What is a greeting card?
Greeting cards are a piece of card stock, usually with an illustration or photo, made of high-quality paper. They feature an expression of friendship or other sentiments.
Greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, or other holidays, such as Halloween. They are also sent to convey thanks or express other feelings (such as condolences or best wishes to get well from illness).
Styles of greeting cards
Greeting cards are usually packaged with an envelope and come in a variety of styles. There are both mass-produced and handmade versions available. Along with that, they may be distributed by hundreds of companies large and small.
They are typically inexpensive. However, more elaborate cards with die-cuts, pop-ups, sound elements, or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.
When are greeting cards usually sent?
In Western countries and increasingly in other societies, many people traditionally mail seasonally themed cards to their friends and relatives in December. Many service businesses also send cards to their customers in this season, usually with a universally acceptable non-religious message such as “happy holidays” or “season’s greetings.”
Types of greeting cards
- Standard- A standard greeting card is printed on high-quality paper and is rectangular and folded, with a picture or decorative motif on the front. Inside is a pre-printed message appropriate for the occasion, along with a blank space for the sender to add a signature or handwritten message. A matching envelope is sold with the card.
- Handmade- A Handmade card is a card that includes a production stage or a feature that is made by hand. The term covers a wide range of products including not only, for example, applique items or ribbons but also pop-up and 3-D cards as well as cards made with mixed materials. The term “Handmade” is applied both to cards made by amateurs and to volume-production cards that include stages made by hand.
- Photo- A photo card is a card that features a photograph chosen by the sender. There are two main types of photo cards. The first is the photo insert card which is designed to display a sender’s own photo. Depending on the card design, the photo is stuck to the card, clipped to the card, or slid into a pocket in the card into which a hole has been cut to act as a frame. The second type is the printed photo card, in which the photo is combined with artwork and printed directly onto the face of the card. Both types are popular for sending holiday greetings.
- Personalized- A personalized card is a card that is personalized with the sender’s own pictures or a personal audible message. Websites using special print-personalization technology, such as Moonpig, allow consumers to personalize a card which is then printed and sent directly to the recipient. Sound personalization is also possible using a small recording device called a Botski. It is a sticker-based recordable medium allowing users to record songs, sounds, or spoken words and includes them in a greeting card.
- Reusable- These are greeting cards for the budget-conscious. There are two common formats for reusable cards. Firstly, there are cards with slits in them positioned to hold pages. Secondly, there are notepad-style cards where pages stick to the back of the cards. The pages that have been used for reusable cards can be removed after being received and fresh pages can be used to reuse the cards.
- Sound-based or Musical- Some greeting cards play music or other sounds when they are opened. They are commonly 3D handmade cards that play traditional celebration songs such as “Happy Birthday To You.” They also may be personalized using a Botski.
- Electronic- (also called e-cards) Greeting cards can also be sent electronically. Flash-based cards can be sent by email, and many sites such as Facebook enable users to send greetings. More recently, services have been launched which enable users to send greetings to a mobile phone by text message or use mobile app for this purpose such cards are called Mobile E-cards or MCards. Many of these electronic services offer open or anonymous chat, to enable further discussion.
- Quilling Cards- Quilling cards are greeting cards that contain a Quilled design on the front of the card. Quilling is an artform where strips of paper are rolled to make intricate designs. These cards are unique and handcrafted and are often framed as works of art.
- Pop-up- Pop-up cards are normally cards that, once opened, have a picture coming outward, giving the reader a surprise. Pictures and printed messages in greeting cards come in various styles, from fine art to humorous to profane. Non-specific cards, unrelated to any occasion, might feature a picture (or a pocket to paste in a personal photograph) but no pre-printed message. Paper Pop Cards has a patent for detachable pop-up cards which lets the pop-up be saved as Keepsake.: Pop Up card designs are inspired by the Kirigami art form, which originated in Japan. This card style has spread to the U.S.A, U.K., India, and elsewhere.
Top gifting companies in India
paperkami.com- The main office is in Delhi, India. It is an online retailer of greeting cards. It supplies greeting cards, paper, and board cards, greetings.
In.skygoodies.co- It is headquartered in Bengaluru, India. It provides brand vouchers, rewards and recognition technology, gift cards and gift vouchers, experience-based gifts for corporates, long service awards, experience gifts, and employee engagement. It supplies greeting cards, paper and board, voucher organizations, goods, and services.
okgiftkart.com– It is headquartered in West Bengal, India. It provides all types of jewelry as gifts.
