PDF event invitation or programme — how to design, print and share professionally

2 min read·25 July 2026

Whether you are organising a business event, a birthday party or a conference: a well-designed PDF invitation or programme makes it look professional. This guide covers design, exporting, printing and digital distribution.

Design: start in Canva or Word

Canva has hundreds of free templates for invitations and programmes. Choose a template that matches your style, adjust the text and download as PDF. In Word, an invitation is also easy to create — use columns and text boxes for a structured layout. Save as PDF via "Save As" → PDF.

Dimensions: A4, A5 or DL format

Choose the right size for your purpose: • A4 (210×297 mm): standard for programme booklets • A5 (148×210 mm): compact invitation card • DL (99×210 mm): fits a standard envelope Set the page size when exporting. In PDFrust you can adjust the size afterwards via Page Size.

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Add a QR code to the invitation

A QR code on the invitation lets guests click directly to the registration page, location map or event website. Use PDFrust QR Code to generate a QR code and place it directly in the right spot in your PDF.

Printing: maintaining quality

Printing yourself? Choose "Actual Size" in your printer dialogue — no auto-scaling. Sending to a print shop? Supply a PDF with bleed (3 mm) and CMYK colour profile. Check that photos are at least 300 dpi.

Share digitally: compress for email

A colourful PDF invitation can be large. Use PDFrust Compress before emailing. Via WhatsApp? Maximum attachment is 100 MB, but smaller is always better for fast delivery. Want to share the invitation via link? Upload to Google Drive or Dropbox and share the link.