The first goal of an invitation is to provide information. That’s the easy part. Filling in the blanks on any store-bought invitation will satisfy the need. Invitations, however, should also be memorable, distinctive and reflect your personality or company brand. Off-the-shelf invitations generally are not memorable, can’t be distinctive if thousands of other people also use them, and almost never accurately reflect your personality or the brand of your company. Designing your own invitations isn’t difficult—and it’s easily worth the effort.

Guidelines for Typography
The first typographic rule for invitation design is:

1. Keep it simple. Invitations should be clear and easy to read. Complicated typographic layouts will almost always detract from the message.

2. Center at will. Centering lines of copy is rarely a good idea in any medium—except in invitations. Because the eye naturally returns to the left edge of copy to begin the next line, readers generally prefer left-edge alignment. Invitations, however, are read slowly and on a line-by-line basis. There are also few words per line in invitations; this allows the reader to take in the whole line in one glance, then drop to the next.

It’s generally recommended to keep invitations to 10–14 lines of copy. Any more and reading the centered lines becomes difficult. Lengthy copy set in script faces also becomes tiring on the eye.

3. Create hierarchy with spacing. Use white space to signal the relationship between parts of an invitation. In general, there should be less space between two supportive pieces of information than between two that are disparate. Set the important copy large and supportive text at a smaller size. Size and spacing differences should always be obvious.

Normally, the most important stuff in an invitation is at the top. Titles like “Graduation Party” or “Annual Executive Off-Site” are usually given primary billing by being put at the top of the invitation. It’s OK, however, to break from this tradition. Try setting this info at a very large size and putting it at the bottom or along the left edge of the invitation.

Guidelines for Typeface Selection
Beyond providing information, type in invitations has two main jobs:

• Creating differentiation
• Establishing a mood or theme

4. Differentiate with your choices. Typefaces can create brand and event distinction. The best choices not only convey information, they also make the invitation memorable. Spend a little time looking for just the right font … and avoid using those bundled with applications and your operating system. At about $25, a new font is a cheap investment in a distinctive invitation. The sidebar on the facing page will give you a few ideas for font choices.

5. Set a mood. Typeface selection can evoke a mood or create a theme. There is, however, a caveat when attempting to build a theme with typefaces: It’s easy to cross the line from “traditional” to hackneyed. If you want an invitation that is typographically fresh, avoid typefaces like Old English, Papyrus, Buffalo Gal and Comic Sans. Most large font distributors have keyword searches on their websites; try searching under the theme you want to create. Not all results will be ideal, but you may find just the font you’re looking for.

6. One face is enough. Invitations are almost always small canvasses and, as a result, one typeface is usually enough to get the job done. Two typefaces can sometimes clarify the message or create a hierarchy. Employing more than two typefaces in an invitation, however, tempts disaster: The hierarchy can become confusing and the design jumbled.

7. Go decorative when … Use less decorative typefaces for invitations that have many lines of copy or where the lines of copy exceed six words.

8. Complement proportions. Consider complementing the proportions of the invitation with typeface choice. If the invitation is tall, or in vertical/portrait mode, consider using somewhat more condensed typeface designs or scripts with long ascenders and descenders. If it is square or horizontal/landscape mode, try a slightly expanded typeface design or one with a large lowercase x-height.

Guidelines for Graphics
The primary rule for the use of graphics is the same as the first rule of typography: keep things simple. The most important part of an invitation is the typography: the message. If you want to include an ornament or graphic in the design, be sure that it complements the message—and doesn’t overpower it. Some fonts, like Isis and Gravura, have graphics and ornaments that are designed to combine perfectly with the letters and numbers. It’s hard to go wrong using these.

There are two kinds of invitations: business and social. While both can be serious or lighthearted, theme-based or reserved, and elegant or unassuming, the best typeface choices for each can differ dramatically.

9. The business of business is business. The key thing to remember about business invitations is that they are about business. They can be lighthearted but not cute, humorous but not silly, and themebased but not clichéd. A formal business invitation should never be mistaken for one for a wedding or bridal shower. Choose typefaces accordingly.

Scripts can be appropriate to business invitations, but not the very fancy and highly decorative variety. Sans serif typefaces are usually not used in social invitations but can be perfectly comfortable— and appropriate—in a business invitation. Elegant serif typestyles, like Centaur and Dante, while not normally used for social invitations, can be perfect for a divisional conference or retirement party.

10. Loosen up socially. Social invitations enjoy a much wider range of typeface choices. They can be silly, cute or wildly ornate, as long as they are appropriate to the event. Typefaces used in social invitations can be as stylish as Edwardian Script or as carefree as Carumba.

The best invitations use type to be memorable and distinctive and reflect your personality or company brand … and they are not purchased from the local convenience store.

SIDEBAR: Quick type tips for invitations

• Do not use more than one script. Script typefaces have strong personalities. Using two in the same invitation will be as harmonious as Ann Coulter and Ron Suskind discussing politics.
• A sans serif typeface will combine better with scripts than a serif design.
• A simple calligraphic typeface will often complement scripts.
• Never set all-cap copy in a script typeface. If set together, the letters become entangled, creating a typographic jumble.
• Use a fancy script capital as an initial letter lead-in to copy set in a sans serif or simple calligraphic design.
• Do not use punctuation (commas, periods, colons, etc.) at the ends of lines.
• Only proper nouns are capitalized (names of people and places, cities, states, name of the day of the week, month name, etc.). Exceptions are the year line (“Two thousand”) or where the noun is the beginning of a new sentence or thought.
• Do not abbreviate names, street addresses, cities, states, or other items, such as apartment, suite, etc.

• Name of the host or sponsors, arranged alphabetically if necessary
• Establish the purpose—wedding, party, dinner, picnic, etc.
• Name of honoree—bride and groom, newborn, etc.
• Day/Date. spelled out—e.g., Saturday, March 23rd
• Time (“at six o'clock in the evening”)—it is acceptable to add an ending time to allow people to plan ahead.
• Name of place—e.g., St. John's Church
• Location of place
• Appropriate attire if it is an issue
• RSVP details: Provide a name, phone number (or e-mail address) and RSVP deadline date after RSVP wording.