Planning Wedding Invitations in Tamil Nadu: A Printer's Guide

A Tamil wedding card is more than a printed notice. It carries the muhurtham, both families' names and the blessings of the elders, and it is usually handed over in person. If you are planning wedding card printing in Vellore, start early and read the proof slowly. We have been printing since 1991, and most wedding card trouble comes from a late start or a hurried proof.

When to start

Begin once the muhurtham is fixed and the lagna pathirikai is written. A workable timeline:

• 10 to 12 weeks before: settle the guest list and the design style.
• 8 weeks before: send the final text and check the proof.
• 6 weeks before: aim to have cards in hand.
• 4 to 5 weeks before: start giving them out, outstation relatives and elders first.

Many families place the first card before the family deity or in the pooja room. Keep that card in your count.

Traditional or modern design

A traditional wedding card usually carries Vinayagar, Murugan or the family deity, kolam or temple borders, deep maroon, red or yellow, and Tamil text with English on the reverse.

A modern wedding card leans on clean typography, lighter colours, illustration and white space. Some couples add a QR code that opens the venue location.

Many families do both: traditional for relatives, modern for friends and colleagues. You can start from a template in our online editor, upload your own file, or ask our team to design it.

Card sizes, paper and finish

A flat 8.5 x 5.5 inch card is a common choice, as is an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet creased and folded down to that size. Larger folded sizes, such as 11 x 17 inches, give room for separate Tamil and English panels.

• 300 GSM card feels substantial and survives handling.
• A fold on 300 GSM must be creased first, or the print and lamination crack along the spine, especially on dark maroon.
• Glossy lamination makes colours richer, matt cuts glare, and 3D lamination adds a patterned surface that catches the light.
• Gold in a design file prints in CMYK as a flat mustard tone, not a metallic shine.
• If you design it yourself, work in CMYK with photos at 300 DPI, run backgrounds 3 mm past the trim line (bleed) and keep text at least 6 mm inside it.

Envelopes

An envelope keeps the card clean through bags, travel and turmeric. Traditional cards can be ordered with an envelope cover in 130, 170 or 300 GSM. 130 suits hand delivery, 170 holds up better by courier, and 300 matches the card and feels formal. If the cover is printed, leave a clear space to write each guest's name.

Getting names and muhurtham details right on the proof

We send a free digital proof, and nothing prints until you approve it. Check it against the lagna pathirikai, not against memory:

• Names with initials, degrees and prefixes such as Thiruniraiselvan and Thiruniraiselvi, in Tamil and English.
• Parents' and grandparents' names, and native place.
• Tamil month and date, English date and day of the week, all agreeing.
• Muhurtham time window and lagnam, with am or pm.
• Venue address and reception timing.

Have one person read aloud from the original while another follows the proof. Watch look-alike letters: ல, ள and ழ; ன and ண. In your own file, embed the Tamil font or convert text to outlines so vowel signs and conjuncts do not break.

Order spares

Count households, not people, then add 10 to 15 per cent for late additions, spoiled cards, the temple and a few to keep. Adding them to the first run costs far less than a reprint, which on offset means paying for plates and make-ready again. For a later short run, call us; it goes on digital, and colour may not match the offset run exactly.

Giving cards with betel leaves and turmeric

Close family is invited in person with thamboolam: betel leaves, areca nut, turmeric and kumkumam on a plate with the card. Many families also dab turmeric and kumkumam on the card's corners.

• Keep the corners of the design free of text so the dab hides nothing.
• Betel leaves are damp. Keep the card in its envelope on the plate.

Collection and delivery

Collect from our Vellore store, take local delivery, or courier cards to relatives across India; charges and dates appear at checkout. If cards run short close to the date, call +91 88384 35916 to ask about urgent same-day options in Vellore.

When you are ready, the traditional wedding cards page shows sizes and live prices.