Step 1

Step 1: Nail Your Design

Before you design greeting cards for printing, it’s vital to think about your audience. Are you creating birthday cards or niche-themed cards for specific occasions? It can be helpful to create a buyer persona – in other words, come up with some characters to visualise your ideal customer and what they might want from your brand and products. Once you know your purpose, keep these design tips in mind:

• Bleed and trim: Always include a 3mm bleed to ensure your design prints edge-to-edge without unwanted borders.
  
• High-resolution artwork: Aim for at least 300dpi to avoid pixelation.
  
• Colour mode: Design in CMYK rather than RGB for accurate colour reproduction in print.
  
• Typography: Make sure text is legible, well-aligned and doesn’t sit too close to the edges.

Step 2

Step 2: Choose the right size and format

As greeting card printers, we recommend a good place to start is with the envelopes. Our machines can quite easily work with any size however, when it comes to envelopes, it’s not so straightforward. Use your envelope as a border, it should be around 5mm bigger than your card. Then, once you have chosen your envelope, make sure the artwork fits the space, and choose a layout (portrait or landscape) that complements your style. At The Imaging Centre, we offer a range of popular sizes, based on standard envelope sizes, all supplied creased and ready to fold.

Standard envelope sizes are C6 (114×162), 133×184, 125×175 and C5 (162×229). In square sizes, they are 130×130 & 155×155.

Step 3

Step 3: Select the Best Paper Stock

Your choice of card stock can dramatically affect the final look and feel of your greeting cards. Whether you go for a smooth silk finish or a natural texture, the right paper enhances your design and adds appeal. 

If you’re unsure, request a sample pack from The Imaging Centre to compare options before placing your order. You will then be able to touch and feel the quality with your hands, choose the design you want and have the REAL card produced and sent straight to your door – so you feel confident with your choice.

You can request your sample pack here

Step 4

Step 4: Add Your Branding

Don’t forget the back of your card, which is prime real estate for your logo, website or social handles. Including your branding not only builds recognition but also makes your cards look professional and retail-ready.

Step 5

Step 5: Print with Confidence

Once your design is ready, it’s time to upload your files and choose your print specs. At The Imaging Centre, we specialise in greeting card printing for creatives and businesses. Our easy online ordering system, fast turnaround and sustainable printing practices make us a trusted partner for first-time and experienced designers alike.

Final Tips

• Proof: All of our publisher members can receive up to 30 free proofs every month. Proof for content, proof for colour, proof for quality.
• Start small: Our minimum print run is just 6 of any one design. Print a small batch first to test the waters.
• Order envelopes: Don’t forget the extras! We also supply a wide range of envelope types to complete the product. 
• Consider finishing touches: Options like cellophane wrapping or card bands can help protect and present your cards professionally.
• Add something special: Whilst we’d always suggest starting simple, we offer a full range of special finishes, if you would like to add a little bit sparkle then please get in touch, we can walk you through the whole process.