Christmas Card Design Ideas: Create Something Worth Keeping

Christmas cards give you a chance to do something a bit different with your artwork.

You might want to use a family photograph, create your own illustration or put together something for your business that doesn’t look like a standard Christmas card.

There’s plenty of room to be creative and make the card whatever you want it to be.

Whether you’ve already got an idea or you’re starting with a blank page, here are some Christmas card design ideas and a few things to consider before getting them printed.

Start with the idea, not the decorations

Before you start designing, have a think about what you’d actually like to put on the card.

You might already have an idea in mind, or perhaps you’ve seen a design you like and want to create your own version of it.

It helps to have a rough direction before you start working on the artwork. Otherwise, you can spend ages trying different colours, images and layouts without getting anywhere near what you wanted to achieve in the first place.

You don’t need to have everything planned out. Even a rough sketch or a few ideas on paper can give you somewhere to start.

A few Christmas card design ideas worth trying

You can’t really go wrong with traditional Christmas artwork. Robins, Christmas trees, wreaths and snowy scenes are still popular choices, and there’s plenty you can do to make them your own.

You could draw your own version, change the usual colours or use a photograph instead of an illustration.

If you’ve got children, their drawings can make great Christmas cards too. The artwork doesn’t even have to be Christmas-related. A favourite painting or drawing from the year could work just as well.

For businesses, have a look at what makes yours recognisable. A café might use a drawing of its shopfront with Christmas lights in the windows, while a florist could put together a design using winter flowers and foliage.

You could also make the Christmas greeting itself the design. A few words in a font you like, perhaps with a small illustration, can work without needing a large image.

And if you’re putting together branded Christmas cards, your logo doesn’t need to dominate the artwork. It can sit on the reverse or inside, leaving the front for the actual Christmas design.

Think about the front and inside together

It’s easy to focus on the front of your Christmas card and forget about what goes inside.

You might want to have a Christmas greeting printed inside, leave it blank for a handwritten message or include a bit of both.

If you’re sending cards to customers or colleagues, having your message printed can save quite a bit of time, especially when you’ve got a large number to send.

You can still leave room for a signature or a more personal note if you’d like to add one.

Keep the important bits easy to read

Something that looks fine while you’re designing it on a computer can look quite different once it’s printed at the size of a Christmas card.

If you can, print a rough copy at the finished size. It doesn’t need to be on fancy paper. You’re just checking that the greeting is clear and any smaller wording is still easy to read.

Text can get lost against photographs or patterned backgrounds, particularly when the colours are similar. Sometimes moving it to a clearer part of the image is all that’s needed.

And if you’ve chosen a decorative font for your Christmas greeting, you don’t have to use it for everything else. Something simpler will usually work better for longer messages.

What size should your Christmas card be?

The size of your Christmas card can make quite a difference to how the finished design looks.

For example, a photograph with several people in it might feel a bit cramped on a smaller card, whereas a short Christmas greeting with one illustration could look lost on something much larger.

There are a few common Christmas card sizes to choose from:

For folded cards, these are the dimensions when the card is closed. When setting up your artwork, you’ll need to account for the full flat size of the card, including the front, reverse and any bleed required.

The sizes available will also depend on which Christmas card product you’re ordering.

And if you’re planning to send your cards through the post, check the envelope dimensions and postage requirements before settling on a size.

Getting your Christmas card artwork ready for print

Once the design is finished, there are a few things to check before uploading your artwork.

Get the dimensions right. Set up the file at the correct finished size and include bleed wherever images or background colours reach the edge.

Check your images. Photographs and illustrations should be high enough resolution to print clearly. For most artwork, 300dpi at the finished size is a good starting point.

Leave enough space around important details. Keep text, logos and illustrations away from trim edges and folds.

Check the wording. Make sure names, dates and messages are correct before sending everything over.

The paper is worth considering too, particularly if you’re using illustrations or planning something with a special finish.

Our Kraft Christmas cards can work well with more natural designs, while foil Christmas cards give you the option of adding metallic details.

At StressFreePrint, your artwork receives a free pre-flight check before going into production. If something doesn’t look right, our team will let you know so it can be sorted before printing.

If you’ve got an idea but need a hand putting the artwork together, our design team can help.

And once you’re happy with everything, take a look through our custom printed Christmas cards and choose the paper and finish that suits your design.