Description

Greeting Cards are large, folded notecards with an area for a personalized message on the interior. They are a popular way to celebrate holidays and special events. Usually, they are colorful and have images on the outside.

Recommendations

The most common order options are 10" x 7" before folding on 14 Pt. Gloss Cover stock. Almost always, Greeting Cards are printed in full color on both sides (4/4). Once folded, these options create a 5" x 7" finished card.

For higher quantities and additional stock choices, please check out our 4-Color Offset Greeting Cards.

Marketing Tips

Greeting Cards are an ideal way to impress business partners, send a special message to customers, and build excitement about an upcoming event or promotion. They create a personal touch that connects with clients in a way other than traditional advertising.

Standard Sizes

Our standard sizes, listed below, are the most popular in the industry:

• 8.5" x 5.5" Scored
• 8.5" x 11" Scored
• 10" x 7" Scored

Any Trim Size

You can order custom sizes by using the "Any Trim Size (Edit Below)" option in the pricing calculator. First select the standard size option which is larger in both dimensions (height and width) than your desired custom size. In the "Any Trim Size (Edit Below)" box on the pricing calculator (shown below), type in your desired dimensions. Please remember if you are ordering "Any Trim Size" for a product that is folded, "Any Trim Size" dimensions are for the product before it is folded.

Be mindful of the custom trim when submitting a file to prevent any part of your design from being trimmed away. It's extra important to look at a proof when ordering custom trim.

14 Pt Gloss Cover

You may be familiar with this type of stock from presentation folders.

This thick and stiff stock is coated on both sides with a glossy finish.

12 Pt Gloss Cover

You may be familiar with this type of stock from post cards or greeting cards.

This thick stock has a gloss coating on the front and an uncoated paper finish on the back.

100# White Linen Cover

You may be familiar with this type of stock from business cards or notecards with a subtle, woven, fabric-like finish.

This sturdy paper offers a unique non-glossy look enhanced with a subtle, woven linen finish.

100# Uncoated Cover

You may be familiar with this type of stock from thick index cards, though the finish is much higher quality.

A very versatile stock, the uncoated finish is good when you don't want a slick and shiny look, while the firm 100# stock folds precisely.

4/4

Full color on both sides of the sheet. This option can reproduce the range of colors you see in a typical photograph out of the standard 4 printing colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Typical examples of this are magazine covers and high-end catalogs.

4/1

Full color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black as above) on the front and black on the back. A typical example of this is a flyer.

4/0

Full color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black as above) on the front and no printing on the back. A typical example of this is a poster.

Coating is unavailable with Digital Printing

Explanation of Turnaround Time

Turnaround times begin when the proof is approved. All times are based on standard business days Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. For orders shipping to the blue zone, please use the Eastern time zone (New York). For orders shipping to the red zone, please use the Pacific time zone (California). Please see the below map:

Please note that turnaround time does not include shipping or mailing time. You may select from available production turnaround times and your preferred shipping time as you place your order.

Our products are the same great quality for every turnaround time we offer.

1-2 Day Turnaround

If you order a proof (Online PDF or Hard Copy Proof), your turnaround time begins as soon as you approve your proof in our system. If you order "No Proof, Run As Is" (only recommended if you are certain you want us to print what you sent as is), your turnaround time will be based on the guidelines listed below. Once your order is in imposition, you should receive an email with your estimated order completion date (does not include shipping or mailing).

Guidelines

1-2 Day Shipped Orders
Orders will ship the next business day after 4:00 p.m. or in 2 business days if you follow the guidelines.

Files uploaded after the cut off time will be processed the following business day.

2-3 Day Turnaround

If you order a proof (Online PDF or Hard Copy Proof), your turnaround time begins as soon as you approve your proof in our system. If you order "No Proof, Run As Is" (only recommended if you are certain you want us to print what you sent as is), your turnaround time will be based on the guidelines listed below. Once your order is in imposition, you should receive an email with your estimated order completion date (does not include shipping or mailing).

