Below are some of the most common questions, about college graduation announcements, including product information, tradition and etiquette.
Your official graduation announcement design is determined by your student committee, college administration, or bookstore. Jostens does offer insight into selecting the best design, but the final decision is up to a decision-maker from the college. All students who order the announcement often receive the same design.
To create more custom graduation invitations and announcements, students are encouraged to list their degree and major, along with any additional text such as minors, concentrations, honors, and other accolades. Additionally, the use of custom seal notecards allows graduates to craft handwritten messages to recipients for an additional level of personalization to their college or university graduation announcements.
The body of the announcement text is also developed by your college administration, bookstore or student committee. All announcements feature the same text with the exception of your name, degree, major, and additional minors, concentrations or honors which can be personalized.
To complement your personalized college graduation announcements, our custom seal notecards allow you to craft handwritten messages to your recipients communicating your appreciation of support or acting as graduation party invitations.
If you have received the wrong text, please contact us.
Proper etiquette for sending college graduation announcements includes using an inner and outer envelope. The first, or smaller envelope that has no gum on the flap is your inner envelope in which your graduation announcements should be placed. This should be addressed with the informal name. Envelope seals are used to seal the inner envelope. Place this envelope in the outer or larger envelope that has gum on the flap. This outer envelope is the one that you address using the formal name for mailing as well as place your return address labels.
As with all announcement products, it is best to always order a few extra envelopes in case of mistakes or if someone was accidentally left off the initial mailing list. There are a number of ways to add a formal touch and additional detail. Graduation announcements for college commencement include certain etiquette that should always be considered when sharing your exciting news with those closest to you.
Your inner envelope which contains your college graduation announcement as well as your recipients informal name should be sealed with your school envelope seal. The outer, larger envelope is sealed using the gum on the flap once your announcement and inner envelope are placed inside.
Adding an envelope seal to your college graduation announcement adds a touch of class and formality. It is details like this that help properly express the significance of your proud accomplishment. Share the news with your closest friends, family, and mentors with a college graduation announcement package today.
Some graduation announcement designs may appear to be torn on one side. This is known as a deckle edge, and is a common design trait among our college and university graduation announcements. The deckle edge adds an element of detail and uniqueness to your announcements. Graduation announcement designs vary by school, find yours today!
The blank cards featuring your school seal or logo are your custom seal notecards. These are included so that you may include a handwritten message to your recipients regarding your commencement announcement, or use as college graduation party invitations and thank you cards.
By leaving these blank, graduates are encouraged to include anything they want for an added level of personalization for you and your recipient. These cards may also be used to thank a supporter, as a graduation party invitation or even as a classy thank you to be sent following a job interview. Some schools offer their official logo in place of the seal; browse graduation announcements offered for your school and order today!
Name cards are not supplied with your commencement announcements or announcement packages since your name is already printed along with your degree, major, and additional information. For this reason, your announcements do not include card slots either. With the personalized graduation announcements and return address labels, you can ensure that your announcements present your name in a formal fashion.
If there is additional information you would like to include within your graduation announcement, such as a thank you or college graduation party invitation, our custom seal notecards provide a formal space for such text along with your school’s official seal or logo.
Graduation Announcements
- Most schools limit the number of visitors a student may invite to commencement. Send custom graduation announcements to family, friends or associates. Announcing your graduation is not only good etiquette, but it is also a useful networking tool.
- College graduation announcements are intended to spread the good news, but may also be used to include an invitation. You may write "No gifts, please" at the bottom if you wish to dispel the notion of any obligation for gift giving.
Envelopes (announcements come with two)
- The outer envelope, with the gummed flap, is the mailing envelope. It should be hand addressed as legibly as you can using black or blue ink. Avoid using abbreviations in the mailing address:
Ms. Juanita C. Fassbinder
4 Hillside Avenue
Concord, NH 03301
Mr. And Mrs. Frank Whiteside
124 West 32nd Street
DeSoto, TX 75115 - The inner envelope, without the gummed flap, holds the announcement. Address it informally:
Grandmother
Aunt Cindy and Uncle Frank
Fay and Steve
Mr. John Smithers - Place your custom graduation announcement in the smaller envelope, folded edge first, with the announcement front facing the flap. You may fasten the flap using a Jostens etiquette seal, or leave it un-tucked.
- Insert the inner envelope into the mailing envelope with its flap facing the mailing address side.
Mailing
- Send your custom graduation announcements before or after your actual commencement ceremony. Your personalized graduation announcements are not meant to replace your graduation invitation cards, only to spread the good news of your accomplishment.
Custom Seal Notecards or Thank You Cards
- Custom seal notecards can be used for many purposes including acting as graduation invitation cards or thank you notes.
- A short note of thanks, written by hand, must go to everyone who has sent a gift.
- This note should acknowledge the gift and should be sent as promptly as possible:
Dear Uncle Frank,
Thanks so much for the check you sent me. It will be so helpful in setting up my new apartment. I will drive down to thank you in person as soon as possible.
With much love,
Susan