get your copies and make the cards asap. Or, plan a cap-and-gown photo shoot in advance so you have the pics ready to go.
When should I send out graduation invitations?
Use the same guidelines for sending out graduation invitations as you would for any similar event or party. Out-of-town guests need extra planning time, so send invitations at least 6 weeks in advance. For local guests, give around 3 to 4 weeks of notice.
If you’re inviting guests to the graduation ceremony itself, pay close attention to the school’s ticket allotments and reservation requirements. Coordinate closely with anyone who hopes to attend to ensure you get enough tickets before the deadline.
Ready to create your own grad cards?
Whether you use a Mixbook card theme or get creative and design your own from scratch, making your own graduation announcements and invitations is a project filled with pride and joy.
Don't forget to order matching graduation thank you cards so your grad can thank guests for any gifts and well-wishes.
When you're done, share a photo of your graduation announcements and invitations on social media and tag us (@Mixbook) or use the hashtag #MixbookMoments—we can't wait to see your creativity in action! For the latest Mixbook deals, follow us on Instagram, X and Facebook.