Guidelines

2-3 Day Shipped Orders
Orders will ship between 2 business days after 4:00 p.m. and 3 business days if you follow the guidelines.

Files uploaded after the cut off time will be processed the following business day.

Scoring and Folding

Greeting Cards are scored for easy folding and shipped flat (unfolded).

Quantity

The quantity available is dependent on the order specifications you choose. To see available quantities, complete all order specifications in the pricing calculator and click on the "Quantity" dropdown menu.

Due to our printing process, we print in specific quantity increments. If you would like an amount not listed in the pricing calculator, you have two options.

1. Request a custom estimate for the specific quantity you need
2. Order a larger quantity and ask us to ship only what you need

Ordering one of our specified quantities is generally more affordable than a custom estimate. Let us know how many units you would like shipped and we will recycle the excess for you. Simply choose the amount of items you would like recycled under the "shipping" section after placing your order.

For example, if you would like 700 units, you can order 1000 units and let us know you only want 700 shipped. We will responsibly dispose of the extras.

We typically print more than the quantity ordered. Because printing is a manufacturing process, the total finished quantity may vary. We usually ship a few more than you order, but sometimes quantities can vary +/- 5%. Standard industry procedure is to consider this range shipment in full.

When to choose Offset

4-Color Offset printing is ideal for lower prices on large quantity orders or any time you would like coating on your products.

Almost always, people choose this option when ordering large quantities.

When to choose Digital

4-Color Digital printing is ideal for lower quantity orders and additional paper options, and usually has even faster turnaround times. Digital products cannot be coated.

Custom Orders

If you would like to order product options not available in the pricing calculator, simply request a custom estimate. To request a custom estimate, click "Estimates" at the top of the page.

In many cases, it is more affordable to order one of our specified quantities than to place a custom order. Custom orders are most commonly placed for order specifications that are not listed in the calculator.

If all your order specifications are available in the Pricing Calculator but you would like a quantity not listed in the dropdown menu, choose the next-highest quantity. Simply choose "recycle overages" in the shipping method section and we will responsibly recycle the extras.

For example, if you would like 700 units, you can order 1000 units and let us know you only want 700 shipped. We will responsibly dispose of the extras.

Please Select Template Below:

PDF stands for Portable Document Format. This template can be imported into: InDesign, Quark Express, Illustrator, Corel Draw, and many other content creation programs.

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group and is a basic raster file format. This template is recommended for Photoshop.

EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. This template is recommended for advanced Illustrator users only.

File Preparation

In order to ensure your files are print-ready, we recommend that you upload them in PDF format. When you generate a print-ready PDF, your computer will use the settings in Adobe Acrobat Distiller or any other PDF generating programs you may use. Please make sure that these are set properly before generating your PDF file.

If you are uploading PDF files created in Photoshop, please be sure all layers are flattened.

We also accept .JPG (JPEG), .EPS and .TIF (TIFF) file types, however PDF is the preferred format.

Check your file to make sure it meets our file creation guidelines. This will help speed up the production of your project and give your printed piece the best results.

1. Use the CMYK colorspace (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK). These are industry standard printing colors. CMYK colors are different than RGB (Red, Green, Blue), which are used to display colors on your screen.


2. Use a minimum resolution of 300 dpi for image files.


3. Specify trim area with crop marks. (Don't place crop marks inside the work area.)


4. Artwork should have 1/8" (0.125") bleed extending past the trim line. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge.


5. Safe Area is the 1/8" (0.125") area inside the trim line. Do not put critical information or images within the Safe Area. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge.


6. If you want printed borders, they must be placed a minimum of 1/8" (0.125") inside the trim line and include bleed. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge.

File Orientation

Please click the link below for an explanation of file orientation.

View File Orientation

Bleed and Safe Area

We require that you extend any images that run up to the trim line a minimum of 1/8" (0.125") past the trim line to create "bleed". Depending on what program you use to create your file, this may or may not change the total image area of your file. Programs like Photoshop that do not allow the creation of "bleed" or the addition of crop marks will require an image area that is 1/4" (0.25") larger than your desired final overall image area in both dimensions.

