Christmas Cards

Aim to order your Christmas cards by mid-November (around 6 weeks before Christmas) at the latest, or early November if you’d like to order a sample first (allow 8 weeks in this case). This allows enough time for production and shipping, a few days to sign and address your envelopes, and sufficient postal lead time for recipients to receive and display their cards before December 25th. Manufacturing of flat Christmas cards takes 2 business days, while foil cards can take up to 4 business days. If you’re short on time, we offer five different shipping options: Standard, Premium, Express, Zip, and Zip PLUS. Zip reduces manufacturing to just 1 day with delivery in 2 business days, while Zip PLUS moves your order to the front of the manufacturing queue for next-day delivery. Postal deadlines vary each year, so check with USPS for their Christmas cut-off dates. If you’re really pressed for time, order an Instant Download for immediate access, which you can read more about below.

Your Christmas card list is entirely personal, but a good rule of thumb is to include close family, friends, colleagues, and anyone who sent you a card last year. If someone by chance surprises you with a card and you haven’t sent them one, it’s perfectly fine to send one back, even if it arrives after Christmas. For recipients whose traditions you’re unsure about, a holiday card is a thoughtful and inclusive alternative to a Christmas-specific design, ensuring everyone on your list feels considered. Most people send between 50 and 100 cards, so factor that into your order quantity and add a few extras for any last-minute additions.

Start with a warm greeting, add your name or family name, the year, your message, and close with a sign-off suited to your relationship.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• For family and close friends: "My favorite part of the holiday season will always be making wonderful memories with you. Here’s to many more Christmases together!"
• For lighthearted fun: "There’s snowbody like you!" or "I hope your Christmas is as lit as your tree!"
• For colleagues: "Thanks so much for your support this year. Wishing you a wonderful festive season and a Happy New Year!"
• For close family members: Sign off by saying "With all our love..." For friends, write "Lots of love..."
• For professional sign-offs: "Best regards” or “From your friends at [company name]."

Zazzle offers six paper stocks for Christmas cards: Basic-Semi Gloss (400 GSM), Signature Matte (324 GSM), Signature Double-Thick (600 GSM), Premium Linen (352 GSM), Premium Pearlescent (350 GSM), and Premium Soft Touch (345 GSM). GSM stands for ‘grams per square meter,’ so a higher GSM means a thicker card. If you’re unsure where to start, Signature Matte is a popular all-rounder choice for Christmas cards: its uncoated finish absorbs ink quickly and cleanly, which means colors come out rich and sharp, and it’s particularly well suited to cards with a lot of detail. Signature Double-Thick is worth considering if you want something that feels noticeably premium in the hand, while Premium Pearlescent adds a soft shimmer that works beautifully with foil accents. You can compare all paper types directly on any product page by clicking ‘Compare Papers.’

For the best print result, use an original photo taken directly from your camera roll or cloud storage rather than downloaded from social media, as platforms like Facebook and Instagram compress images and reduce print quality. The minimum recommended resolution for a printed photo card is 200PPI, meaning a standard 5 x 7 inch card requires an image of at least 1000 x 1400 pixels. To check your resolution on a PC, right-click the file and select ‘Properties,’ then ‘Details,’ or on a Mac, open the image in Preview and go to ‘Tools,’ then ‘Show Inspector.’ On a smartphone, most camera apps display image details under the photo’s info or properties panel. If you’re unsure whether your photo is sharp enough, upload it to the Zazzle design tool and zoom in at 100% before committing to your order. Select HD under Printing Process for the sharpest, most vibrant result, and choose a well-lit image with a simple background for the cleanest finish on print.

Envelopes are available to add to all Christmas card types, with the cost depending on the style you choose. Flat Christmas cards carry a small additional charge of around $0.15 per envelope, as do folded and all-in-one styles. Postcards are the exception and are typically mailed without an envelope. If you’re sending to a long list and want to skip the hand-addressing entirely, check whether your chosen card is eligible for our free Guest Addressing service, which is available on 5 x 7 inch cards, by scrolling through the product options on the card page. Where available, you'll see a button reading ‘Addressed Envelopes with FREE Guest Addressing,’ which allows you to upload your recipient list and have each address printed directly onto the envelope before your order ships.

Yes, there are two ways to save on your Christmas card order. The first is through our promotional discounts, which are available year-round but tend to be particularly generous during the holiday period! These are displayed automatically in red beneath the price on any product page. Keep an eye on our coupons page for the latest available discounts. The second is through bulk pricing, which rewards larger orders with a percentage off per card. To see exactly how much you could save on a specific design, click the ‘Qty:’ button on the product page and the discount tiers will appear. As a guide, 50 flat Christmas cards could save you 30%, while nudging your order up to 60 cards could bring that saving up to 50%. Where both discounts apply, only the higher of the two will be applied and used at checkout.

Absolutely, and it’s a combination more customers are choosing every year. To add a digital version to your order, head to the product page of your chosen design and look for ‘Choose Your Format,’ where you’ll find three options: Printed Card, Prints + Instant Download, and Instant Download. Selecting Prints + Instant Download will add both to your cart as individual line items. Your digital file will be emailed to you as soon as your purchase is confirmed, giving you instant access to share however you choose. Meanwhile, your physical cards move into production and are shipped to your door once complete. It’s a handy option for reaching anyone on your list who is overseas (where postage costs add up), for any last-minute additions to your list, or simply for anyone who prefers receiving their cards digitally.

Absolutely. Christmas is one of the most popular times of year to gather people together, making it a natural opportunity to mark another milestone at the same time. Many customers choose to combine their Christmas card with a birth announcement, a new home announcement, or even a wedding announcement, saving both time and postage in the process. If your card serves a dual purpose, lead with the most significant news and follow with your Christmas wishes so neither message gets lost. Browse our pregnancy Christmas cards and married Christmas cards for designs built with exactly this in mind.

• Christmas Gift Tags: Add a personalized finishing touch to every gift under the tree, with custom tags that carry your name, a short message, or a festive greeting right through to the wrapping.
• Christmas Wrapping Paper: Take your presentation beyond the card itself with wrapping paper that transforms even the simplest gift into something photo-worthy.
• Christmas Stickers: Between sealing envelopes before they go to the post office and adding a festive flourish to your parcels and packages, a set of Christmas stickers is one of the small additions that pulls everything together.
• Christmas Return Address Labels: When you’re mailing to a long list, printed return address labels keep your envelopes looking neat and save you the time of writing out your details by hand on every single one.