I usually get around to disposing the personalized Christmas cards I received during the holiday season sometime around the 4th of July. This year I seem to have gotten a jump on it…I started during the second week of June!
As I toss these cards into the trash I can’t help but notice that quite a few people use personalized Christmas cards. Evidently there are a number of companies that offer individual personalization on the Season’s Greetings cards they sell but I can detect the difference in quality from one to the next. Initially I noticed a difference in the feel of the paper used to make the cards. Some are very flimsy while others are sturdier. There are shiny and textured cards, smooth and embossed cards, small and large cards. Artwork on the cards can range from understated to festive. I also noticed that the color of the inks and foils used in printing differed in quality from card to card.
One of the Christmas cards that caught my attention was from The Gallery Collection. Design #092CW, Frosty Season’s Greetings Card, displays a simply drawn snowman surrounded by snowflakes. This image sits atop the words “Season’s Greetings.” This was all deeply embossed on the cover of a plain white card in gold foil. Gold foil was also used inside the card for the greeting and the sender’s personalization printed beneath it. For a simple Season’s Greetings card, I was quite impressed! I flipped the card over to see if the company name was on the back, and sure enough “The Gallery Collection” was imprinted in gold foil and accompanied by the website. Watch out Hallmark…you’re not the only greeting cards company with loyal customers who look to see who produces the cards they receive.