Whether you plan to make a single personalized greeting card or have plans for mass production, there’s a lot to keep in mind when you hit the design phase. Greeting cards seem so simple when we see them in stores, but the best greeting cards have a ton of time and effort put into their design and production. No matter what the occasion is, we’ll show you how to design an excellent greeting card that you can be proud of.
Know Your Audience
Your first instinct will likely be to make a greeting card you would enjoy getting, but you need to take a step back before starting. Remember that the greeting card isn’t a gift for the giver; it needs to be perfect for the recipient. Consider who the audience of your greeting card will be, that is, who will receive your card. Once you know the intended recipient, you can better tailor the rest of the card’s design to their sensibilities rather than your own.
Use the Right Materials
You can’t use any old piece of printer paper you find lying around your house for a good greeting card. The materials you use in your greeting cards reflect how much effort and care you put into them. Choosing premium card stock may seem like a small decision, but it makes all the difference when the recipient actually has the card in their hands. Consider things such as embossing, ink, and foil accents that can add extra layers of class or sophistication to your card.
Remember Color Theory
Colors play a huge part in our daily lives, even when we don’t consciously notice them. Part of designing an excellent greeting card is choosing a color palette that matches your intended tone or the mood you wish to impart on the recipient. For example, red is a color that invokes passion and energy, while blue is a color that creates a calming and serene feeling. Yellow creates a cheerful and optimistic feel while greens tend to create a more peaceful, natural effect.
Use a Genuine Message
Greeting cards are the perfect opportunity to take your time and think about what you want to say. Sometimes the right words don’t come to us in the moment, which is why greeting cards are still so popular. Your greeting card doesn’t need to be hilarious or odd to have a big impact. The message you use for your card can be simple and to the point; just make sure the message is heartfelt.
