PHOTO CHRISTMAS CARDS
A quick guide to creating your Christmas photo cards
Creating Christmas photo cards with Inkifi? Then here’s everything you need to know about the process, from designing to printing to posting – plus a few handy tips.
Give yourself plenty of time
If you’re following Christmas card etiquette, you should send cards at the start of December. When sending custom Christmas cards, this means getting your timing right. You need to allow time for design and printing, delivery to your home, writing messages and addressing envelopes, and then, finally, putting cards in the post.
So they’re ready to send during the first week of December, we recommend designing and ordering your Christmas photo cards mid-November. That way friends and family get to display and admire your custom card for the whole of the festive season. And you tick Christmas cards off the list nice and early, leaving the rest of December for hanging decorations, finding or making presents, and planning the all-important feast.
Here’s our recommended custom Christmas card timeline:
- 3rd week of November: design and order photo Christmas cards.
- 4th week of November: write cards and address envelopes.
- 1st week of December: put your custom Christmas cards in the post.
Pick a Christmas photo card template
Once you have your timing down, you need to pick a Christmas card template. Independent designers have worked with Inkifi to create a range of beautiful Christmas photo card templates for you to choose from. But before you select a template, consider the photos you want to include and the style of card you want to create.
Your photos
We have Christmas card templates in both landscape and portrait orientation. If you want to include a single photograph, pick a card with an orientation that matches your image. If you choose a template design with space for square images, either landscape or portrait photographs will work well. Just be sure to check that your photographs can be cropped into a square format without losing any important detail.
Your favourite template style
All of the Christmas card templates on the Inkifi website are stylish and contemporary. However, they tend to fall into one of the following categories. Pick your favourite to create a card that reflects you and yours.
Classic and elegant Christmas cards: With crisp, cursive fonts, these Christmas card templates have a traditional and elegant feel.
Modern and minimalist Christmas cards: A simple layout and a minimalist font make these card templates the perfect choice for cool and contemporary Christmas wishes.
Photo collage Christmas cards: Want to include more than one photograph? Then photo collage Christmas cards, with space for up to nine images, are the ideal choice.
Bold and typographic Christmas cards: These card templates have bold, creative typography and provide the basis for a Christmas card that is totally unique.
Remember, you can edit fonts and photographs when you customise your card. But starting with a template you like makes the process quicker and easier.
Select photos
Next up, it’s time to select your favourite photographs. Using the Inkifi upload tool is easy whether photos are stored on a smartphone or desktop computer. Just remember that any photos you include in your custom Christmas cards should be of good quality. Pick images that are well-lit and in focus.
When it comes to photo content, family photo Christmas cards are a popular choice. By including a photo of your family, you can show card recipients how your little ones have grown or how a new pet is fitting into your home. You can highlight fond memories from the past year – a new baby, a wedding, a new house or an exciting trip – sharing with loved ones what the year looked like for you.
We find that the best Christmas photo cards also incorporate a sense of the season. That might mean choosing a photo of a wintery scene, a picture of last year’s Christmas decorations or a portrait of the family in scarves and hats, all ready for a winter walk. Red and green colours help to evoke the festive season. And photos that reflect the joy, love and togetherness of Christmas also work well.
Customise your photo Christmas card
Once you’ve added your photograph (or photographs if you’ve chosen photo collage Christmas cards), you can customise the design. You can choose from a wide range of creative fonts, and add, remove or edit text. There are also a variety of filters that you can apply to your images, making colours more or less saturated, or opting for greyscale, sepia or Polaroid effects.
Preview, print and order
Like what you see? Then click Add to Cart. All Christmas photo cards from Inkifi are sold as sets of 10. Update the quantity box to reflect the number of sets you need, click Update Shopping Cart, select your preferred shipping method and then, Proceed to Checkout.
Add a personalised message to printed photo Christmas cards
Whether you’re typing or handwriting a message to Christmas card recipients, a heartfelt message makes all the difference. It shows that, while you may be sending out lots of Christmas photo cards this year, every person on your Christmas card list holds a special place in your heart.
But what should you say? Finding the right words for a Christmas card – that go beyond the standard “Merry Christmas” – isn’t always easy. So to help you put pen to paper, here are a few Christmas card message ideas.
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas
It’s Christmaaaaas!
Sending you peace, love and joy this festive season
Keeping you in our hearts this Christmas, and always
Bring on the music, mulled wine and mince pies!
Wishing you a magical Christmas and the happiest of new years
‘Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry!
Sending you season’s greetings and our warmest wishes
Pitch each message according to your audience. Something funny and conversational for your best friend. Something warm but polite for your Great Aunt Mary. If you’re sending Christmas cards on behalf of your business, pick a message that fits your brand personality, whether that’s uber-professional or something a little more unique.
Want more Christmas card message inspiration? Then take a look at this list of Christmas card messages with ideas for every type of card. Whether you want a message that’s funny or heartfelt, for friends, family or people you work with, you’ll find lots of great examples here.
Address envelopes and send
One final thing to do. Address and add stamps to your cards so they’re all ready to send. Just remember to keep an eye on the deadline date for Christmas delivery with Royal Mail or your other chosen delivery service. That way your personalised Christmas cards are sure to arrive in time.
Christmas photo card FAQs
When should I send Christmas cards?
Aim to send your custom Christmas cards during the first week of December. At a push, you can post them during the second week of December but check Royal Mail delivery times as Christmas always tends to be a very busy period.
What size are Inkifi Christmas Photo Cards?
Our Christmas Photo Cards are 7 x 5 inches. This is the perfect size for high quality photographs and provides plenty of space inside for you to include a handwritten message.
What photo resolution do you recommend for custom Christmas cards?
To ensure your custom Christmas cards look their best, upload images with a minimum resolution of 3.5 megapixels (MP). You can check the resolution of an image by clicking the three dots at the top of an image in your smartphone gallery or by right-clicking and selecting Properties on an image stored on your desktop.
What paper are Inkifi Christmas photo cards printed on?
All Inkifi cards are printed on premium Mohawk cardstock. This card is beautifully textured, of the highest quality and has a matte finish. It’s also FSC certified, which means that raw materials are sourced from forests that are sustainably and ethically managed.
Do my personalised Christmas cards come with envelopes?
Yes, every Christmas card you order comes with a blank envelope for posting.
Can I save my photo Christmas card design?
Yes, you can. If you’re not quite ready to print, you can save your Christmas card design by creating an Inkifi account. Just log into your account to pick up your project where you left off – or order more copies of a previous photo card design.
When will my Christmas photo cards be delivered?
All of our products are made to order if you’re ordering from the UK, you can expect your photo cards within 2-3 working days.
How many custom Christmas cards should I order?
On average, families send around 50 to 100 Christmas cards per year. However, you may want to send more or less, depending on the size of your family and whether you’re sending Christmas cards on behalf of your business. Our Christmas photo cards come in sets of 10 and it’s easy to order multiple sets at checkout.
