Designing greeting cards has evolved since handmade paper cards were passed around in Europe in the early 1400s. Today, greeting cards can be store bought, handcrafted, or even digitally designed. There are now different kinds of greeting cards for every occasion, designed with the most stimulating use of materials, text, and visual artistry imaginable.
Greeting cards are basically paper cards with printed images and text on them, but some people add more depth to their cards by adding other elements like ribbons, paper cut-outs, ornaments, even embroidery. These creative elements are employed in different ways, the more popular ones designed to “pop out”.
In the US, up to 90% of households still buy greeting cards, producing up to 7 billion cards a year. This excessive amount poses a threat to the environment since paper is processed from plant fibers (or cellulose) from trees. That’s a lot of timber cut down; furthermore, the materials used for manufacturing and printing them could be toxic. To help reduce the risks, greeting card companies also offer cards made of recycled paper printed with acid free materials, or offer digital software for designing e-greeting cards.
Although greeting cards come in many shapes and sizes (from tiny ones to large gimmicky ones), they still serve the same purpose for many people: to share and express heartfelt sentiments.
Hammond Greetings & Promotions 