We all know VistaPrint does business cards and mailing labels but many moms need things like party invitations and birth announcements. Vistaprint generously offered to send me invitations to review. I just needed to design them and put them in my cart. One week later I received them via FedEx.

Since we just got a new grill and summer is here, I wanted to make barbecue invitations. They have an extensive gallery of pictures, layouts, and styles but the barbecue section was a little lacking. Instead of having the date printed on the invitation, I added a blank line so we could use these for several small gatherings throughout the season.

Designing the invites was a cinch. Choose a design from their gallery or upload your own. The text and images are very easy to move around and customize. In less than half of an hour the invitations were ready to be submitted.
One of my favorite features from Vistaprint is their caricature creation. You can design a digital version of you or someone else to insert in your design. It’s a bit similar to creating your virtual self on a Wii. You choose your head shape, skin color, eye shape/color, hair style/color, nose shape, mouth expression, and can add accessories such as glasses.
What about the extras? I would recommend the glossy finish since the colors come out more vivid and it gives the impression of ‘professional’ versus ‘homemade’. The matching envelopes are nice for more formal occasions. The custom security print is kind of pointless – no one will even see it if they use a letter opener.
I have to say that I am happy with the invitations from Vistaprint. For an online print service, the quality is good and the prices reasonable. Plus, they always have discounts and specials running here and there. Just be warned that you might get a lot of offers from them in your email inbox after you order from them.
