Holiday card designs: the short answer
A holiday card design is a printed sheet folded to a finished size. It has four panels: front, inside left, inside right, back. Most folded holiday cards sold in the US measure 5 x 7 inches (A7) or 4.25 x 5.5 inches (A2). The art must fit the panel. The envelope must fit the card. The greeting must read at arm's length.
Standard sizes and folds
- A2: 4.25 x 5.5 in folded. Flat sheet 8.5 x 5.5 in. A2 envelope.
- A7: 5 x 7 in folded. Flat sheet 10 x 7 in. A7 envelope.
- A9: 5.5 x 8.5 in folded. Flat sheet 11 x 8.5 in. A9 envelope.
- Postcard: 4 x 6 in or 5 x 7 in. One sheet. No fold.
Cards sent in envelopes go by First-Class Mail. A postcard goes by postcard rate. Postage rates change. Check current prices at a post office counter.
Panels and layout
The front panel carries the image or the headline. The inside right panel holds the main message. The inside left panel stays blank, or holds a short note, a photo, or a calendar. The back panel holds the printer mark, a logo, or one line of text.
Keep a margin of 0.25 in on each side. Trim tolerance on a commercial press runs about 1/16 in. Art that touches the trim line can lose 1/16 in on either edge. Keep text inside the safe area.
Color and ink
Offset presses print in CMYK. Digital presses print in CMYK. A spot color, such as Pantone 186 red, needs its own plate or a digital match. Metallic gold and silver inks do not reproduce in CMYK. Foil stamping uses a heated die and a foil roll. Letterpress uses a raised plate and a deep impression.
Paper and finish
Common card stocks: 100 lb cover (270 gsm), 110 lb cover (300 gsm), 120 lb cover (325 gsm). Uncoated stock takes a pen. Coated stock holds photo detail with less dot gain. Soft-touch lamination blocks writing unless the back panel stays uncoated.
Words on the card
Card text runs from one line to four short paragraphs. A common structure: greeting, one or two sentences of message, signature. Religious, secular, and mixed wording all sell. Read the message aloud once. If a line needs a comma to work, cut the line.
Dates and mail timing
USPS handles its heaviest mail volume from Thanksgiving through New Year. First-Class Mail inside the US takes 1 to 5 business days in normal conditions. Mail to an overseas address takes longer. Order printed cards 3 to 4 weeks before the send date. Handmade cards need more time.
Checklist before printing
- Confirm finished size and envelope size.
- Set the document to the flat size, with 0.125 in bleed on all sides.
- Keep text 0.25 in inside the trim.
- Convert images to CMYK at 300 ppi at final size.
- Embed fonts or convert text to outlines.
- Proof one card on the real stock.