Cards for a message worth sending
A printed card carries a warmth that an email rarely matches. Businesses send them to thank clients, charities use them to thank supporters, and organisations send seasonal cards that sit on desks and shelves for weeks. Because cards are often needed for a fixed date, plan the design, the message inside and the delivery or posting date together. Tell us the size, quantity, whether they need envelopes and whether you want them posted, and we can plan the job back from the date they need to arrive.
Folded cards
A single-fold card is the classic format. A5 folding to A6, or a square format, are familiar choices. Decide whether the card stands portrait or landscape before designing the front.
Flat cards and postcards
A flat card printed on both sides works for a thank-you or seasonal message and can be posted with or without an envelope. It is simpler to produce and enclose.
Personalised cards
The inside message can carry a recipient's name, a personal note or a signature printed from your data, giving a large mailing the feel of an individually written card.
Paper & finishes
Greeting cards are usually printed on a substantial board so they stand up and feel worthwhile in the hand. An uncoated board is easy to write on; a silk or gloss board shows photography and illustration well. FSC-certified board is available.
Foil, embossing, spot UV and soft-touch lamination can add a tactile, seasonal finish to the front of a card. Keep finishes away from the area inside the card where a message will be written, as some coatings resist ink.
Creasing, folding and envelopes
A card board must be scored before it is folded, or the fold can crack, particularly through areas of solid colour. Our MBO folders include Tri-Crease scoring, so cards are creased and folded cleanly in-house.
Cards are usually sent in a matching envelope. We can print envelopes alongside the cards so the whole set is colour-matched, and insert the cards into them before delivery or posting.
Litho or digital printing?
Digital printing suits shorter runs and cards with a personalised name or message. Larger runs of a single design can be printed by litho, with Pantone spot colours or metallic inks where the design calls for them.
Our pre-press team checks every file for bleed, resolution and colour before printing. On a folded card, keep text and important artwork away from the fold and the trimmed edges.
Mailing & trade print
If the cards are to be posted, we can personalise them, address the envelopes from your data and enclose them on our Buhrs lines. Qualifying UK mailings can be sorted for Royal Mail Mailmark in-house, and Irish addresses can be mailed through An Post.
Seasonal cards are tied to a date, so tell us when they need to land, not just when you need them printed. We will plan the print, enclosing and posting back from that date. Cards for resellers can be produced as unbranded trade print under NDA.
Helpful guides
All guides
Print Finishes Explained: Spot UV, Foil, Embossing & Lamination
What each print finish does, when to use spot UV, foil, embossing or soft-touch lamination, and how to plan finishes into your artwork.
Read the guide
2027 Direct Mail Planning Calendar (Free PDF)
A free printable 12-month planner for 2027 with the key UK dates, plus how to work back from the doormat date to schedule production and postage.
Read the guideFrequently Asked Questions
Have a print specification in mind?
Tell us about the format, quantity, artwork and how you plan to use the finished piece, and we will come back with a recommendation and a clear quote.
- Print, data and mailing under one roof in Keighley
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001 and FSC certified
- Royal Mail Mailmark and PostAim (Ireland) mailings
- Family-owned and producing since 1980