Mistakes to Avoid With a Traditional Gift Card
An elegant, old-fashioned card like this one is a joy to give, but small mistakes can spoil it. These are the most common, along with how to avoid them.
- Using the wrong paper. A scroll border looks rich on cream or ivory card stock between 250 and 300 gsm, but cheap, bright white copy paper makes it look flat.
- Leaving the grey prompts in. The lines read (Recipient Name) and (Sender Name) in red italics. If you print with the prompts in place, they will look like a mistake. Replace them with real names or delete them before you print.
- Forgetting the amount. The Amount line shows ($). Fill it in, or write it by hand after printing.
- Squashing the border. The frame runs very close to the edge. Cut slowly with a sharp blade and a ruler so that the border stays even on all sides.
- Letting the greeting dominate. The MERRY CHRISTMAS letters are artwork. If you replace them, keep the new text about the same size.
What the Card Looks Like
The card measures 8.5 x 4 inches in landscape. The background is a creamy peach, patterned very faintly with bells, snowflakes and ornaments in a slightly darker tone. An ornate frame in warm grey brown surrounds it, with curling scroll corners and thin double lines.
The headline MERRY CHRISTMAS is shown in a decorative brown font with tiny Santa hats perched on some of the letters. Below it, the words A GIFT FOR YOU have GIFT highlighted in red. A smiling Santa stands on the right with a bulging orange sack and a golden bell in his hand. In the left half, four lines wait for details: To, From, Amount and Signature.
Giving It a Personal Touch
Because the card has so much space, it takes handwriting beautifully. Many people print it with the names typed in and then add a short handwritten message above the signature. Use a pen with dark brown or black ink for a classic look. If the card is for a child, add a line such as “Good for one cinema trip” in the space.
Editing in the Online Editor
Click any line of text to change it. The Santa picture and the border are fixed artwork, so recolour them by replacing the image. The cream background can be recoloured to a soft white or a light green. When you finish, download the file as PDF for the sharpest print, or as PNG or JPG for sharing digitally.
Matching an Envelope
A traditional card deserves a matching envelope. Ivory, kraft brown or deep red all work with the cream and brown tones. A standard business envelope, known as a number 10, measures 9.5 x 4.125 inches, so this 8.5 x 4 inch card slips inside without folding. Add a thin gold ribbon or a small seal, and the certificate looks professionally wrapped.
Related Cards
If you like this look but want a different character, try the green Merry Christmas gift card with Santa and a snowman. For a cream card with holly and bokeh lights, see the Santa Happy Holidays voucher. More are in the Christmas gift certificate collection.
