Today, it is very easy to give your Christmas cards a totally personal look by using modern technology. And it is not expensive either. With a digital camera, your computer, and your printer, you can do everything yourself. But only with the digital camera can you create the piece that turns your holiday cards into a personalized Christmas gift and have it produced by a holiday card printing service.
Remember that for many the annual Christmas card is what maintains the connection with other family members and friends who live far away. Many people maintain the feeling of belonging to someone’s inner circle for years without reuniting just by receiving the annual Christmas card. Christmas cards need to be taken more seriously than we used to.
Tips for making your personalized picture card – keep reading
Since images taken with digital cameras are immediate results, you can experiment a bit and take a few alternatives.
Here are some ideas on what to focus on. Later I will give you ideas to include the Christmas feeling in the image:
Alternative 1: live alone
Take a photo of yourself or your dog, cat, or pet.
Alternatively, take a photo of your house, a room, part of your garden, or something else that people clearly relate to.
Alternative 2: live in a family or similar
You have many options:
– Take pictures of the youngest member of the family. The youngest member is the one that recipients of the holiday card will appreciate the most as they watch the ‘since last Christmas’ unfold. If you have a pet in the family, include it with the child.
– Take pictures of the whole family. It is not a problem that it is a fixed photo.
– Take pictures of the youngest child with the oldest member of the family. That will always generate a lot of feelings and attention.
How to include the Christmas feeling in the image?
It will take very little to add that extra Christmas feeling to your photography.
If you are only taking a photo of a person or two, you can let the candlelight play an important role in the picture frame. A newly married couple looking from each side by candlelight without adding any strong light could be an intimate and cute image for Christmas.
We have a lot of symbols that we use for Christmas: Christmas tree, red bows, red apples, red in general, Christmas decorations, candle lights, Christmas presents made like pretty packages, yes, even snow and darkness. All the symbols of Santa Claus. You may have many more ideas.
Include one or two of these in the picture when you take it to underline that Christmas feeling. (I don’t expect you to include a complete Christmas tree, just a small twig will do.
What should the Christmas image look like?
Make the Christmas image look as simple as possible. There are not many details. Focus on the main subject and the idea of the image and avoid a lot of things around. This will only make the image messier. That means getting closer to capture its essence like a Christmas image.
Include only a few colors if possible, as that will make the image look more professional.
Select the best alternative take, stick with it and be happy with it
Christmas card layout and card printing.
Make it your own cards
Depending on the word processor you use, you will have access to the possibility of inserting images and inserting the text that you want to have printed on the card.
In many cases, you will have access to card formats with pre-made card templates. That makes the whole process so much easier. You can also google templates for Christmas cards or similar.
When you’ve finished your design and made a test print, you can begin producing your own personalized Christmas cards. Using heavier paper will enhance the appearance of your DIY Christmas cards.
Use a printing service for your personalized Christmas cards
Most photo service providers will be able to deliver your personalized Christmas cards in any number you want. The more cards, the cheaper. You can search for bargains on Google. You will be able to select the layout and additional text online with many photo printing providers.
The sooner you start producing your own personalized Christmas cards, the more likely you are to get them done on time for a small fee. As you will see, your efforts this year to provide your family and friends with a truly personalized Christmas card will be highly appreciated.