Top Tips To Tackle Holiday Cards
A staple of the holidays are the cards that stuff mailboxes. Whether it’s a card with a family photo, pictures of your cat or one you designed yourself, you want your card to be fireplace mantle worthy. Here are some tips and tricks to help you cross holiday cards off your list.
1. Start Early
Just like the holiday shopping season, we suggest your start early. You will need plenty of time to double check your mailing list, take photos, perfect your design and get your cards printed.
Turnaround time is another factor that needs to be considered. Our greeting cards have a turnaround time of 5 to 7 business days, so accounting for production time is important to stay on schedule. Holiday cards should reach their recipients around mid-December, so you want to make sure they’re being mailed out the first or second week of December.
Addressing and stuffing envelopes, sticking stamps and trips to the post office can be time consuming. Taking advantage of our Direct Mailing Service works great if you have a long list of people to send cards to. All we need is your mailing list and we can print, address and deliver your holiday cheer.
2.Choose The Right Stock
You want to make sure your design and stock are working together. If your card features a family photo (yes, your cat is family) our 12 or 16pt. Gloss stocks might work best for your design. Elegant, chic designs pair nicely with 16pt. Soft Touch, and 12pt. Uncoated and 13pt. Recycled stocks complete vintage inspired designs. 12pt. C1S is the best of both worlds with a gloss finish on one side and uncoated on the other. Keep the shiny finish while maintaining ultimate writeability.
French Paper offers a unique look and feel that will make your cards even more festive. Colored Stocks in eye-catching seasonal colors compliment holiday designs with a pop of color. Black and Kraft Neenah stocks embody a more traditional vibe that pair perfectly with reds and greens for jovial holiday wishes. Check out our blog on designing with white ink to get the most of colored stocks.
3. Deliver The Appropriate Message
Consider your audience. There’s a little more freedom with this if family and close friends are the only ones on your mailing list, but business owners should take special care when choosing a message. Simple, broad messages such as “Happy Holidays” and “Season’s Greetings” are inclusive and can span the entire holiday season.
4. Always Leave A Note
A quick signature inside the card might save time, but a handwritten note is a nice sentiment to include. Something as simple as including the recipient’s name in the card with warm wishes gives the card a personal touch. Small businesses can really benefit from writing personal messages to regular clients. Let them know you appreciate them and keep them coming back.
Businesses can include a coupon or promo code as a special holiday gift that can also boost sales.
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The holiday season can get chaotic, but we’re here to help relieve some of that stress. One last tip: Don’t forget Envelopes and Mailing Labels! Deck your cards with finishing options like Foil Stamping and Die Cuts to give the final product more flair.
Send custom Postcards in place of cards and get unique gift ideas like Dye Sublimated Shirts and Screen Printed Posters to wow everyone on your gift list.
All of the designs featured in this post come from designer and illustrator Nick Matej of Downtime Collective.