Over recent years, Christmas cards have changed tremendously. No longer do people purchase generic cards with generic images, they put a lot more thought into it. So much so, in fact, that the Christmas card industry starts to be available every September, enabling people to prepare themselves for the upcoming festive season. People spend hours looking through their old images to create Christmas photo cards that speak of their unique personality, but also enable them to send a personalized message.
How to Make Christmas Cards
First of all, if you want your card to truly “wow” people, then you have to make sure that you have the right photograph. This starts with making sure you actually take a good picture, therefore. If you use an old film or a cheap camera, then this will become evident in the picture itself and it won’t make your card look good either. Hence, try to make sure you’ve got a 3.0 megapixel digital camera at least, or, if you want to go old school, a 35mm camera.
Once you have your camera, you need to take lots of pictures so that you have a selection to go for. You need to know what it is that you are looking for however, so do have a plan in mind. Perhaps you want to create a traditional Christmas image of a family around the Christmas tree. Or maybe you want to create an outdoor winter wonderland. This means you have to think about color, clothes, lighting, and more. Proper preparation is absolute key.
Next, you need to choose the company that will print the images for you. Make sure that they have an excellent reputation for their quality and speed of delivery. Of course, the cost is important but don’t let that be the ultimate deciding factor. What you should be looking for is good value for money, and that is not necessarily the cheapest one out there. Do also look at how your pictures are printed, and whether you get a choice in the matter. For instance, sublimation print or ink-jet print, rather than real photo print, is generally cheaper, but also of lower quality. If that is what they offer, then you do need to be aware of it.
Then, there is your caption. What is the message you want to send out to your loved ones? Do you want something standard such as “Merry Christmas”, or do you want to something that speaks from the heart but is perhaps not as Christmassy? Only you can decide on this, but do make sure that you consider what your options are so that you are happy with the end result.
Last but not least, a lot of companies make a lot of money from offering Christmas cards, which means they are all competing for your custom. You need to take advantage of that. Have a look at which ones offer the best offers and deals out there.
