How to Create & Print Graduation Name Cards

Graduation name cards can serve several purposes. You may include them in your graduation announcement, or they can be used for placeholders at a graduation dinner party. Many schools use them to distinguish students from one another as they receive their diplomas onstage. With Microsoft Word, you can create and print graduation name cards yourself.

Launch Microsoft Word. Set your document to recognize the paper size. Click "File," then under "Page Setup," choose the correct size. Click "OK," and note that your document transformed into 10 rectangles across the page. Each box represents one of your note cards.

Type your name in the middle of the box. Choose a font large enough to stand out but not so large that it covers the whole box. A size of 24 to 36 points should work unless you have a long name, in which case you may need to go down to 20 points. Graduation cards are usually semiformal, and names are usually in script or cursive font.

Include your degree and the name of your school. Depending on the formality of the occasion, you can type either the abbreviation (such as B.A.) or the complete title of your degree (such as Bachelor of Arts). Include any Latin honors you've received.

Type your class year at the bottom. A typical line would say, for example, "Class of 2010." You may want to choose a smaller font so that your name still stands out. Select all the contents inside the box, press "CTRL+C" to copy, then press "CTRL+V" to paste into the other boxes.

Set your printer so that it recognizes the paper size. Click "File," then "Print," then under "Layout," choose the correct size. The typical size for graduation note cards is 3.5 inches x 1.5 inches. Locate the feed option that corresponds to your printer's orientation, then load the blank cards in the same way so that your cards will print correctly. Click "OK" to print.