What a personalized greeting card is
A personalized greeting card carries text or images chosen by the buyer. The personalization can be a name, a photo, a date, a font, or a message printed inside. Print-on-demand shops run one card at a time from a single file. Offset printers run 25 to 500 cards from the same file.
Card sizes and paper stock
Two sizes cover most orders. A2 measures 4.25 by 5.5 inches. A7 measures 5 by 7 inches and holds a 5 by 7 photo with no crop. Paper weight runs from 80 lb text to 120 lb cover. Heavier stock holds foil and embossing without cracking.
- A2: 4.25 by 5.5 in, with a matching A2 envelope.
- A7: 5 by 7 in, the common size for photo cards.
- Square 5.5 by 5.5 in: mails in the US with a surcharge.
Print methods
- Digital toner. Setup cost is zero. Unit cost stays flat from 1 to 100 cards.
- Inkjet. Used for photo cards. Color range is wide. Ink can smear on uncoated stock.
- Offset lithography. Lowest unit cost above 250 cards. Plate setup adds a fee and 2 to 5 days.
- Letterpress and foil stamp. Raised or metallic finish. A die costs money and adds 3 to 10 days.
Turnaround
Digital print shops ship 1 to 3 business days after proof approval. Hand assembly, foil, letterpress, and ribbon add 3 to 10 days. Ground shipping inside the US runs 2 to 5 days. Rush production and rush shipping are billed as two separate charges.
Mailing rules
USPS applies a nonmachinable surcharge to square envelopes, to letters taller than 6.125 inches, to letters longer than 11.5 inches, and to letters thicker than 0.25 inches. A card plus envelope under 1 ounce mails at the first-class letter rate. A rigid insert, a bow, or a wax seal can push the piece past the 0.25 inch limit and into a parcel rate.
Checks before you order
- Proof names, dates, and numbers. Print shops do not edit text.
- Bleed: 0.125 in on all four sides for full-bleed art.
- Color mode: CMYK for print files, RGB for screen previews.
- Envelope: same size as the card, no more than 0.25 in larger on each side.
- Quantity: order 5 to 10 extra for damage and last-minute addresses.
Market facts
The Greeting Card Association reports about 6.5 billion greeting cards sold in the US each year. Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday, followed by Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. Hallmark, founded in 1910, is the largest US card publisher by volume. Most personalized card orders in the US run 1 to 50 units.