A family photo card is the most personal Christmas card you can send. Friends and relatives love seeing how the children have grown, who joined the family, and where you travelled this year. This landscape 7 x 5 inch template gives your photo pride of place. The left two-thirds of the card is a large photo frame, ready for your favourite family picture. The right third is a deep evergreen panel with a pine sprig tucked into the top corner, Merry Christmas in flowing cream script, a gold divider, FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS in small gold capitals, your names in italics, and the year in gold Cinzel lettering.
Why Photo Cards Are So Popular
Photo cards have become the most popular type of Christmas card in many countries because they share real life. A single photo can tell the story of the year: a new baby, a wedding, a graduation, a new puppy, or simply everyone smiling together. Many recipients keep photo cards for years, pinning them to the fridge or saving them in albums, so a good photo card becomes part of other families’ memories too.
Placing Your Photo in the Landscape Frame
Click the photo frame and choose Replace Image to upload your picture. The frame keeps its size and position, and you can adjust how the photo sits inside it so faces are centred. Landscape photos work best for this frame. If your favourite photo is portrait, choose one of the portrait photo cards in this collection instead so nobody gets cropped awkwardly.
Choosing the Perfect Christmas Photo
The best photos for Christmas cards are well lit, in focus, and show everyone’s faces clearly. Natural daylight near a window or outdoors in the late afternoon gives soft, flattering light. Candid moments of laughter often look warmer than stiff poses. Take several shots, and choose one where everyone looks happy, even if the pose is not perfect.
Coordinating Outfits With the Card
Because the side panel is evergreen with cream and gold lettering, outfits in cream, white, denim, deep green, burgundy, or plaid look harmonious in the photo. Avoid busy patterns on everyone at once. Coordinated but not identical outfits look natural and stylish.
Editing the Names and Year
Click the italic line to replace Ben, Laura, Ella, and Max with your family’s names, and update the year. If you prefer, write The Smith Family or From the Johnsons and Biscuit to include a pet. Keep the names short enough to fit the panel width.
The Evergreen Panel
The deep green panel frames the photo and gives the greeting a calm, rich background. Cream script and gold accents keep the panel elegant. You can change the panel colour to burgundy, navy, or charcoal if it suits your photo better, and the text colours can be adjusted to keep good contrast.
Printing Photo Cards at a Print Shop
Photo cards look best printed by a professional printer or photo lab, which can reproduce skin tones accurately. Download a high-quality PDF and print at 7 x 5 inches on photo card or premium matte stock. Ask for full bleed printing so the photo reaches the edge of the card without a white border.
Printing Photo Cards at Home
If you print at home, use a photo printer and good quality photo paper or matte card. Print a test copy first to check colours and brightness, since screens and printers can differ. Allow the ink to dry fully before stacking cards.
Sending Photo Cards Digitally
Download a JPG and send it by email or messaging app. Digital photo cards are perfect for friends abroad, and they arrive instantly. The landscape format also works as a social media post or a header image in an email newsletter to family.
Writing a Message on the Back
Use the back of the card for a short update about your year, such as Ella started school, Max learned to swim, and we spent a wonderful week at the beach. A few personal lines turn a beautiful photo card into a heartfelt letter.
Photo Card Etiquette and Privacy
Think about who will receive the card and whether everyone in the photo is happy to share it. For business contacts or large mailing lists, consider a card without children’s faces. For online sharing, check your privacy settings and avoid including your full address in public posts.
The Pine Sprig Detail
A pine sprig with berries sits in the top right corner of the panel, adding a natural festive touch without covering the photo. You can resize it, move it to another corner, or replace it with holly or a small ornament from the Elements panel.
Photo Cards for Grandparents
Grandparents treasure photo cards of their grandchildren. Consider printing a few extra copies on heavier stock or framing one as a small gift. A framed photo card makes a thoughtful stocking stuffer for grandparents who live far away.
Making a Photo Card Tradition
Many families take a photo in the same place each year, such as by the tree or on the front steps, and send it on the same card design. Over time, the cards become a delightful record of children growing up and family changes.
Family Photo Card Questions
Can I use a portrait photo?
You can, but a landscape photo fits this frame best; portrait designs are available in this collection.
Can I change the panel colour?
Yes. Click the panel background and choose a new colour.
Can I remove the year?
Yes. Select the year text and delete it.
Photo Cards for Blended and Extended Families
Blended families, multigenerational households and families with relatives living together often struggle to fit everyone into one card. The large landscape frame suits wide group photos with grandparents, aunts and cousins. List names in order in the italic line, or simply write all of us, and use the back of the card to name everyone in the photo.
Share Your Family’s Year
Upload your favourite photo, add your names, and print your family photo cards. A warm greeting beside a picture of the people you love is the perfect way to say Merry Christmas.
