Guide
How to make a digital invitation
To make a digital invitation, design it on a 5 × 7 inch card or a phone-shaped page, make the occasion, date, time and place the biggest words, add an RSVP link or QR code, then download a PNG and send it by WhatsApp, text or email. MyCanvasDesign does all of this free in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
A digital invitation has two jobs: look like the event, and answer "what, when, where" before anyone has to ask. This guide covers the size to pick for how you will send it, what to write, how to handle RSVPs, and how to send it without your phone squashing it into a blurry thumbnail.
At a glance
- Size
- Invitation (5 × 7 in), 480 × 672 px
- Time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- You'll need
- The event details, the RSVP date and how guests should reply, and a photo if you want one.
Make a digital invitation in seven steps
Write the details out first
Before you design anything, write the invitation as plain text: what the event is and who it is for, the host, the day and date, the start and end time, the full address or video link, the dress code, anything guests should bring, and the RSVP date with how to reply. Check that the weekday matches the date; it is the most common mistake on invitations.
Pick a size for how you will send it
A 5 × 7 inch card (480 × 672 px) is the classic invitation shape: it looks right in a chat, attached to an email, and can be printed at exactly 5 × 7 inches if you want paper copies too. If people will mostly see it on a phone, the Instagram story size (1080 × 1920 px) fills the whole screen and suits WhatsApp status and stories. A square (1080 × 1080 px) works for a group chat or a social post.
- You can change the page size later and move things to fit, so start with your best guess.
Set the mood with colour and one main picture
Choose a background colour for the page that matches the occasion: soft neutrals for a wedding, bright colours for a child's birthday, deep greens and reds for a winter party. Then add one main picture: a photo (cropped right on the page), a few of the icons you can recolour (balloons, cake, hearts, stars) or shapes like bursts, ribbons and banners. A heart or circle can be filled with a photo too.
- Two or three colours are plenty. Use the same ones for the text so it all looks planned.
Make the key words the biggest thing
The name or occasion should be the largest text, the date and time next, and the address and RSVP smaller. Pair a handwriting font such as Pacifico, Dancing Script or Lobster for the name with a clean, easy font such as Nunito or Poppins for the details; never set an address in a script font. Keep text away from the edges, because chat apps crop previews.
- Line height around 1.3 and a little letter spacing make small details easier to read on a phone.
Add a way to RSVP
Give guests one clear way to reply: a phone number, an email address, or a link to a form or event page. A picture cannot hold a link people can tap, so put the link in your message as well; a QR code on the invitation (made with the QR code tool) is for anyone who sees it on a second screen or on a printed copy. A QR code to the venue on a map saves a lot of "where is it?" messages.
Check it at phone size
Zoom out until the invitation is about as big as it will look in a chat, roughly the width of your thumb. Can you still read the date and time? If not, make them bigger or cut words. Proofread names, dates and times one more time, and ask someone else to read it: fresh eyes catch the wrong year.
Download a PNG and send it
Download a PNG at 2× for a sharp image on phones (480 × 672 px becomes 960 × 1344 px). Choose JPG instead if you are emailing a lot of people and want a smaller file, or PDF to print copies at the card's real size. In your message, add the key details as text too: it helps people who use screen readers, and it makes the date searchable in their chats.
- WhatsApp shrinks photos. To keep full quality, send the PNG as a document instead of as a photo.
- Send a short reminder with the image again a few days before the event.
What to write on a digital invitation
Keep the wording short and put the facts in the order people look for them: what, who, when, where, then how to reply. Here are three patterns you can adapt.
- Child's birthday
- Maya is turning 7! Come and jump with us on Saturday 14 March, 2 to 4 pm, at Jump Zone, 12 Mill Lane, Leeds. Please reply to Sam by 7 March. Socks with grips, please.
- Wedding or engagement
- Together with their families, Priya Shah and Tom Reed invite you to celebrate their wedding on Saturday 6 June at 1 pm, The Old Barn, Hexham. Reception to follow. Kindly reply by 1 May.
- Work or community event
- You're invited to our end-of-year drinks. Thursday 18 December, 6 to 9 pm, The Crown, upstairs room. Food and soft drinks provided. Let us know you're coming by 11 December.
When to send it, and what guests need to know
Send a birthday or party invitation two to three weeks ahead, a work event three to four weeks ahead, and a wedding invitation six to eight weeks ahead (with a save-the-date six to twelve months before). Set the RSVP date a week or two before the event, so you have time to chase people and confirm numbers with the venue.
Think about what would stop someone coming or make them uncomfortable, and answer it on the invitation or in the message: parking and step-free access, whether children or partners are invited, food for allergies and diets, and what to wear. A short line now saves a long thread of questions later.
Questions about making a digital invitation
What size should a digital invitation be?
A 5 × 7 inch card (480 × 672 px, downloaded at 2× as 960 × 1344 px) works well in chats and emails. For an invitation that fills a phone screen or goes in a story, use 1080 × 1920 px. A square 1080 × 1080 px suits group chats and social posts.
How do I send an invitation on WhatsApp without losing quality?
WhatsApp compresses photos. Attach the PNG as a document instead of a photo, and it arrives exactly as you made it. Add the date, time and place as text in the same message too.
Can guests tap a link on my invitation?
Not on the picture itself: an image cannot hold a working link. Put the RSVP or map link in your message alongside the image, and add a QR code to the invitation for people viewing it on another screen or on paper.
Can I print the same invitation?
Yes. Download a PDF of the 5 × 7 inch design and it comes out at exactly 5 × 7 inches, ready to print at home on card or at a print shop.
Will my invitation have a watermark?
No. MyCanvasDesign is free in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark, and nothing is ever stamped on your downloads.