Bouncing baby birth announcements

When you have a baby, you want nothing more than to show off your new progeny to the world. Well, that and a good night’s sleep. And a sweater without baby barf on it. But showing off, that’s a priority. Our favorite way to brag? Custom-designed letterpress-printed birth announcements, of course. We recently printed the one shown here (click on the picture for a larger view) for a returning customer. Mommy Michelle also runs a high-end clothing consignment business, and I worked with her last fall on business stationery. So it was a treat to see her again, just a couple weeks before her due date, eager to plan announcements for her soon-to-be new born. We created a card that reflected her romantic, girly style, with an ornate floral graphic and delicate gold type. We also printed some cards with just the floral design, to be used as thank-you notes.

Many new parents want to include a picture with the bundle of joy’s vital stats, so our customized birth announcements are often designed to showcase photographs. This is the second photo birth announcement we’ve created for Laura and Mike, and this time (like the first time) we went simple-simple-simple. Copperplate type is letterpress-printed on 130# natural white cover stock, and paired with a matching blue envelope – a classic design with little flourish to distract from the picture.

We often work with moms and dads before the baby is born, developing and then fine-tuning the design. When the baby is born, dad calls (or mom, still in the hospital bed, e-mails from her iPhone) with the date and weight; sometimes we get the announcements printed before the exhausted new parents have had time to capture the perfect first portrait.