How to Design a Beautiful Christmas Card
Christmas is coming!!!
You have some great portraits from your engagement session, wedding, or family photo session. So how do you get them designed into good Christmas cards?
First, don’t wait too long to order! Give the company 2-3 weeks to be able to manufacture and ship the cards to you, and then you will need to be able to address and mail the cards to your family and friends by December 18 to ensure they get them by Christmas. Unfortunately, if you wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you might not get your cards in time, unless you use expedited shipping. Sometimes you can find a company that will ship cards directly to your family and friends, which is convenient, but sometimes takes a bit of the personal touch away from the card.
If timing is a challenge, how about a New Years Card instead of a Christmas card? This recent trend gives folks a bit more time to get their cards made and sent, and it gives your recipients something fun in the mailbox AFTER Christmas is over.
Pick a vendor that is within your budget and has designs that reflect your family’s personality! Here are my go-to recommendations for vendors:
Use the code in the image above to claim your discount at Basic Invite!
Basic Invite This company produces some of the highest quality cards and stationery suites for holidays, birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations! I even have a discount code you can use for 40% off and free shipping! See photo to the right.
Minted Minted is another popular company that produces a great quality card. If I have taken your family portraits, I have a partnership with Minted that allows me to upload your photos for you and offer you a discount. Just let me know if you are interested!
Shutterfly Shutterfly produces prints, cards, and a variety of other photo-based gifts, and they are always running sales and deals, especially this time of year!
Vistaprint I have used Vistaprint for years for my own Christmas cards, announcements, wedding stationery, and business printing! They are always offering sales and have a ton of other fun products and gift ideas for businesses and consumers.
Choose 1-3 images that you love that share the same color scheme, and then pick a template that coordinates nicely. Don’t overdo it! More than 3 photos on the same side of a card can create a cluttered look. You can always use the backside or inside of a card to add a few more photos!
*The most important tip: Don’t forget to send a copy to your photographer! I can’t tell you how excited I get when I receive a client card in the mail! I love seeing how you use the photos I capture for you. And I keep every single one. They just bring me so much joy!
*If you want to do something more than just Christmas cards with your photos, check out my blog post “Ten Gifts You Can Create with your Portraits (Other Than Photos).”