Getly
A printable invitation looks finished in the preview. The trouble starts at home: the text cannot be changed, the card does not fit any envelope you can buy, or the printer leaves a white stripe along one edge. All three are visible in a listing if you know where to look. This guide covers the sizes, the file types and the editing question, in the order you will hit them.
We read the Cards & Invitations shelf on Getly, measured October 2026, to see what sellers actually ship. The shelf holds 53 active listings with a median price of $3.99. Every one of them delivers a single file. Wedding invitations are the largest group: the word "wedding" appears in 43.4% of listings, "birthday" in 15.1%.
The question that decides everything: can you edit the text?
An invitation is only useful once it carries your names, your date and your address. So before size, before paper, ask how the words get onto the card. There are three kinds of file:
- Flat files. A JPG, PNG or a PDF where the text is part of the picture. You print it as it is. Fine for a design with blank space where you write by hand, useless if the sample names are baked in.
- Editable PDFs. The text sits in form fields you can type into with a free PDF reader. The font is usually locked to what the designer embedded.
- Template links. A Canva link (or a similar editor) that opens a copy you can change freely: text, colours, layout.
On this shelf, most listings are the first kind. By listing, 49% ship a PDF and 38% ship a JPEG; the PDFs have a median of one page. Only 3.8% of descriptions use the word "editable", and 7.5% mention Canva. That does not mean the rest are bad. It means you should assume a file is flat unless the listing says otherwise.
What to look for in the description:
- The words "editable", "fillable" or "template link", and the program that opens it.
- Which parts are editable. Some templates lock the decorative title and let you change only the details.
- Whether a free account is enough. A template built with paid elements may watermark them on a free plan.
If none of this is stated, message the seller before you pay. A one-line answer saves you a file you cannot use.
Standard invitation sizes
Size matters because of envelopes. A card that is a few millimetres too wide means hunting for custom envelopes, which costs more than the template. These are the sizes you will meet most often:
| Size | Card | Matching envelope | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5x7 in (A7 in US terms) | 5 x 7 in, 127 x 178 mm | A7 envelope, 5.25 x 7.25 in | Weddings, formal events |
| 4.25 x 5.5 in (A2) | 108 x 140 mm | A2 envelope, 4.375 x 5.75 in | RSVP cards, thank-you notes |
| A6 | 105 x 148 mm | C6, 114 x 162 mm | Birthdays, parties (Europe) |
| A5 | 148 x 210 mm | C5, 162 x 229 mm | Larger invitations, menus |
| DL | 99 x 210 mm | DL, 110 x 220 mm | Long cards, programmes |
Watch the naming trap: "A7" means a 5x7 inch card in US stationery, while the ISO A7 is a tiny 74 x 105 mm. If a listing says A7, check the dimensions in inches or millimetres. Only 3.8% of listings on the shelf name 5x7 directly, so the size often hides in the preview images or not at all. If you cannot find it, ask.
Resolution: will it print sharp?
Print needs more pixels than a screen. The rule of thumb is 300 pixels per inch at the printed size. A 5x7 card at 300 ppi needs 1,500 x 2,100 pixels. The image files on this shelf are generous: the median long side is 5,632 pixels, enough for a 5x7 card several times over. PDFs built as vector files have no pixel limit at all for text and shapes.
So resolution is rarely the problem here. If a listing offers only a small preview-sized image (say 1,000 pixels on the long side), expect a soft print at 5x7.
Bleed and margins: the white stripe problem
Most home printers cannot print to the very edge of the paper. If the design has colour or a pattern running to the edge, you get a thin white border on one or more sides. Two ways around it:
- Print with bleed and trim. A print-ready file includes about 3 mm (1/8 in) of extra design beyond the cut line, often with crop marks. You print on a larger sheet and cut to size. Look for "bleed" or "crop marks" in the listing.
- Choose a design with a white or plain border. Then the unprintable margin does not show.
If you plan to use a print shop, send them the file with bleed. Shops trim stacks of cards and the bleed absorbs small cutting errors.
Paper and printing at home
- Card stock weight. Around 250 to 300 gsm (about 90 to 110 lb cover) feels like a real invitation. Check that your printer accepts it: many inkjets handle up to about 250 gsm through the rear feed.
- Finish. Matte takes ink well and does not smudge. Glossy photo paper suits photo invitations but shows fingerprints.
- Several cards per sheet. Many templates put two 5x7 cards on a letter or A4 sheet. Check that the layout matches your paper size, letter (8.5 x 11 in) in the US, A4 elsewhere.
- Test print. Print one copy on plain paper at "actual size", not "fit to page", and measure it with a ruler. "Fit to page" quietly shrinks the card.
The license: can you use it for a client?
For your own wedding or a child's party, a personal license covers you. If you are a planner printing invitations for clients, or you want to resell printed cards, you need commercial terms. On this shelf 67.9% of listings state a license type; read it before you buy if the cards are not for your own event.
A quick checklist before you pay
- Is the text editable, and with what program?
- What are the exact dimensions, and which envelope fits?
- Does the file include bleed if the design runs to the edge?
- Is the resolution enough for the printed size (300 ppi rule)?
- Does the layout match your paper (letter or A4)?
- Does the license fit your use?
You can browse the shelf on Cards & Invitations. Every listing there was reviewed before it went live, and purchases carry a refund window of at least 30 days.
