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Marketing by PrintPlace

7 Most Common Signs and Prints for Graduation Season


Key Points
  1. High-quality banners and yard signs are printed on weather-resistant materials, ensuring they look great throughout the entire graduation season.
  2. Graduation prints, such as invitation cards, booklets, and posters, are typically kept as souvenirs, often framed and displayed at home, or stored in memory boxes.
  3. Follow your organization’s brand guidelines when designing prints and signs. Consistent and accurate use of logos, colors, typography, and other design elements creates a cohesive brand identity.

Whether it is a preschool moving-up ceremony, a high school commencement, or a college celebration, using graduation signs and prints can help make these milestones feel more special and memorable.

To help you prepare for the graduation season, here are seven essential signs and prints that provide graduates with well-deserved recognition.

1. Vinyl Banners

Nothing says “Congratulations!” quite like a large, highly visible banner. Graduation banners are often made from vinyl, a tear- and weather-resistant material that’s ideal for indoor and outdoor use.

Vinyl banners are available in various standard sizes, from small classroom signage to huge outdoor billboards. The ideal size depends primarily on the location, viewing distance, and design and content requirements.

You can order these large-format signs with grommets (reinforced metal rings for hanging) or pole pockets (sleeves for inserting poles), depending on your preferred installation method.

Production and Design Tips: 

Graduation banners are meant to be read from a distance, so pick a strong, legible font. You can also combine two fonts for maximum impact. For example, bold Sans Serifs (e.g., Montserrat, Bebas, and Oswald) often work well with elegant Scripts (e.g., Allura and Alex Brush) for accents.

Avoid using highly decorative fonts that are hard to read, as well as overly thin script fonts, which may be difficult to see in bright light.

2. Yard Signs

Graduation yard signs are typically placed on lawns and sidewalks to celebrate and announce a graduate’s achievement. They are often made from coroplast (or corrugated plastic), a lightweight, UV-resistant, and waterproof material.

You can order yard signs with H-stakes, which are metal stands that can be pushed directly into the ground.

Production and Design Tips: 

Yard signs are designed for long viewing distances, typically 50- –70 feet. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of viewing distance, which means 5–7-inch fonts are generally a safe choice to ensure readability.

You can also keep the design festive by incorporating fun elements such as confetti, graduation caps, gold accents, or school mascots.

3. Posters

School posters are popular for indoor events like banquets, honor ceremonies, and graduation parties. They often feature welcome messages, quotes, seating charts, or photo boards.

The most popular poster sizes include 11” x 17” (ideal for classrooms and small displays), 18” x 24” (most popular standard format), and 24” x 36” (suitable for photo backdrops and statement displays). Using standard sizes makes installation easy, as they are compatible with store-bought stands and frames.

Production and Design Tips: 

Use a simple color palette of 2–3 main colors based on the school’s brand guidelines. Also, you can add black, white, gold, or silver to give your poster a classic or traditional look.

To ensure readability, create a high color contrast between the text and its background. These are some excellent color combinations that promote readability and accessibility:

  • Black and white
  • White and blue/dark purple
  • Yellow and black
  • Yellow and dark blue

4. Postcards and Invites

Graduation postcards are often used to share achievements or invite guests to a graduation ceremony or party. People often keep them as special keepsakes, especially if they are printed on premium cardstock and feature a unique, captivating design.

The most popular sizes for postcards and invites are 4” x 6” and 5” x 7”, as they are compatible with standard envelope sizes (A6 and A7).

Production and Design Tips:

Ensure key information such as date, time, venue, and RSVP details are clearly visible using a strong text block, bold font, or contrasting shape. Double-check all details for accuracy before printing.

5. Photo and Event Backdrops

Graduation backdrops create a nice visual focal point for events and photo sessions. Their most popular sizes include 8 x 8 ft. (standard photo backdrops), 10 x 8 ft. (photo backdrops for large groups), and 12 x 8 ft. (stage backdrops).

Photo banners with a repeating logo pattern are called step-and-repeat.

Polyester fabric and vinyl are two of the most popular materials for photo and event backdrops. The ideal choice depends on the shooting environment, lighting, and desired aesthetic.

Production and Design Tips: 

Choose fabric backdrops for indoor events that use strong overhead lights or camera flashes. Their matte finish absorbs light, creating a soft, professional look while preventing photo glare.

On the other hand, choose vinyl backdrops for long-term outdoor use. They are made of durable material designed to withstand moisture, wind, UV lights, and other harsh elements.

6. Booklets

Commencement booklets act as a guide for guests, providing structure to the event and listing important names and awards. They remain a cherished keepsake for graduates even in the digital age.

The most common booklet sizes are 8.5″ x 11″ (US Letter) and 5.5″ x 8.5″ (Half-Letter). Standard sizes are faster, easier, and more affordable to print than custom formats.

Production and Design Tips: 

Booklets are formal documents, so opt for an elegant and simple design, which you can achieve with clean typography and simple layouts. Avoid highly decorative fonts, too many colors, and busy backgrounds.

Booklets have a page count that is a multiple of four (e.g., 16, 20, 24, and so on) because they are created by folding large, flat sheets of paper in half, leading to four pages per sheet (two on the front and two on the back). Keep this “structure” in mind when designing and creating your content to prevent unintended blank pages.

7. Stickers

Stickers have become one of the most popular and versatile print souvenirs, party favors, memorabilia, and giveaways for the graduation season. They often feature fun and festive elements, such as diplomas, confetti, and school mascots.

Graduation-themed stickers have various uses, from sealing envelopes and customizing swag bags to decorating memory books and photo albums.

Production and Design Tips: 

Consider ordering stickers cut to the shape of your design, such as graduation caps, school mascots, or diplomas. These die-cut stickers stand out more than regular square ones.

Stickers come in various lamination types, including matte, gloss, and high gloss. The right choice depends on your design and the aesthetic effect you desire.

Matte stickers have a smooth, subdued surface that prevents glare; gloss allows colors to appear richer and bolder; and high gloss offers the most brilliant shine, almost similar to that of a mirror.

Use this checklist for signs and prints to ensure they are accurate, on-brand, and error-free.

When you use high‑quality, well-designed graduation signs and prints, the ceremony feels like a true milestone, not just a casual school event. Also, they make great keepsakes that can be framed and displayed on walls.

Get ready for the big day by ordering premium prints and signs from PrintPlace. We offer a wide range of customization options, including durable, weather-resistant materials, laminations, and special finishes; fast turnaround time; and bulk discounts.