How to print invitations at home
A home inkjet or laser can produce invitations that look shop-made if you get four things right: the file, the paper, the printer settings and the trim.
1. Start with a 300 dpi file
Print quality is set by the file before it's set by the printer. The CardCraft Pro PNG is 1500×2100 pixels, which is 300 dots per inch at 5×7 inches, the resolution print shops ask for. Alternatively use “Print / save PDF” in the maker, which sends vector text to the printer for the crispest possible letters.
2. Choose the right card stock
| Weight | Feels like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 160–200 gsm (60–80 lb cover) | A sturdy flyer | Inserts, RSVP cards; works in almost any printer |
| 250–300 gsm (90–110 lb cover) | A proper invitation | Main invitations; check your printer's maximum |
| 350 gsm+ (130 lb cover) | Luxury, stiff card | Usually needs a print shop; most home printers jam |
Matte or silk finishes are easier than gloss for inkjets; glossy card needs photo-paper settings and time to dry. Look up your printer's “maximum media weight” in its manual; many home inkjets top out around 220–300 gsm, and a rear or manual feed slot handles thick card better than the main tray.
3. Printer settings that matter
- Paper type: set it to “Card stock”, “Matte photo” or “Heavy paper” so the printer slows down and uses the right amount of ink.
- Scale: 100% or “Actual size”, never “Fit to page”, or your 5×7 card won't be 5×7.
- Quality: “Best” or “High”.
- Test first on plain paper, hold it up against a card to check alignment, then print one on card before doing the batch.
Why printers ask for “bleed”
No trimmer cuts in exactly the same place twice. If a design's colour stops exactly at the card edge, a cut that drifts even a millimetre leaves a white sliver. Bleed means extending the colour past the cut line so a drift cuts through colour instead. Try it: nudge the blade and toggle bleed.
The cut landed 1.5 mm off, beyond the colour. On a real card that shows as a thin white line along one edge.
Our templates keep text and important details at least ¼ in inside the edge (the “safe zone”), so small drifts never clip words. Full-colour backgrounds benefit from the “print a size up and trim” method below.
4. Trim like a pro
Print on letter or A4 card, then trim. A rotary or guillotine paper trimmer gives straighter edges than scissors; a metal ruler and a sharp craft knife on a cutting mat come next. Cut the long edges of every sheet first, then the short edges, and replace the blade if it starts to tear rather than cut.
For full-bleed colour cards, a simple trick: print the card slightly larger than 5×7 (for example at 103% scale) and trim it back to exactly 5×7 so the edges are cut through colour. The sheet-fit tool shows how many cards fit each sheet.
When a print shop is the better choice
For more than about 100 cards, thick (350 gsm+) or textured card, metallic inks, or letterpress, a local print shop or online printer is usually cheaper per card than home ink, and they'll trim for you. Upload the PNG from the maker; it's already the resolution they need.
Questions people ask
What paper should I use to print invitations at home?
Matte card stock of 250–300 gsm (90–110 lb cover) if your printer can take it; otherwise 200 gsm card. Check your printer's maximum paper weight first.
Can a normal inkjet printer print on card stock?
Most can handle up to 200–300 gsm through the rear or manual feed. Set the paper type to card stock or heavy matte so the printer slows down.
What resolution should an invitation be for printing?
300 dpi at the final size. For a 5×7 card that is 1500×2100 pixels, which is what the CardCraft Pro download gives you.
How do I print a 5×7 invitation on letter paper?
Print at 100% scale (never fit to page), one or two per sheet, then trim to size along the crop marks.