Why a printed year-in-review letter still works
Every December, plenty of families send a short note in a card. Some go a step further and write a proper family letter: a page or two covering the year's news, a few favourite photos, the new job, the new baby, the dog that ate the sofa. Relatives who live far away, grandparents who do not use social media and old friends you only hear from once a year tend to love it. Many of them keep it, too, which means the letter turns into a small family archive over the years.
The trick is making it pleasant to read. A wall of text printed on an office printer and folded into thirds does not get the same reception as a well laid out letter with photos, clear headings and decent paper. This guide covers how to plan the content, lay out a holiday family newsletter, choose photos and paper, and work out how many copies to print for everyone on your list.
Plan the content before you open a template
Start with a list, not a layout. Go through your phone's photos month by month and note what actually happened. Then trim hard. A good family letter is one or two pages, not a diary.
- One short opening paragraph that sets the tone. A light line about the year works better than a long apology for not writing sooner.
- A short section per person, including the pets if they are part of the family story. Two to four sentences each is plenty.
- Two or three highlights that deserve a little more space: a move, a wedding, a big trip.
- A closing note with your wishes for the new year and, if you like, updated contact details.
Think about your readers. Grandparents want the details about the grandchildren. Old friends want to know how you are. Distant relatives may not know who everyone is, so a caption with names under the photos helps. Leave out anything that would feel awkward if it were passed around a family dinner table, because it often is.
Ideas that keep it fun to read
- A "year in numbers" box: miles walked with the dog, books read, lost teeth, birthday candles.
- Each child writes one line about their favourite moment, printed in their own words.
- A small map marking places you visited.
- Quotes of the year: the funniest things said at home.
Layout: making a family newsletter easy on the eye
Most family letters are printed on A4 or US Letter, or folded to A5 as a small four-page leaflet. A single sheet printed on both sides gives you room for text and six to ten photos without feeling crowded.
- Use a clear heading with the family name and year, for example "The Parkers: our 2026".
- Break text into short blocks with small subheadings or names. Long paragraphs are hard to read, especially for older relatives.
- Choose a readable font size. Body text at 11 to 12 pt is comfortable for most readers. Go a little larger if many recipients are older.
- Keep margins generous. At least 10 to 12 mm around the edges, more if you want a border.
- Two columns work well on A4, with photos breaking up the text.
Free templates in common design tools are a fine starting point. Change the colours and fonts so the letter feels like your family, and remove decorative clutter like snowflakes in every corner, which can make text harder to read.
Choosing and preparing photos
Photos are what people look at first. Pick fewer, better images rather than a collage of thirty tiny ones.
- Choose one larger "hero" photo of the whole family, and smaller photos for individual stories.
- Use sharp, well lit images. Dark indoor shots taken at night often print murky.
- Crop tight so faces are large enough to recognise at print size.
- Use the original file from your phone or camera, not a copy saved from a messaging app, which is often heavily compressed.
- Add short captions with names and places. Relatives three branches away will thank you.
If you are including older photos, for example a picture of grandparents from decades ago for a milestone anniversary, scan them properly first. Our guide to scanning and reprinting old family photographs explains resolution and retouching.
Paper, size and finish
Paper makes a big difference to how the letter feels in the hand. Plain 80 gsm copy paper is thin and lets photos on the back show through.
| Option | Feel | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 120 to 150 gsm silk | Smooth, photos look bright | Photo-heavy letters, double-sided sheets |
| 120 to 170 gsm uncoated | Natural, easy to write on | Letters where you add a handwritten note |
| 250 to 300 gsm card | Stiff, postcard-like | Short single-page updates that double as a card |
If you plan to add a personal handwritten line to each copy, leave a small blank space near the end and choose uncoated paper, which takes ink from normal pens without smudging.
How many copies to print
Go through your card list and count households, not people. Add extras for the ones you forget, for your own family archive and for anyone who asks for another copy. As a rough guide, families who send cards to 30 households often find 40 copies about right. For a large list, a small print run at a print shop is usually cheaper and faster than running dozens of colour pages through a home printer. We compare the two options in printing photos at home or at a print shop.
Sending it with your cards
A letter folded once fits into many standard greeting card envelopes if you print it at A5, or folded in half from A4 into a C5 envelope. If you are sending a card and a letter together, check the envelope size before you print. Our guide to envelopes, sizes and addressing helps you match them. Printing holiday cards at the same time? See printing your own holiday and greeting cards so the card and letter share the same colours and style.
Timing: when to start
December gets busy for everyone, including print shops. Write the content in November, finish the layout by the end of the month and order printing at the start of December. That leaves time for a proof check and posting before the last delivery dates, especially for relatives abroad. Keep a digital copy of every year's letter: in ten years, those files form a family record you will be glad you kept.
Print your family letter with us
We print family newsletters and year-in-review letters on photo-friendly silk paper, natural uncoated stock or card, single or double-sided, flat or folded. Send us your finished PDF or your text and photos, and we will check the image quality and layout before printing, so faces look sharp and the text is easy to read. Small runs for a few dozen households are no problem, and we can match the letter to your holiday cards.
Have a look at our custom and online printing options, or contact us with the number of copies and your posting date, and we will help you choose paper and a format that fits your envelopes.
