Last updated: August 23, 2026
The letter board is the announcement prop with the longest working life. You write the news on it once, take the photograph, and then it carries on doing weekly bump updates, a name reveal, the first day home and every birthday after that. Almost nothing else in this category earns its shelf space that thoroughly.
The catch is that the cheap ones are irritating to use. Letters fall out, the felt sags, the included pack has three letter E’s when your sentence needs five, and the whole thing photographs with a bright reflection across the middle. All four problems are avoidable if you know what to look at before ordering.
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Quick Answer
Which letter board works for a pregnancy announcement?
- A 10 by 10 board suits a handheld photograph; a larger one suits a whole scene.
- Check the letter count, not just the board, because sentences run out of vowels.
- Look for a firm felt grid and a stand, so it does not sag or need propping.
- Keep the wording to a few words, since long sentences do not read on a phone.
Bottom line: buy the board for the reuse, and buy a spare letter pack at the same time.
Why This Prop Outlasts the Others
Because it is reprogrammable. A printed card says one thing forever, a shirt says one thing forever, and a letter board says whatever you set it to, every week, for years. That is the entire argument, and it is a strong one for anyone who plans to take more than a single photograph.
It also photographs cleanly. Black felt with white letters is high contrast and legible at thumbnail size, which is where almost every announcement is actually viewed, and it needs no styling beyond being held up.
Where It Is the Wrong Tool
If you want one picture and nothing else, a printed card is cheaper and faster. Our card guide covers that route, and it wins on effort every time.
Sizes and Which One to Choose
Two sizes cover almost everybody. A square board around 10 by 10 inches is the handheld one: it fits in a photograph held against a bump, it is light enough for a child to hold, and it stores anywhere. A larger rectangular board sits on a shelf or a floor and suits a wider scene with more words.
Buy the small one if you are unsure. The large boards look impressive and then live in a cupboard, because most of the photographs people actually take are close up and handheld.
The Handheld Size
A square felt board with a small stand covers the announcement photograph and the weekly updates afterward without needing anywhere to live.
The Scene Size
A larger board earns its place if you are photographing a whole family or a nursery corner rather than a close up.
Felt, Frame and the Things That Annoy People
The complaint that comes up most often is letters that will not stay in, which is a felt problem rather than a letter problem. A firm grid with deep grooves holds pins properly, and a soft loose felt lets everything drift, especially once a board has been reset a few times.
The frame matters less than the listing photographs suggest. Wood looks warmer and plastic photographs the same at thumbnail size, so choose on price and on whether it comes with a stand, since propping a board against a wall wastes more time than it sounds like it should.
What to Look For in the Description
A stand or an easel included, a storage bag or box for the letters, and a stated letter count. Boards sold without a way to store several hundred small pieces create a mess that ends the reuse plan quickly.
The Letters, Which Are the Real Purchase
Almost every board ships with a letter set, and almost every set runs short on the common letters the first time somebody writes a real sentence. Vowels, S and T are the ones that run out, and a board you cannot finish a sentence on gets abandoned.
Check the stated number of characters and whether the set includes numbers, emoji shapes and the pre printed cursive words that many announcement photographs use. A supplementary pack costs little and saves rewriting your sentence around the letters you happen to own.
The Spare Pack Worth Adding
An extra letter set with additional vowels and cursive word tiles turns a frustrating board into a usable one.
What to Write on It
Short beats clever. The wording has to be read on a phone screen at the size of a postage stamp, so a few large words in the middle of the board outperform a full sentence in small characters every time. Set the important word on its own line.
The common formats are a due date, a countdown, a simple statement of the news, or a line aimed at the specific person being told. Our announcement ideas page collects the formats, and the letter board suits all of them because you can change your mind after the first test shot.
A Note on Dates
Writing a due date is the most reused option, because the same board then works for the countdown, the birth announcement and the first birthday. It also invites fewer questions than a riddle does.
Photographing It Without a Reflection
Felt boards under a bright ceiling light produce a shine across the frame and sometimes across the letters. Turn the overhead light off and use a window instead, with the board facing the window rather than backlit by it.
Check the letters are seated flat before you shoot, since one letter sitting proud casts a shadow that is obvious in the picture and impossible to fix afterward. Take one test shot at phone thumbnail size and see whether the words still read.
Angles That Work
Straight on for a handheld board, slightly above for one lying flat. Anything at a strong angle makes the letters hard to read, which is the whole point of the object.
Which Board for Which Job
Match the size to how you plan to use it, not to how it looks in a product photograph.
| Board | Best for | Watch out for | Reuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small square, around 10 inches | Handheld announcement photos | Limited words per line | Weekly updates, birthdays |
| Large rectangle | Family shots and room scenes | Needs somewhere to live | Nursery decor, parties |
| Board with stand | Flat lay and shelf photos | Stands are often flimsy | Everyday display |
| Board plus spare letters | Anyone writing full sentences | Storing the extra pieces | Years, if stored properly |
What to Do With It Afterward
The board goes on doing work long after the announcement. Weekly bump photographs with the number set on the board are the most common reuse, followed by the birth details, the name reveal and every monthly photograph of the first year.
Store the letters in the bag they came in or a small box with dividers, because a loose pile of several hundred characters is the reason most boards stop being used. Our photo prop guide covers what else people use for the weekly series, and the scrapbook guide covers where the pictures end up.
Pairing It With Something to Keep
A board produces images, not a record. A guided journal is the usual companion, since the photographs and the notes end up in the same place rather than scattered across a phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size letter board is best for an announcement? A square board around 10 inches suits handheld photographs, which is what most announcements are. Larger boards are better for family scenes and worse for storage.
Do the letters fall out? On soft felt they do. A firm grid with deep grooves holds pins reliably, and it is worth reading the reviews specifically for that complaint before ordering a cheap board.
How many letters do I need? More than the board comes with. Vowels and the letter S run out first, so a spare pack is a small addition that keeps the board usable for full sentences.
Can I use it for the weekly bump photographs? That is the main reason to buy one rather than a printed card. Numbers, a date and a short line can be reset in a minute each week.
How do I avoid the shine in the photograph? Turn off the overhead light, face the board toward a window, and check that every letter is seated flat before you take the picture.
Is a chalkboard easier? Only if your handwriting is good and consistent. A chalkboard needs redoing entirely for each change, where a letter board takes a minute and always looks the same.
The Bottom Line
Buy the small square board, check the felt is firm and the stand is included, and add a spare letter pack in the same order so you never have to write around missing vowels. Keep the wording to a few words, shoot it by a window with the ceiling light off, and the same board will still be earning its place at the first birthday. Read next: announcement shirts compared and props for the weekly photo series.