Christmas Cards, Calendars & Vouchers: Your Printing Guide

Christmas has a habit of creeping up on us.

One minute it’s September, and the kids have just gone back to school; the next, you’re wondering how on earth you’ll get everything done before the festive break.

And if you’re running a business, organising a Christmas event or raising funds for a local charity, your to-do list is probably scaring the pants off you.

None of the printing you need is particularly complicated.

But when you’ve got a dozen other things demanding your attention, even organising a few hundred Christmas cards can feel like another job you’d really prefer to kick into the long grass.

So we’ve put together a few pointers to help you get your Christmas printing organised, avoid some common pitfalls and, hopefully, save yourself a little money along the way.

 

First things first: when do you actually need it?

Sounds obvious, but it’s the first question that needs addressing.

Not when you’d like to place the order, but when you actually need the finished printing in your hands.

If you’re organising a Christmas fair on 5 December, for example, you probably don’t want your posters arriving on 4 December. They’ll look stunning, but rather less useful than if you’d received them a fortnight earlier!

Work backwards from your event, allowing time for design, proof checks, printing, and delivery.

And if you’re already running late, don’t despair. Tell us your deadline. We’d much rather know about it at the outset than discover it halfway through production.

 

Christmas cards: a little thought goes a long way

Whether you’re sending cards to customers, selling them to raise money for a school or charity, or simply thanking the people who’ve supported your business throughout the year, there’s plenty to think about.

Our advice? Start with the practicalities, not the fancy finishes.

Consider how many you need, whether you’ll be writing inside them, and how you’ll be distributing them.

A beautifully glossy card might look terrific, but if you’re planning to write a personal message in every one, an uncoated inside surface could make life considerably easier.

Likewise, an unusual card size might look distinctive, but could mean spending more on envelopes and postage.

A6 and A5 are popular choices, and there’s a wide range of papers and finishes to suit different budgets.

And don’t forget the envelopes. It’s surprisingly easy to overlook them.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can explore our occasional printing range for more ideas.

 

Calendars: twelve months of useful publicity

A well-designed calendar can be one of the most cost-effective promotional items you produce.

Think about it.

A leaflet might be read and put aside in a few moments. A useful calendar can remain on someone’s wall or desk for an entire year.

But there’s a catch.

It needs to be a calendar people actually want to keep.

Whether it’s a wall calendar or a desk calendar, there are plenty of options. You can see some examples in our personalised calendars range.

Stunning photographs, a clear layout and plenty of space for appointments can make all the difference.

If you’re producing a calendar for a club, school or charity, why not include important dates, local events or contact details?

And if you’re supplying your own photographs, use original, high-resolution images rather than copies downloaded from social media. Pictures that look fine on a phone screen can look disappointing when printed.

But the real test is the image’s resolution and the size at which it will be printed.

If you’re unsure, send it to us, and we’ll check. If it’s an image file such as a JPEG, anything less than 1MB might be unsuitable. But a lot depends on how big you want it to be in the calendar.

As a rough guide, be cautious of very small image files, particularly if they need enlarging.

We’re always happy to look at your photographs and advise before you go too far down the design road.

You can find out more about Calendar printing

 

Gift vouchers: don’t overlook the presentation

Gift vouchers can be particularly useful for shops, restaurants, salons and other local businesses.

They’re also a way of encouraging customers to return after Christmas, when trade can sometimes be a little quieter.

But there’s a world of difference between a voucher that looks like a hastily printed slip of paper and one that feels like a proper gift.

A good-quality card, attractive design and perhaps a matching wallet or envelope can make a modest voucher feel rather special.

There are practical considerations, too.

Will you need serial numbers? Somewhere to write the value? An expiry date? Terms and conditions?

It’s much easier to include these things at the design stage than discover they’re missing after the vouchers have been printed.

 

Posters and banners: make them easy to read

If you’re advertising a Christmas concert, charity fair, festive menu or special offer, you’ve probably got only a few seconds to catch someone’s attention.

That’s why we’d suggest resisting the temptation to squeeze everything onto one poster.

What’s happening? When? Where?

Those are usually the three things people need to know first.

What’s happening? When? Where?

Those are usually the first three things people need to know.

If you have more information to share, rather than cramming everything onto the poster, consider adding a QR code that links to your website.

That way, people can find out more without having to decipher a mountain of tiny print.

Make the important information large enough to read from a sensible distance, particularly if your poster is on display in a shop window or notice board amongst announcements for lots of other seasonal events.

When it comes to poster printing, A3 is often perfectly adequate for noticeboards and smaller windows, while A2 gives you more room to make an impact. You can explore our poster printing options if you’d like to see what’s available.For larger displays, a banner might be more appropriate.

And here’s a useful tip: if you’re unsure what size would work best, send us a photograph of the window or display area, ideally with a few measurements.

We can help you work out what will look right before you spend money on something that might be too large, too small or difficult to position.

 

Your artwork doesn’t need to be a technical masterpiece

We know that not everyone has a graphic designer sitting conveniently at the next desk.

Some customers have beautifully prepared, print-ready artwork. Others have a Word document, a collection of photographs and a fairly clear idea of what they’d like.

Both are perfectly acceptable starting points.

If you’re preparing your own artwork, a few basics can help:

• Use good-quality original photographs wherever possible.
• Check names, dates, prices and contact details carefully.
• Leave enough space between important text and the edge of the page.
• Where possible, supply a PDF at the correct finished size, with 3mm bleed if the design runs to the edge.

But please don’t feel you need to learn the intricacies of print production just to place an order.

If something doesn’t look right, or you’re unsure how to prepare your files, please ask. We’ll explain what’s needed and help you find a sensible way forward.

 

A few ways to avoid spending more than you need to

Here’s something worth remembering: the most expensive specification isn’t necessarily the best one for the job.

Sometimes a different paper weight, a standard size, or a small design change can make a worthwhile difference to the price without spoiling the finished result.

It’s also worth thinking about quantities.

If you’re ordering Christmas cards, menus and promotional leaflets, for example, tell us about the whole project rather than treating each item as a completely separate job.

There may be opportunities to simplify production or delivery.

And if you’re planning to use something again next Christmas, it might be worth leaving the year off the artwork so any leftovers don’t immediately become obsolete.

Little decisions like these can save money and unnecessary waste.

 

One last thing: please don’t leave it until the last minute!

We understand that Christmas printing isn’t always at the top of anyone’s priority list.

You’ve got customers to look after, staff to organise, events to plan and probably a dozen other things that were supposed to have been finished yesterday.

The last thing you need is to spend your afternoon worrying about paper weights, artwork specifications and delivery dates.

That’s where a good printer should make life easier.

At Fineline Print & Web in Ruthin, we provide printing services to businesses, schools, clubs, charities and individuals throughout North Wales and further afield.

Sometimes that means producing exactly what a customer has ordered. Sometimes it means helping them work out what they need in the first place.

And sometimes it means spotting a potential problem before it becomes an expensive one.

So if you’ve got Christmas printing on your to-do list, let us know what you’re trying to achieve and when you need it.

We’ll help you work out the practicalities, explain your options and get things organised.

Because you’ve got enough on your plate already.

 

If you’d like to find out more or talk to our team for friendly advice, please get in touch here.