Photomount or Digitally Printed Christmas Photo Cards? The Discussion Persists
With the convenience of digital photography and advances in offset printing, this year many families plan to digitally print family photos directly on their annual holiday card. What could be easier? Simply upload your photograph to an online printing company, select a template, crop your photo, click the print button and your printed holiday cards will be sent to your home.
This appears to be an idyllic state of affairs, but photography professionals believe that digitally-imprinted holiday photo cards aren't nearly as beautiful as pictures attached to the greeting card. One knowledgeable stationery store owner and recreational photographer said, “Electronically produced holiday greeting cards simply don't have the high quality and print image resolution of photos developed by a commercial printer. Some digital photo greeting cards can be appealing, but when you do a comparison side-by-side, the distinction is obvious: Photomount holiday photo cards win hands-down.”
Not everyone would agree with this assessment, but clearly when you factor in the “convenience factor” and lower overall cost, it is no surprise that consumers have migrated toward digital holiday cards. “Let’s face it,” remarked this experienced stationer, “you are getting a nice quality greeting card - maybe not the best - but you avoid the hassle of mounting the photographs with adhesive tape.”
Due to this difference in consumer buying habits, leading printing firms have shifted rapidly to improve their digital printing abilities. Actually, market leaders, Crane & Co. and William Arthur now provide customers a choice of imprinting their picture on the Christmas photo card or placing their pictures on beautifully-crafted greeting cards - often embossed - with pre-applied adhesive tape.
To see the variations in both printing techniques, it's wise to go to a certified stationery store in your area to check out printed examples personally. Regardless of what printing option feels like a fit, a variety of printing companies happen to be in the middle of their holiday card sale. Save anywhere for 20% to 50% by ordering your photo greeting cards prior to the end of September.
This appears to be an idyllic state of affairs, but photography professionals believe that digitally-imprinted holiday photo cards aren't nearly as beautiful as pictures attached to the greeting card. One knowledgeable stationery store owner and recreational photographer said, “Electronically produced holiday greeting cards simply don't have the high quality and print image resolution of photos developed by a commercial printer. Some digital photo greeting cards can be appealing, but when you do a comparison side-by-side, the distinction is obvious: Photomount holiday photo cards win hands-down.”
Not everyone would agree with this assessment, but clearly when you factor in the “convenience factor” and lower overall cost, it is no surprise that consumers have migrated toward digital holiday cards. “Let’s face it,” remarked this experienced stationer, “you are getting a nice quality greeting card - maybe not the best - but you avoid the hassle of mounting the photographs with adhesive tape.”
Due to this difference in consumer buying habits, leading printing firms have shifted rapidly to improve their digital printing abilities. Actually, market leaders, Crane & Co. and William Arthur now provide customers a choice of imprinting their picture on the Christmas photo card or placing their pictures on beautifully-crafted greeting cards - often embossed - with pre-applied adhesive tape.
To see the variations in both printing techniques, it's wise to go to a certified stationery store in your area to check out printed examples personally. Regardless of what printing option feels like a fit, a variety of printing companies happen to be in the middle of their holiday card sale. Save anywhere for 20% to 50% by ordering your photo greeting cards prior to the end of September.
About the Author:
Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair, a leading stationery store located in Greenwich, CT. She writes frequently about photo greeting cards and Christmas photo cards.