Holiday photo cards are a great way to share your family photos with friends, relatives, or business contacts. While you could print them on standard paper at home, the best results are publishing on heavy card stock and choosing an appropriate size and format. Whatever your choice of holiday photo card style, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
Size
If space is not a consideration, 8.5″ x 11″ cards are the most popular size because they’re easy to print at home and fit into standard holiday card envelopes. The next most popular size is 5.5″ x 7″, then 4″ x 6″. The size of a holiday photo card affects the amount of space you have to design the card. For example, if you want to include a photo or video clip along with your holiday greeting, 5.5″ x 7″ is the right size, so viewers don’t miss it when they open the card.
Format
The most popular holiday photo cards are vertical in format (when viewed from the side). This shape looks good on most screens and fits into standard holiday card envelopes. The next most popular format is horizontal (when viewed from the top). Either of these formats will look fine if you’re creating your holiday photo cards, but keep in mind that both require viewers to turn their heads or printouts to see all parts of the card. Some formats can distract or inconvenience some viewers, especially when viewing the cards on a small screen.
Price
Holiday photo cards range in price from a few cents to a few dollars each, depending on size and format. The lowest-priced holiday photo cards are 4″ x 6″ with rounded corners and no envelopes. These cards cost the least to produce and are affordable for most budgets. The highest-priced holiday photo cards are 8.5″ x 11″ with envelopes and uncoated paper. These cards typically cost more to produce but may last longer than some of their counterparts.
Types
The number of types of holiday photo card styles is almost endless. Some of the more popular styles include cards with a photo or video on the front, cards that fold over to show additional pictures on the inside, and cards with a small opening in which to add your special photo or greeting. The type of holiday photo card you choose should depend upon your budget and how many people you want to send it to.
Labeling
It’s common to include the name and address of the person you’re sending a holiday photo card to on its backside, along with the greeting you’ve included inside. While this is an informal way of letting recipients know where to send their holiday greetings in return, it will clutter up your design if you place too many labels on the back of your card. It’s best to keep it limited to just one, especially if you include additional photos inside.
There are so many decisions to make when creating holiday photo cards, but they’re all worth it in the end. If you put some time and thought into your design so you can avoid these common mistakes, you’ll be sure to get rave reviews from everyone on your list.
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