Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? What to Write on Your Business Christmas Cards

Christmas is a great time during the year, even for those who don’t celebrate it like myself. Even without celebrating all the cheer and joy of the season spills over into your life regardless as people celebrate all around you. Beautiful decorations are all around and stores have awesome Christmas sales we can all enjoy. However, as a business, Christmas is considered a religious holiday. Therefore, some may be hesitant to send out greeting cards with “Merry Christmas” written on them. The default alternative being to simply wish “Happy Holidays” instead to avoid any concerns.

Happy Holidays helps the company appear more inclusive of other holidays such as Hanukkah, which occurs around the same time. While doing so, it doesn’t exclude Christmas or favor any particular holiday. This is perfect for the workplace considering it is likely employees within the business do celebrate different holidays. As a company, using Happy Holidays when you want to appeal to a group of diverse workers or clients shows that you respect their cultures and beliefs. If you visit the Other Seasonal Greetings category, you’ll see perfect examples of greeting cards you could send out for your business and be confident none will be offended. That is not to say for those who are specifically targeting the Christmas holiday that “Merry Christmas” is a bad greeting, it is completely fine. If you’d specifically like a Christmas card with the words “Merry Christmas”, you may browse the Merry Christmas category and find a beautiful card which fits exactly what you need.

3 Reasons to Add Signatures to Your Christmas Cards

 

While it is always nice to personally hand sign any greeting card, it is not always practical. During the holidays, most companies send out Christmas cards to all their vendors, customers and other business contacts. This can be a huge mailing for most companies. Face it, signing 25 personal cards can be an overwhelming task in November and December; imagine handsigning upwards of 100 to possibly thousands of Christmas cards!
So with today’s printing technology, here are 3 reasons to let a machine do your signatures for you:

#1- Time: Time is money. If your employees are busy signing hundreds of cards and passing the bunch of them around the office to each employee to sign, the work is not being done or at least it is being temporarily set aside. While passing the cards around, each staff member will probably take a few minutes to chit-chat about the weather, the family, football or in this office the latest episode of the TV hit “This is Us”. Multiply those few minutes by every employee and that lost time adds up. I hate to sound like Ebenezer Scrooge during this festive season, but…

#2- Neatness and Esthetic Appeal: Maybe signing your name on 5-10 cards is not so bad, however when it gets into the hundreds, things get sloppy. Even the nicest signature begins to turn into an unreadable scrawl. Combine this with the coffee and donuts being consumed or the pizza being eaten during the signing and those cards are starting to look like a real mess. A greasy thumbprint does not qualify as a signature.

#3- Signatures are like Human Logos: Handwriting analysts can tell a lot about a person from their signature and this holds true about a signed name on a greeting card. Think about it- You have been emailing customers for years but really know little about them. Seeing a person’s signature on a company Christmas card gives you a little insight into who that person is. Some people will dot their letter “i” with a heart or a star, some will cross their “t” with a really long line, and others will make huge scrolls with their initials. Given the opportunity to sign their name once on a signature template often gives people the time to be at the very least neat and sometimes imaginative with that one signature. They may add a caricature of themselves incorporated into their name or draw a snowman or a Christmas tree next to it. The creativity can be endless if 1000’s of cards do not have to be manually signed over and over again.

So all you people who are responsible for ordering the company Christmas cards this year, request a signature template to make the task of adding employee signatures to the company Christmas cards easier this year. Everyone will be much happier and less stressed because of it!

Don’t Wait Till The Last Minute – Send Those Business Holiday Cards Early

 

Receiving a card for an event that has already passed is the worst. Don’t want your stunning Business Holiday card to immediately see the trash? Think about why it’s important to send out your Business Holiday cards early.

Many people (and companies) like to display their cards well in advance of the Holidays. This is partially because many businesses close during this time. If you want your recipients to have time to enjoy your business Holiday cards, send them out early.

It’s easy to get buried in the slush-pile. You don’t want your beautiful card to get lost or misplaced because you sent it too late and now it’s in the mix with everyone else’s business Holiday cards. Do yourself a favor and stand out.

Another reason to get your business holiday cards out early is so that if your clients need your company’s line of services, you are on their mind. Sending business Holiday cards in the first place sends warm regards, but sending them early ensures that your company will be the first that comes to mind when they need.

Lastly, you are less likely to make mistakes if you are not rushing to get your cards out. This card is a reflection of your business: show that you are punctual and pertinent. Giving yourself plenty of time limits unexpected variables like errors on your cards, your card design running out of stock, or missing the mailman . . . again.

