This post for a Back to School Sign contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I make a small percentage when these links are used, at no additional cost to you.

Grab a free Printable Back to School Sign to celebrate your student's big day back! They're available from preschool through twelfth grade. I'm also sharing my best tips on getting a great first day of school photo. After all, these photos pack a great deal of sentimental punch. Download your back to school sign below.

First day of school photos are our favorite, y'all. And I just love documenting the day with a fun printable for each grade. This is WAY easier for me than scrapbooking. This year's Free Printable Back to School Sign is rainbow-riffic and ready to go! Download your child's grade below and start the photo-taking fun.

Free Printable Back to School Sign

Let me take a moment and freak out that I'm about to have a sixth grader, y'all. What in the heehaw? And I'm so happy that he's cool with letting me take first day of school pics with cutesy signs still. Hoping that he's still smiles all the way through high school, too!

UPDATE, 2021: this child is is about to be a junior in high school in two weeks. And his brother will be a freshman. Hold me.

I also have the coordinating last day of school printables listed down below, as well. Be sure to pin this page so you can return at the end of your school year to grab your print.

Getting the Most Out of Your Back to School Sign

First, I love printing my signs at home (you can download the ones I designed below for your own kids). Printing at home gives me a bit more control of the outcome.

In our house, we currently use the HP Deskjet 3636 printer and it's perfect for printables.

Grab this printer HP Deskjet 3636 here on Amazon Prime (free shipping!).

Load your printer with a good, letter-sized, white cardstock paper for these kind of printables. When framing, you want a heavier paper so the backing in your frame doesn't show through and alter the color of your print.

Grab a ream of letter-sized white cardstock here on Amazon for the best price around. It's where I purchase all of my own cardstock that I keep on hand.

Set your printer to its best output level and away you go!
I also have a complete tutorial available on How to Print Printables. It gives great download tips, too.

Framing Your Free Printable Back to School Signs:

I highly recommend using a fun frame with your printable. It really makes it stand out. My kids chose these fun green ones. And I can always reuse them later...maybe with their first day photos IN them! These frames featured in this post were from Hobby Lobby.
A frame with a fun color is a great contrast to the white background on this printable. Try to pull one of the colors of the letters as a frame color, too.
All of these free printable back to school signs are designed to fit 8x10" frames. However, I created them to print onto letter-sized (8.5"x11" paper/cardstock) so you can easily print at home (see my above notes on at-home printing).
My FAVORITE framing tip is featured below.

Super important: don't use the glass in the frame when using it for your first day of school photos (as pictured above). It will completely eliminate any glare in your final photos if you leave it out.
In order to not lose my piece of glass, I tuck it behind the printable inside the frame. Then, when I'm reusing this frame for photos, it's there waiting for me.

If at all possible, take those first day photos outside. The colors will be so much prettier and vibrant.
If the weather is less-than-desirable, take your photos with the kids holding umbrellas...it will make for the BEST memory. We had to take family photos like that one year...and honestly, they are still our favorite year of photos because of their uniqueness.
And finally, have fun with it! We always have to have a silly photo in the mix of it all. It lightens the mood and gets everyone loosened up a bit.

Not 100% these two are ready to go back to the grind, but it's still a fun and exciting time of the year as we get into the swing of the school schedule. I truly crave that routine come mid-August. My husband is a high school principal, so all three of my guys are about to be back at school.

Download Your Free Printable Back to School Signs Below:

Download Your Free Printable Last Day of School Signs Below:

More Free Back to School Printables:

Be sure to also grab my free printable backpack labels (pictured above) for your kids' bags and such. They're available in all of the letters and two different color options.
These free Back-to-School Blessing Printables have been a big hit with readers, as well.
And my free morning routine printables are awesome for getting kids up and at 'em before school. These have visuals on them, as well, for early readers.
This adorable Back to School Banner from A Girl and a Glue Gun would be super cute for a classroom or even at home for your first day of school breakfast.
And these free printable bag toppers from Reasons to Skip the Housework are another great first day of school printable.

Happy back-to-school season, y'all!

What tips do you have for first day of school photos?

27 comments:

SummerAugust 2, 2016 at 7:18 AM
The printables are very nice! Nice boys too ♥

summerdaisy.net
m_richardsonAugust 2, 2016 at 4:15 PM
I wish we could download all of them at once! They are so cute! Thanks so much!
UnknownAugust 2, 2016 at 4:22 PM
I wish I would've done something like this for my kiddos' first days of school! They are now nearing adulthood. I did take pics but looking back at them it's hard to tell what year it was. (Yeah, bad momma!)
Phoebe @ GettingFreedomAugust 3, 2016 at 10:04 AM
I love these First Day of School Printables! Time flies way too fast, so I try to document as much as I can in pictures. Love the tip for not using glass in the frame, too.
UnknownAugust 3, 2016 at 10:33 AM
I love these printables. They are so cute and a great way to easily remember how old your children are in their school pictures. It makes it fun to look back and compare the previous years pictures with the current.
UnknownAugust 3, 2016 at 1:35 PM
those turned out perfect! I love this idea, super easy. we always take first day of school pictures too but I have used a chalkboard. Need to get workin gon those again. first day is coming up quick!
Wandering CarolAugust 3, 2016 at 3:58 PM
Haha. Somehow I doubt your sons will still be smiling as they pose in Grade 12. Enjoy it now! What a cute idea, and a great way to document how they're growing up. I need to get a printer that's good for photos, as I take all these digital snaps but don't bother printing them, so they're eventually be lost to the ages. Now you have great keepsakes.
RAugust 3, 2016 at 5:52 PM
The printer is especially useful for all sorts of things and not just for printing school stuff. Printing labels and stickers is fun and great if this encourages kids as well. HP is a good brand.
UnknownAugust 6, 2016 at 10:46 AM
I love these. I wish you had one for the first day of college. These are fun.
UnknownAugust 8, 2016 at 9:35 AM
Thanks you so much for sharing this!! I just printed the Kindergarten one. You saved me some work! lol
TheresaAugust 10, 2016 at 7:24 PM

Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight Party. Pinned & shared.
AnonymousJune 11, 2019 at 5:06 PM
do you have this style for last day of school?
Robyn OstranderAugust 12, 2019 at 8:32 PM
Love these SO MUCH! Any chance we could all convince you to do the same style with end of the year ones to match? :)
Kristi DominguezAugust 18, 2020 at 8:29 PM
You're very welcome. xoxo