Artwork Guidelines:

Our process blends creativity, precision, and sustainability to deliver custom greeting cards that stand out. Whether you’re designing holiday cards, event invitations, personalized greetings, or small-batch custom orders, these guidelines ensure a seamless production process and flawless, gallery-worthy results. Our in-house design team is here to offer free dedicated support—from file validation and technical tweaks to layout optimization—so you can focus on crafting heartfelt, brand-aligned designs.

Let’s dive into the details to create greeting cards that elevate your message, boost emotional connection, and make every moment unforgettable.

Preferred Files

Our design team relies on high-quality, editable files to turn your greeting card vision into a polished finished product. These are the recommended formats for crisp printing, sharp details, and optimal results:

• - Vector graphics: AI, EPS, SVG (fully scalable, zero quality loss for logos, icons, and intricate patterns)
• - Print-ready PDFs: PDF/X-1a (with embedded fonts, bleeds, and crop marks for hassle-free printing)
• - Layered templates: PSD (ideal for multi-layered designs, photo collages, and custom illustrations with editable layers)
• - High-res image files: PNG, JPG (300 DPI minimum for photos and raster graphics)

Note: We recommend avoiding CDR files, as they require specialized software and may cause production delays. If you have questions about file formats, our designers are ready to assist via live chat or phone.

Font Guidelines

Typography sets the tone of your greeting card and defines readability. Follow these rules to ensure your text prints crisply, elegantly, and professionally:

• - Minimum text size: 7pt for body copy, 5pt for fine print (smaller text may appear blurry or unreadable)
• - Font embedding requirement: Embed all fonts in your PDF file, or convert text to outlines (paths) to prevent missing font errors and layout shifts
• - Color contrast rule: Use bold, high-contrast color pairings (CMYK or Pantone) for text to ensure readability against background patterns or images
• - Font privacy guarantee: Any licensed or paid fonts you share will never be reused, distributed, or disclosed to third parties—your typography identity is fully protected

Layout, Bleeds & Technical Artwork

Precise layout settings are critical for clean edges, perfect folding, and polished finished cards. Our team providesfree custom die lines, fold guides, and template creation to avoid common production flaws, such as:

• - Cropped text or graphics off the card edge
• - Misaligned folds or uneven card dimensions
• - Uneven trimming or rough edges

Note: Our standard technical specifications for flawless results:

Bleed area: Minimum 3mm (extends graphics beyond the trim line to eliminate white edges)
Safe zone: Keep critical text/logos 5mm inside the trim line to avoid accidental cropping
Fold lines & registration marks: Precisely calibrated for consistent folding and alignment
Tolerance: Industry-standard ≤0.1mm for ultra-precise trimming and folding

Color Accuracy & Consistency

Our expert design team ensures your greeting card colors are vibrant, true to tone, and perfectly aligned with your brand or theme. We prioritize color fidelity with these printing standards:

• - CMYK Printing: For full-color designs, photo gradients, and intricate artwork; built-in RGB→CMYK conversion preserves your original color intent
• - Pantone Spot Colors: For precise brand matching, metallic accents, and consistent color across all print runs
• - Digital proofing: Before production, we’ll send a high-resolution digital proof for your approval—no unexpected color shifts, just the exact hues you envision

Imagery & Graphic Guidelines

Elevate your greeting card with sharp, stunning visuals by following these graphic preparation tips:

• - Resolution requirement: All raster images/photos must be 300 DPI for crisp, grain-free printing
• - Embed assets: Embed all linked images and fonts in your design files to avoid missing elements
• - Large file handling: Compress large or multiple graphics into a ZIP file for seamless file transfer
• - Avoid low-res assets: Blurry web images (72 DPI) will result in poor print quality