Why the Small Details Matter When Sending a Greeting Card

Sending a greeting card is a wonderful gesture of kindness. For some reason the art of sending a greeting card is becoming very rare. Younger generations seem to be more into e-cards or shooting a text. However, it is important to keep this tradition alive. A lot of people receive tons of mail every day – junk, bills, political flyers, magazines for shopping or hobby reading. When you receive a greeting card it makes you feel special. Someone was thinking about you and wrote you a card, it is personal.

Every detail matters big or small. It could be a sticker, a stamp, a label, a seal, to the color of the envelope, deckled edge, or seal fast so many things you can see before getting to the prize, “the card.” I have always decorated my envelopes with a personal return label, stickers (that remind the recipient of me or themselves). Sometime I just do cupcake, balloons, presents, etc. … for birthday. Or I follow whatever holiday is around the time I am sending a card, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and St. Patrick’s Day.

The postage stamps – I look up every year what stamps are coming out and I stock up on the ones I like. Could be Disney, Pets, American Flag, Purple Hearts, Landmarks, Planets, so many to choose from – last year at Christmas I used Snoopy and Charlie Brown. They are good for Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays. So many details and they all count. I have always had a nice response to my cards.

My aunt was in a nursing home for 3 years. I sent her 2 cards a week. Decorated with stickers, special labels, picked out stamps (tried to be as different as I could for everything) – and most cards were sent with photos. Could be of our family, or flowers, or places I have gone, mostly animals – dogs and cats. She loved them and she started writing more too and moved herself out of the nursing home. It was wonderful and it really raised her spirits to be receiving such nice cards with all the effort.
The card is a symbol of love. It is the first thing you open as a gift. It shows love, kindness, celebration, prayer, some can be funny or tell a story, or just have a sentiment to say Thank you or I’m here for you. Cards can show off your family, the city you vacationed in, the city you live in, animals you love, and so much more. And then we have greetings, sympathy, with love, birthday, holidays, thank you, thinking of you, and so many more. Color of ink or foil, embossing, digital, foil stamping, refractive foils, glitter and sparkle, the quality of a good card the thickness and vibrant color – so many wonderful things.

Then what we write inside the card our personal messages. I know my family love seeing the personalization with our names printed in the card, but they also want gossip and news about our lives. So writing in the card is crucial. If you have great handwriting – perfect, but if not type it up. I have a friend that draws a picture in all his cards. I love it.

When sending a greeting card remember to put a little bit of Love in it and you will enjoy the response you receive too. I almost do a mini scrap book on all my cards. A small detail goes a long way. Happy Writing and remember the little things.

Reasons to Send Calendar Cards for the Holidays

Does it frustrate you that your Holiday Cards just get thrown out every year? No matter how soon you send them it just feels like you are delivering them to your recipient’s trashcan. While some people do save them year after year, many do not. If you want a more economical way to send Holiday cheer, try sending Calendar Cards this year. At The Gallery Collection, there is a wide variety of calendars so you will be hard-pressed to find one you don’t like!

Another reason to send Calendar Cards for the holidays is because it is an all-inclusive gesture for people who might not celebrate the same Holiday. You could even choose to create a Calendar Card using a personal photo, which could be an updated photo of your family for relatives! A Calendar Card is a thoughtful gift that isn’t too much but also feels like something substantial because it is so practical. When you order a Calendar Card from the Gallery Collection you are able to add up to 5 lines of custom text at the bottom, which is included in the price. This is a great way to add any sentiment you want, even including contact information (or hours of operation for your business if you are sending to clients).

Why Should I Purchase Foil Holiday Cards?

As a business owner or an employer, staying connected with your customers and employees is very important. One way to stay connected it to send out cards around the holidays, but not just any card. This season, switch it up by purchasing foil holiday cards!

Now, you’re probably wondering why you should purchase foil holiday cards instead of the usual. I’m here to tell you why.

These foil printed cards are much more elegant than the usual tacky cards you see at your local grocery store. Those grocery store greeting cards are cheap in price because they are cheap in quality. Instead of the typically unexciting ink colors, shiny foil will make the card look expensive and hence makes the customer or employee feel valued. Most foil holiday cards are also embossed. This adds to the elegance and brings a three dimensional experience to your customers as well. The foil now pops out at them and catches their eyes; they are sure to become speechless. If a person receives an eye-catchingly stunning holiday card, they are most definitely going to appreciate the thought and effort put into its design.

In the end it’s a win-win; your recipients feel like a valued customer or employee, and in turn you are appreciated as a business or a boss.

Adding Signatures to Christmas Cards for That Personal Touch

Of course it is always a great idea for a company to send out Christmas cards at the end of each year to its customers and clients to let them know how much they’re patronage is appreciated. However, to go the extra mile—showing an even higher level of gratitude by doing something more personal–will surely make an even better impression. Instead of printing just a business’ name by itself, adding employee signatures will give your holiday sentiments that much more of a personal touch.

