In the digital age, spreading the news that you can’t wait to share has never been easier or more fun. Whether they’re announcing the birth of a child or the date of a wedding, technology has given everyone the ability to create personalized announcements quickly and affordably.

Using websites such as Shutterfly, you can choose from dozens of different formats that allow you to mix photos, text and designs to create the perfect announcement. Creating your own announcements online also allows you to preview and adjust your announcements until you get them looking exactly the way you want.

Here are some tips for creating personalized announcements for some of your most important life events:

* Birth announcements: Everyone wants to see the baby and you’re sure to have plenty of photos you’ll want to share. You can never go wrong with a close-up of your newborn as the centerpieces of your announcement. Family shots are good for secondary photos, as people will want to see how your new addition fits in with your whole family. Include the baby’s measurements, time and date of arrival, and full name and any other short message you feel to be appropriate.

* Graduation announcements: A nice way to make graduation announcements stand out is to choose a design theme that’s related to the graduate’s interests – sports, music or otherwise. You may wish to include professionally done senior portraits, as well as some other photos that show off the personality of the graduate. Include information about your graduation party and perhaps a sentence or two about your graduate’s plans after high school.

* Wedding announcements: Where wedding invitations tend to be more traditional and formal, wedding announcements – or save-the-date cards – allow you to show off a little personality while giving people advanced notice of when you plan to tie the knot. Include either a professionally engagement photo or another favorite photo of you and your fiancee. If you plan on featuring an engagement photo, make sure you talk with your photographer about acquiring the rights to your photos to use on announcements and other materials you plan on sharing.

However you choose to announce your news, you can’t go wrong by doing it with your own personal flair and personality. And don’t put too much pressure on yourself, because there’s no wrong way to share news that everyone will be excited to hear.