Printed wedding save the dates
Save the date cards are printed cards that announce a wedding date ahead of the invitation. You order the cards per household or mail-out group, not one per guest. After you choose a design from the grid and edit the wording online, a designer prepares a proof, and the cards are printed in Melbourne before the finished order is sent to you.
One example is the Linear design, digitally printed on Paperlust Matte paper at 140mm x 107mm. It is a single-sided flat card, and 100 cards cost A$168 in total, or A$1.68 each. One Premium White envelope per card is included.
Card formats and how they are posted
The format changes how the announcement is posted and what is included. Four formats are used for save the date cards.
- Flat card: the standard format is 140mm x 107mm, portrait or landscape, and can be a rectangle or a die-cut shape. It posts in the included Premium White envelope.
- Postcard: printed both sides and posted without an envelope, so none is included. View the save the date postcards for this format.
- Magnet: a magnet back is added at checkout to designs that offer it, as either a full magnet back or self-assembly magnet stickers you apply to the back of each card. Browse the save the date magnets to see which designs offer that option.
- Digital: sent to the recipient by email or message rather than posted in an envelope. This page is for printed cards, so use the digital save the dates for that version.
What the cards cost
Five named designs are listed below. All figures are for 100 cards, and each price is the order total.
| Format | Example design | Size | Quantity | Price | Production time after proof approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat card, digital printing | Linear | 140mm x 107mm | 100 | A$168 | 3 to 5 working days |
| Photo card, digital printing, printed both sides | Polaroid | 140mm x 107mm | 100 | A$186 | 3 to 5 working days |
| Postcard, digital printing, printed both sides | Momento Postcard | 140mm x 107mm | 100 | A$186 | 3 to 5 working days |
| Flat card, flat foil | Forever Promise | 140mm x 107mm | 100 | A$386 | 7 to 10 working days |
| Flat card, letterpress | Linear | 140mm x 107mm | 100 | A$407 | 20 to 23 working days |
The price of a save the date card design includes one Premium White envelope per card, the designer proof and its edits, and delivery in Australia. Paper, printing a back, quantity and envelope colour change the total, and the displayed total updates with each option you choose.
How the templates work
Each save the date template is a finished design that you personalise online. In the online editor, you can change the names, date, place, all other wording, fonts and colours. Photo designs let you upload your own photo in the editor. The editor shows a preview that updates with every change, and you can undo an edit or save the design before you place the order.
The order steps are:
- Pick a design from the grid.
- Personalise the wording online.
- Add any special request.
- Place the order.
The designer applies your special request at the proof stage. You can add a printed back to a single-sided card in the editor.
Printing and paper
Every card is printed in Melbourne. The print method changes the finished surface and which paper can be chosen.
- Digital printing lays down full colour and can be paired with any of the six papers covered next.
- Flat foil puts a flat metallic finish onto the card without creating an impression. The Forever Promise example is offered on Matte or Heavy paper.
- With letterpress, an inked plate is pressed into the paper so the result carries an impression you can feel. It is available on Wild Cotton paper only, and the letterpress designs collection shows the designs that use it.
- Foil stamp uses a die to press foil into the paper, leaving shine and a pressed-in impression. This method is also limited to Wild Cotton paper.
- White ink prints onto coloured card, and the Sage design is available in black, forest green, grey and pear green.
The smallest order is 10 cards for digital printing, flat foil and white ink, and 50 cards for letterpress and foil stamp. Quantities are sold in steps of 10, up to 300.
The six paper prices below use one configuration: the Linear design, digital printing, 140mm x 107mm, single-sided, 100 cards.
| Paper | What it is like | Price for 100 Linear cards |
|---|---|---|
| Matte | Uncoated, bright white, suits photos | A$168 |
| Linen | Embossed linen texture for watercolour artwork | A$190 |
| Metallic | A subtle shine | A$191 |
| Wild Cotton | Cotton paper, slightly off white, soft texture | A$286 |
| Vellum | Translucent, no printed back offered | A$184 |
| Matte Double T | Two layers of Matte joined into one | A$328 |
Not every design offers the same papers, and the product page for a design states which ones are available for it.
Rectangle is the standard shape. Some designs are die-cut, including arch, double arch, half arch, wave and rounded corners.
If you already have finished artwork, you can have it printed through the custom design service, by quote.