Having each employee sign his or her own name will impress the recipients for sure. However, if there are many names that may make it difficult for people to sign all the cards, having a template where a person only has to sign once, will certainly make it easier for all concerned. While the printing inside a greeting card can be done in many different colors, a recommendation for the signatures to be in either blue or black would make them appear more real since most people use either a blue or black pen to sign their names anyway.

By taking the extra time to arrange to have signatures appear on a company’s holiday card will definitely go a long way in promoting goodwill with those who are most important to a business’ life – its customers!

Why a Die-Cut Card?

 

Whether you are sending holiday cards, birthday cards or some other sentimental card, you are sending a message that the recipient of these well wishes are important and that your company goes the extra mile to make its customers feel special. Sure, you may have other reasons to send out cards such as staying relevant in the market or keeping your name on the cusp of clients’ minds. But no matter what your thought process, you still have the recipients’ name on your list.

How many times do you walk into a business office or your doctor’s office and see beautiful cards on display? All the time especially during the holidays, I am sure. The problem is you are looking at this gorgeous card decorated card with holiday pictures or a gorgeous outdoor scene, and yet, you have no idea who sent this card.

Well now there is an easy answer to this dilemma. Die Cut cards are cards that have a window that looks to the inside of the card. In this opening, your custom imprint can be seen. You can put two lines such as FROM ALL OF US AT on line one and your company name on line two. If you prefer, you can just put your company name.

Depending on the size and detail of your logo, this die cut card window can even display your logo. No matter where your card is displayed, the people checking out the card you sent can see your company name. Die Cut cards are definitely beneficial in keeping your business name front and center.

Card Imprinting For Business Christmas Cards: Which Foil Colors Work Best?


So you went on The Gallery Collection’s website. You’ve decided which design you want for your Christmas cards this year. You found the perfect greeting that suits your company. You even crafted the perfect imprint at the bottom. And you’ve decided you want to upgrade to the foil inside your cards as opposed to ink . . . but now you’re stuck. Which foil color do I use?

If you want the elegance and sophistication that foil exudes, foil is the clear choice. But The Gallery Collection offers several foil colors to dazzle your recipients. One deciding factor between them is to look at your design. If you’ve selected a photo-mount card the border of the picture will be in silver or gold. Generally speaking, cards will look more cohesive if these foils match. Some cards have prismatic or metallic elements or specks of foil glittering on the cover. The same consideration applies with these—watch the silent videos on the website to get a better idea of how the card looks when handled and choose according to your tastes.

While some cards might not include these glitzy details, even just looking at how the colors would complement the foil is worth thinking about. Still stuck? Think about your company’s colors or logo, which could help persuade your decision. Are you doing your greeting in an ink (red, black, blue, or green)? Or maybe you’re adding signatures to your card or an ink stamp of your logo? Think about which color(s) ink you will use and how that will alter the look of your card, whether it compliments or clashes.

Another thing to keep in mind is how the foil will appear on the card stock itself. If you choose a dark-stock card, foil is your only option, so there aren’t other colors on the inside to be concerned with. Another option is to use multiple foils inside your card. For some people it is harder to see silver foil on white cards. Others find gold foil on buff appears washed out. Based on your preferences and a little fore-thought, your cards will dazzle in the foil of your choosing.

Nervous about how your card will appear? Order a proof and receive your exact card before you have hundreds produced. Not to worry, the consistent quality and excellent customer service The Gallery Collection provides will leave you satisfied every time!

Send Your Business Holiday Cards As Soon As You Can

write-love-letter

 

The first time my employer sent out Holiday cards was 3 years ago. He was just starting out, the business had only been operating for about 4 months when I was hired. One day in early November we received an envelope which came to us from someone the owner had come into business contact with recently. It was a holiday card. Once he looked at it he got very excited and said “We’ve got to do this too!”

I called the company we got the card from and was given many options. Personalizing the card was more intense than I imagined. I never knew there were so many different types of holiday cards or realized how much thought can go into sending a business holiday card. I ordered a catalog and some samples to be mailed to us. We received the mailing and he decided what he wanted.

In the meantime he also contacted that business associate who sent us the first holiday card. He asked him some questions about how this helped his business. He then explained why you should send your business holiday cards as soon as you can. He was in business over a dozen years and in his opinion you get more visual advertising time for your money the longer these unique, beautifully personalized cards are on display in your customer’s office.

With all the chaos at holiday time, he decided to do it as soon as possible. It was very interesting when we got our first holiday card and we displayed it in a very visible area. Being the first one to send the cards out can help to start an opening dialogue point with some of your newest clients.