Birthday sound wave art

What to record for a birthday gift

Keep the clips short. A ten second recording gives each word room to be seen.

• A group greeting. Ask friends and family to each record five seconds on their phones, and join the clips into one file with a free audio merger.
• Their laugh. A short clip of real laughter looks lively as a waveform, and it is instantly recognisable to people who know them.
• Their favourite song, or the song that was number one the year they were born.
• A child's birthday message to a parent or grandparent, with the age and the year.
• The first words of a baby on their first birthday.

Milestone birthdays

Milestones give you a reason to go big. A first birthday is a keepsake for the parents: the first word or a gurgle laugh, in a soft palette for the nursery. An eighteenth or twenty-first suits a favourite song in a bold gradient. A thirtieth, fortieth or fiftieth is perfect for a group message from friends. For sixtieth and seventieth birthdays, a family voice message is often the best gift of the year, especially from relatives who live far away.

Make it in a few minutes

• Collect the audio. Most phones have a voice recorder app; ask people to speak clearly and say who they are.
• Trim to the best 10 to 30 seconds. Remove long silences and background noise.
• Open the editor with the birthday template and add the file. Choose a style, for example dots for a playful look or bars for something classic.
• Add a name, the age or the date. "Happy 30th, Sam" is plenty.

Colour and style ideas

Birthdays are one of the few occasions where bright is fine. Warm oranges and yellows give a cheerful look, deep purples and pinks feel celebratory, and a black background with neon colours suits a teenager or a music lover. Pastel tones suit a first birthday. If you do not know the recipient's taste, look at what colours they wear or what their room looks like.

Sizes and presentation

An A4 or 8 by 10 inch print is easy to wrap and a fine size for a desk or shelf. If it is the main present, choose 11 by 14 inches (28 by 36 cm) or A3, framed. Write a card to go with it explaining whose voices are on the print.

Gift pairing ideas

• A playlist or a vinyl record of the song used in the print.
• A framed photo from the same year.
• Tickets to see the artist whose song you used.
• A matching smaller print for the giver, so you both have a copy.