There are plenty of questions to answer when printing birthday party invitations. Are you having a “milestone” party like for a 30th or 40th birthday? What about a “sweet sixteen” party? If the age factor is a specific part of the announcement, there are plenty of custom printing designs you can choose from to highlight the milestone age of your special person.

Some may be touchy about their age; if you need birthday invitations for someone who’d rather not announce how old they are, you can always choose to pay more attention to the party itself rather than the milestone it celebrates. Printing invitations is easy if you know in advance whether that is a tricky issue or not.

When it comes to the basic details, be sure to include the time, date and location of the party. Don’t forget to include special requests; if your party is a “no gift” celebration, it’s important to state that clearly so people will know what’s appropriate. Are you requesting donations to a favorite charity instead of gifts? Your birthday party invitations should mention that, too. If you want your friends and family to bring food and drink, the invite should mention that detail.

One potentially awkward situation for those on your list who don’t know the birthday boy or girl well

comes with the tradition of bringing a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer to a party. If your event is an alcohol-free celebration, you can mention this in the birthday party invitation and avoid the whole issue. It’s easy to be sensitive if you know in advance what kind of party you’re attending. That’s the beauty of a custom-printed birthday invitation; you can include all the vital information in the invite in a fun, attractive presentation.

Birthday celebrations, like any party, tend to go on as long as they’ve got people willing to participate and have fun. If you need your party to end at a specific time, be sure to spell out the time the party ends. Put your “hours of operation” in the party invitation and everyone will know the party comes to an end at the designated time. This is especially helpful if you have rented a facility for your party and must be out of the building by a certain time or risk being charged extra.