The advent of computers, digital photo imaging software, and high-quality printers has made it easier than ever make your own holiday cards. Why spend money on generic card that millions of other people around the world can buy when you can create and develop one that is customized to the recipient, or customized according to your own artistic abilities? The receiver of your card will be amazed and grateful that you took the time to custom make a card just for them!
Now you may be wondering where to start. This guide was written for you!
The first place to begin is the internet. There are websites that have been developed which help in making holiday cards easy. Here are three which provide awesome services
Shutterfly
This internet-based social expression engine is a personal publishing service that focuses on digital photo sharing. They will host unlimited images at no cost, and they claim to never delete a photo. The uploaded photos are kept at their full resolution, instead of scaling images down thereby decreasing overall photo quality. They also offer photo and non-photo cards and stationery with collections from recognized industry designers, as well as their own expert in-house designers.
Tiny Prints
Tiny Prints is synonomous with chic personalized stationery, stylish design and exceptional customer service. Their specialties are baby, wedding, and business stationery. They also offer, however, New Year's cards, Valentine's Day cards, invitations of all kinds, announcements, greeting cards, and more! They offer superb service, as well as etiquette experts ready to answer questions seven days a week.
Photoworks
One of their offerings is their famous Slideshow Card. It's a 1.8 inch LCD screen and it holds up to 50 digital photos. It even plays 45 secods of holiday music when opened and comes with a retractable USB for easy upload. It is also compatible with both PCs and Macs. They offer Christmas cards, Hannukkah cards, their famous exclusive PAPYRUS line of high-quality cards which come in embossed envelopes and gold seals, and their fun, new 3-D and Flip photo cards for 2010.
Now that you have the material, wherewithal, and assistance you need to make your own holiday cards, now all you need to do take the picutres! An elegant, well portrait of yourself and your family, done by portrait experts such as Las Vegas photographer Henri Sagalow, will set your card above the rest and be a truly memorable gift your family and friends will treasure. Next you're going to take this photo, and, using services provided by one of the websites above, put a nice border around it, folded within a card made high-quality paper, with a nice hand-written message and voila, you have made your very own holiday card! Repeat the process for your many other friends and relatives (each with a customized, personalized message of course), send them out in a nice envelope, and you will forever be known as a great family man who cares! Or, if you're feeling experimental and modern you can even create:
A Customized Holiday Website / Blog (in lieu of a holiday card)
In this modern era of high-speed internet and blogging, you can try something new and create a website instead of a holiday card! You can include songs, photos, and video where applicable. This takes a little more expertise, but it's a great way to practice creating websites, and you'll have tons of fun in the process.
Whatever you decide, please understand that, like everything, making your own Holiday cards is a learning process. If your cards don't come out so well this time, you always have the next holiday to make up for it! Practice makes perfect!
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