Their first days, big on the wall

Announcing a birth: the printed announcement is back

Today a birth is announced on WhatsApp in seconds. The message is read, liked, then disappears in the chat. A printed announcement is kept: grandparents put it on the sideboard, friends slip it into a book, and the child will find it one day. That is why it is back in fashion, in Douala as elsewhere.

A good announcement takes just a few lines: the child's name, date of birth, perhaps weight and length, a photo, the parents' first names. For a christening, add the date, time and place of the ceremony, then of the reception. Our templates already have these spaces: you just replace the text.

The framed birth photo: the grandparents' gift

It is the gift most often given to grandparents and godparents: a beautiful photo of the newborn, 20 × 30 or A4, in a frame. A natural wood frame suits soft, bright baby photos very well; the moulded gold frame gives a formal touch that is perfect for a christening photo.

For a sharp photo, choose an image taken in daylight, near a window, without flash. Send the original from the phone rather than a photo received on WhatsApp. The website tells you straight away whether the photo is sharp enough for the size you choose.

An album for the first months

Parents take hundreds of photos in the first weeks. Most of them stay in the phone. Print the best ones in 10 × 15 or 13 × 18: from 50 prints, the album is free. It is an ideal family gift: everyone picks their favourite photos, the workshop prints them and puts them in the album.

Consider lamination for photos that are passed around during visits: a protective film makes the photo resistant to water, fingerprints and dust.

Organising the christening without stress

A christening means a ceremony at church, a reception, and guests who sometimes travel a long way. To have everything ready on the day, order the invitation cards two to three weeks ahead, the banner and T-shirts a week ahead. Cards are printed within 24 hours of approving the proof; banners and T-shirts take 3 to 5 working days.

• 3 weeks before: choose the card template, send the list of details.
• 2 weeks before: print and hand out the cards.
• 1 week before: order the banner, T-shirts and godparents' gifts.
• After the ceremony: print the photos of the day for the family.