Safe Area is the 1/8" (0.125") area inside the trim line. Do not put critical information or images within the Safe Area. This is to prevent minor cutting variations from leaving unintended results at the trim edge. If you choose to make less than this minimum clearance, we will NOT be responsible for items that are cut off in this area.

Proofs and File Check

We offer three proof options:

1. Online PDF Proof: You will be sent a link to view your proof via email. Please keep in mind that this is only a proof for content and positioning; the color on your screen may vary from the color of your final product, depending on your monitor and viewing conditions.


2. Hard Copy Proof: The Hard Copy Proof can either be picked up on-site or shipped to you. Please keep in mind that this is a proof for content and positioning and is not printed on your actual job stock. Color may vary slightly when printed on the stock you ordered. When ordering a Hard Copy Proof, you will receive a complimentary Online PDF Proof, as well.


3. No Proof, Run As-Is: This option is for the industry professional who is certain their project is ready to hit the press and does not require the additional security of a proof.

File Check:

If our prepress department sees anything questionable with your file, we will contact you via email with our concerns. Should prepress email you, please note that your job is not considered fully submitted until you respond to this email. This should be factored into your turnaround time. File check does not apply to No Proof, Run As-Is. No Proof, Run As-Is jobs print from the exact file(s) you upload unless it is not possible to print because your supplied file does not match the specifications ordered.

How to check your Online PDF:
The black crop marks indicate the final trim size. The Red line ( Dashed ) indicates the (Score) The Green line ( Dashed ) indicates the (Perf). The Red Line (Solid) indicates the ( Cut or Trim ) line. The verbiage on the file, this will indicate the page position after folding.

Please Note: The charge for our technical team to review your file when first submitted is included in the price of your order. If they note technical concerns with your file, they may email you with their concerns so you can upload a corrected file. If subsequent uploads still contain errors, you may be charged an additional prepress fee to review your file again.

Design Online

You can create a personalized design in just a few minutes. Once you click the "Start Your Design" button, you're taken to a huge library of design templates. You can search by specific category or select "generic" for personal use. Making changes to the text, font size and uploading a picture or logo on your chosen template is as easy as using a basic computer program. After you're done making changes, you are able to instantly view an online proof and order it for print.

There are professional design templates for almost any personal and business need.

Assisted Design

If you like one of the Design Online templates but would prefer not to handle the designing yourself, this option is ideal. Simply let us know which template you like and supply the information you would like to appear on your design. We will handle the rest!

Keep in mind that the images on the template will remain the same. Only text can be edited and basic logos added.

There are professional design templates for almost any personal and business need.

Check out all your Design Online template options.

Custom Design

We create fully custom designs that help represent your company, brand or product in a professional way. Custom Design includes consulting to come up with a concept and design revisions, so you're truly part of the process. You can also add either a basic or corporate custom designed logo to your design.

There are 3 design packages to meet your needs:

1. Full Custom Design:

With this option you get complete, professional custom design for the product of your choosing. This includes consulting to discuss the concept, images, text, and revisions.

2. Full Custom Design plus a Basic Logo

With this option you get the complete design just like Custom Design Option 1 plus a basic logo. Basic logo design consists of a single font with a simple icon. See the examples under the "Logo Samples" tab.

3. Full Custom Design plus a Corporate Logo

With this option you get the complete design just like Custom Design Option 1 plus a corporate logo. Your corporate logo design has no limit to font styles so long as they are in our library. You also get a fully designed graphic to accompany your text. See the examples under the "Logo Samples" tab.

To see Custom Design pricing, number of images and revisions for this product, select "Custom Design" on the dropdown menu in the calculator and click the link underneath the menu.

Keep in mind that this price is estimated and includes limits on the amount of images and revisions that can be made before incurring additional charges. We will notify you prior to performing any services that cost more money.

Basic Logo Samples

Corporate Logo Samples

How to Use Custom Design Video