Greeting Card Printing

Printed greeting cards for personal, retail and business use

Choose a greeting card format to suit your message, artwork or card range. ABC Service prints personalised greeting cards in-house in Tavistock, Devon, with UK-wide delivery available. Whether you are preparing birthday cards for family, building a retail collection or sending thoughtful business greetings, you can choose the finished size, card media and finishing options that fit the project.

Every format is printed as a flat digital print before being scored and folded. The individual product pages explain the artwork dimensions and fold arrangement for each size, helping you prepare the right file before ordering.

Choose the greeting card format

The finished format affects how much room your design has, how the card sits on a display and how the recipient experiences the message.

• A7 greeting cards are compact and well suited to short notes, gift messages, small retail ranges and product inserts.
• A6 greeting cards offer a versatile balance of writing space, presentation and easy posting.
• A5 greeting cards give longer messages, detailed illustrations and premium correspondence more room.
• 5×7 greeting cards provide a familiar portrait format for illustrated collections, seasonal ranges, makers and resellers.
• 148×148 square greeting cards create a balanced canvas for birthdays, celebrations, photography and bold visual designs.

If you are unsure which format suits your artwork, compare the finished dimensions and intended use before uploading your file.

Card media for different finishes and uses

The choice of card media affects the weight, surface and overall feel of the finished greeting card. GSM means grams per square metre and gives a general indication of card weight, although the surface also makes a noticeable difference.

• 300gsm Uncoated has a natural surface and can be a good choice where recipients may write inside the card.
• 350gsm Silk has a smooth surface that supports clean colour reproduction and a polished appearance.
• 400gsm Artboard offers a heavier, more substantial feel for premium card designs.
• 280gsm Kraft provides a warm brown tone that suits natural, handmade and craft-led ranges.
• 300gsm Gesso gives the card a distinctive textured-style surface for creative and illustration-led work.

Think about the design as well as the occasion. A bright birthday illustration, a handwritten thank-you and a photographic retail card may each benefit from a different surface.

Finishing options and envelopes

Greeting cards can be ordered with white or Kraft envelopes, subject to the live product options. White gives a clean, familiar presentation, while Kraft can complement a more natural or handmade visual style.

Depending on the selected format, media and quantity, finishing choices include:

• No Laminate
• Matt Laminate
• Gloss Laminate
• Soft Touch Laminate

Lamination adds a protective film and changes the appearance and feel of the printed surface. Matt reduces shine, gloss creates a more reflective finish and Soft Touch provides a smooth, tactile feel. Always check the live product options for the combinations available for your chosen card.

Artwork preparation and folding

Each greeting card format starts as a larger flat sheet. It is printed, scored through the centre and folded to create the finished card. The artwork therefore needs to account for the front cover, back panel, inside pages, trim area and score line.

Before uploading artwork:

• Check the individual product page for the correct flat artwork dimensions.
• Add the required 3mm bleed to every outer edge.
• Keep names, messages, logos and important details inside a safe margin.
• Keep fine text and essential artwork away from the centre score.
• Check the orientation of the inside panels before exporting.
• Extend background colours and images into the bleed area.
• Proofread every date, name, address and personalised variation.

The ordering system cannot detect multi-page documents automatically. If your file contains two or more pages or designs, select the correct quantity for the number of finished cards required. Where the live options allow it, multiple designs can be divided across an order quantity, which is useful for retail ranges, makers and resellers.

Greeting cards for occasions and card ranges

Printed greeting cards can be made for a single personal message or developed as a consistent collection. Popular uses include:

• Birthday and milestone cards
• Christmas and seasonal collections
• Wedding, anniversary and engagement stationery
• Thank-you cards and customer appreciation notes
• Gift messages and product-package inserts
• Independent retail and handmade-market ranges
• Artist and illustrator collections
• Business greetings and client correspondence
• Charity and fundraising card designs

Using one finished format across a collection can simplify display planning and packaging, while ordering different designs allows the range to feel varied and personal.

Printed in Tavistock and delivered across the UK

ABC Service produces greeting cards in-house at 69 West Street, Tavistock, Devon. Local customers can discuss card media, artwork and collection with our team. UK-wide delivery is available for customers elsewhere in the country.

For help preparing artwork or creating a coordinated card range, our graphic design service may be able to help. You can also explore our wider printing services for related printed products.

Find the right greeting card format

Start with the finished size your message and artwork need, then check the available media, envelope and finishing options on the relevant product page. Each format has its own strengths, from the compact A7 card to the balanced square 148×148 design.

Browse the greeting card options above or visit the specific product page to check the live specification and prepare your artwork for printing.