Hey, friends! Have a seat, grab a pen and paper, and take some notes. We’re going to educate you on something super exciting…folders! No, not the gather-my-tax-papers type of folders. We’re talking knock-their-socks-off folders you can use to create super unique, custom event invitations and announcements.
Design by: In-House Product Designer, Kim Wendland | Senior Photography by: Jennifer Martin Photography
You’re probably wondering why I keep saying “folders” when I’m not talking about your typical file-away folder. What we’re really talking about here is creating custom folding cards for clients’ special events. The term “folders” has been used in the fine stationery industry for decades to indicate folding cards, primarily bi-fold wedding invitations (rare these days although still beautiful). The term has been extended to other types of folding cards that have hit the scene over the years, and those include — but are not limited to — what we’re going to speak about today…
Folding Cards + Gatefold Cards + Z-Fold Cards = Opportunity
Custom folding cards can be used as both special event invitations and announcements, or as unique promotional pieces for businesses like brochures and mailers. Today, we’re talking about custom graduation party invitations and announcements. It’s the perfect example of how you can take any of your typical A7 Flat Card designs and reinterpret them as a folder depending on how much space you need for event details, party information and imagery.
The Classic Bi-Fold Card
Modern stationery tends to reserve folding cards for greeting cards but think about what you can do with two more panels of space! This custom folding card features an introduction to the graduate on the front and throws in a line about the graduate’s future plans on the back. The inside has a full photo on the left and the graduation party invitation on the right.
Front Side of A7 Folding Card with Gold Enhanced Foil
Back Side of A7 Folding Card with Gold Enhanced Foil
The most surprising part about the bi-fold card is the gold enhanced foil on the front AND the back. A very cool benefit of enhanced foil is that you can get 1-sided or 2-sided enhanced foil on both Flat Cards and Bi-Fold Cards. Learn more about it in INKspiration: Enhanced Raised Foil vs. Foil Stamping.
Closeups of Gold Enhanced Foil on Front and Inside
The Stylish Gatefold Card
You have possibly worked with vertical gatefold cards if you’re a wedding stationery designer. Vertical gatefolds offer a chic option for custom wedding invitations and they lend well to embellishments like ribbon and wax seals. However, the horizontal gatefold option is equally elegant and, with a little practice, you can create some really unique designs. Our in-house product designer chose to use the two front panels as photography highlights with the name on the left and the class year on the right. “Graduate” appears on the back within the dazzling confetti frame. Inside is a total of nine photos! Now that’s a great idea for showcasing all those wonderful senior photos parents invest in. The thing to note here is that gatefold cards are only available digitally printed so this card features digital printing on the front, inside and back.
Front Side of Horizontal Gatefold Card
Back (Inside) of Horizontal Gatefold Card
And here’s how it looks straight out of the envelope. The beautiful presentation of photos and event details will surprise recipients, plus it displays perfectly on a countertop or mantel. Friends and family will keep this custom graduation invitation long after the ceremony and party.
Horizontal Gatefold Card Folded
The Unique Z-Fold Card
Now for one of our all-time favorites here at TOG.ink. Z-Fold cards are surprisingly unique and versatile. Having six different 5 x 7 panels to work with means this folding card is probably one of the most useful form factors we offer for some of life’s most memorable milestones. The Z-Fold Card is a popular option for bilingual wedding invitations due to the sheer amount of space available. You can see here that it works beautifully as a graduation invitation and we’ve even seen them coming through as holiday cards in the last few years. Again, the Z-Fold card is only available digitally printed as of right now so the design below features full-color digital printing on the front and back.
Front Side of Horizontal Z-Fold Card
Back Side of Horizontal Z-Fold Card
Stand the Z-Fold card upright for an easy and elegant display just like the gatefold card. A striking piece that’s sure to get noticed, this style of card is also available in a vertical format. Vertical Z-Folds are great for hanging on the fridge or clipped to a piece of twine with other graduation cards.
Horizontal Z-Fold Card Shown Folded
A final note about paper. We have an excellent selection of papers proven to work beautifully with each folding card type. I sampled the above announcements in both 94 lb. and 115 lb. paper (our base price options). As you might expect, the 94 lb. creases slightly better when folded but not as much as I expected. So the takeaway is go ahead and order the 115 lb. if you like the quality feel of a heavier card stock. We also highly recommend using the product templates found on each product detail page to ensure you are placing your artwork correctly.
That concludes our informative session on folders! I hope you learned something useful. More importantly, I hope you’ve been inspired to experiment with something new in print!
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