Proof, production and delivery
A digital proof showing your personalised design is made by a designer and arrives 1 to 2 business days after you order. The proof is free, and there is no limit to how many rounds of edits you can request. Production starts after you approve the final proof, and production time depends on the print method shown in the table. Work out your total wait by adding the proof stage, production and delivery. Approving the proof sooner shortens that total.
Delivery is free in Australia and sent with StarTrack Premium. Delivery to metro addresses usually arrives the next business day after dispatch. Expect longer for regional and rural addresses.
Before choosing a design, you can order the A$5 sample pack to see printed examples of papers and print methods. If a print fault occurs, Paperlust reprints the order under the 100% Print Happiness Guarantee.
Save the date ideas
Practical save the date ideas start with a simple choice: photo or text only. A photo design gives you a place for your own photo, while a text-only design uses typography and illustration on its own. You can use an engagement picture or any other photo of the two of you for a photo design. The photo designs are in the photo save the date cards collection, and the Polaroid design is a photo design printed both sides.
For the layout, choose portrait or landscape. For the shape, choose an arch or wave die-cut to change only the card outline, not the wording. A calendar design shows the wedding date on a calendar, and you can browse the calendar designs.
The four items to include are your names, the date, the town or venue, and a note that the invitation will follow. The wording guide has examples. Post the cards 6 to 8 months before the wedding, or 9 to 12 months before a destination wedding. The full timeline is in the when-to-send guide.
Matching invitations and other events
Linear belongs to a matching set. The set contains the Linear wedding invitation, digitally printed on Paperlust Matte paper at 178mm x 127mm, single-sided, with 100 cards at A$280 in total. The other pieces in the set are listed on the product for that design. Choosing the announcement and the wedding invitations from one set keeps typeface and colours the same, so the printed invites that follow the announcement match it. For the reception tables, you can order the Linear design as wedding menus and place cards to keep the setting matched. Placed at the ceremony or reception entrance, a welcome sign carries the couple's names and the wedding date, and the range sits under wedding signs.
The same card format is used for other events planned well ahead. You can browse the baby shower designs and birthday designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
A save the date is a short announcement, not an invitation. It tells guests the names, the date and the town. It is sent before the wedding invitation, and the ceremony time, venue details and reply details wait for the invitation. People also call them save the date invites.
Most designs are 140mm x 107mm, and this usual size comes in portrait or landscape orientation. Boarding pass and ticket designs are 210mm x 107mm. Each product lists its size, so you can confirm the measurement before you order.
One example is the Linear card, digitally printed on Paperlust Matte paper at 140mm x 107mm and single-sided. At that configuration, 50 cards cost A$2.13 each, or A$106.50 in total. At 100 cards the price is A$1.68 each, or A$168. At 200 cards the price is A$1.46 each, or A$292 in total. Larger orders cost less per card.
A flat card design comes with one Premium White envelope per card, while postcards come with none. Choosing a coloured envelope or envelope liner costs extra, and you choose guest addressing in the envelope step of the order. Black and white addressing is A$0.20 per envelope, and colour addressing is A$0.35 per envelope.
A rush fee of A$50 shortens production after proof approval. For digital printing and white ink the production time becomes 1 to 2 business days. For flat foil it becomes 3 to 5 working days, but the rush is not offered on Vellum paper. Letterpress and foil stamp cannot be expedited.
A swatch kit is A$20. A printed sample of your own design costs A$15, and it is offered on digital, flat foil and white ink designs. Letterpress and foil stamp designs do not offer that sample. Both sample types are sent by regular post in 5 to 7 business days.
A printed back is added in the editor, and it is not offered on Vellum paper. The Linear design is digitally printed on Paperlust Matte paper at 140mm x 107mm, and an order of 100 cards costs A$186 printed both sides, compared with A$168 single-sided.
Only photo designs accept a photo, and the file should be an original camera or photographer file rather than a social media copy. The designer checks image quality at the proof stage, before printing, so any issue is caught before the cards are made.
Under the 100% Print Happiness Guarantee, a print fault is handled with a reprint first, then a credit or refund. The claim window is 30 days from dispatch. Wording mistakes that were in the proof you signed off are not covered.
Base the number on households rather than guests, and treat one address with a couple or a family as one card. Quantities are sold in steps of 10, so round up to the next 10. For the Linear design at 140mm x 107mm and single-sided, 10 cards cost A$6.63 each, or A$66.30 in total with digital printing on Paperlust Matte paper.
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