74+ Greeting Card Templates

In every special occasion, specifically Christmas, we often receive greeting cards in various styles, forms, and colors. Most often, the content is a typical greeting; however, there are some that contain pictures or special messages apart from the usual greeting. Generally, a greeting card is sent to convey good wishes on a certain occasion. It is an illustrated piece of card or high-quality paper featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiments. Even though greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feelings.

Greeting cards, as mentioned, can be in any styles. There are colorful ones, and there are others that have unique abstract designs. If you want to see our samples, below are numerous card templates that can be downloaded. Not only that, they are all available to download for free or for a minimal price. Birthday Greeting Card Templates are one example that we offer. Take a look below for more options.

Birthday Wishes Greeting Card

Handmade Birthday Greeting Card

Special Birthday Greeting Card

Corporate Birthday Greeting Card

Birthday Thank You Greeting Card

Engagement Greeting Card Templates

Engagement Day Greeting Card

Engagement Anniversary Greeting Card

Engagement Wishes Greeting Card

Engagement Invitation Greeting Card

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Engagement Party Greeting Card

Animated Greeting Card Templates

Animated Birthday Greeting Card

Funny Animated Greeting Card

Animated Anniversary Greeting Card

Animated Sorry Greeting Card

Animated Holiday Greeting Card

Sorry Greeting Card Templates

Animated Sorry Greeting Card

Friendship Sorry Greeting Card

Love Sorry Greeting Card

Funny Sorry Greeting Card

Email Sorry Greeting Card

DIY Greeting Card Templates

DIY Photo Greeting Card

DIY Wedding Greeting Card

DIY Birthday Greeting Card

DIY Handmade Greeting Card

DIY Anniversary Greeting Card

All about Greeting Cards

Christmas is one of the most common celebrations in which we often see people exchanging greeting cards with each other. Greeting cards, usually packaged within an envelope, come in a variety of styles. There are both mass produced as well as handmade versions that are distributed by hundreds of companies, large and small. While typically inexpensive, more elaborate cards with die-cuts or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.

Some people have a stockpile of greeting cards that they purchased, not for a specific occasion or reason, not to send to a particular individual, they purchased invitation cards but just because. Or perhaps, for collection purposes or any other purpose. They surely give a nice and satisfying feeling, looking at your collection of greeting cards in many different styles. Looking at how many greetings cards you’ve collected, it gives a sense of accomplishment for some reason.

Where Did Greeting Cards Come From?

The tradition of exchanging greetings is surely an antique one. The Chinese sent messages of friendliness to one another for the New Year, and the early Egyptians used papyrus scrolls to send greetings to one another.

The ancient Chinese had an ultimate reason to beat off the wild beast in Chinese legend called Nien. The Chinese presume that Nien was a monster who attacked and killed villagers at the end of each year, which is also why the word nien means “year” in Chinese. So for them to avoid Nien’s violent attacks at the end of each year, the ancient Chinese used dazzling lights and loud noises to scare him off and sent their best wishes to one another as each new year began.

By the 1850s, the greeting card has been developed from a comparatively expensive, handmade, and hand-delivered gift to a popular and affordable way of personal communication because of largely to advances in printing, computerization, and a cutback in postal rates with the introduction of the postage stamp.

In the 1970s, Recycled Paper Greetings, a small company needing to establish a contending identity against the large companies like Hallmark Cards, began publishing funny, whimsical card designs with the artist’s name credited on the back.

Did You Know?

• The Hallmark name was inspired by goldsmiths. The Hall brothers—Joyce Clyde Hall and brothers—founded the Hallmark card company in 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri. They came up with image postcards for about five years until sales descended and they started making greeting cards in response to people’s longing for more private communication. The word hallmark was used by goldsmiths to describe a “mark of quality.” It fit perfectly, and the company name was changed in 1928. Also, the first to display cards on shelves standing up was Hallmark. Before that, they were placed in drawers.
• Craig Shergold, an Englishman, was diagnosed at the age of nine with brain cancer in 1989. His friends and relatives then started a chain letter campaign requesting individuals to send greeting cards to him. The campaign was indeed successful, and Shergold had then received approximately 350 million greeting cards, earning him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
• An American Animal Hospital Association survey found that 70 percent of people include their pet’s name on greeting cards since they treat their pets as part of the family. This is so cute, isn’t it?
• Hallmark now sells a line of “encouragement” cards you can send to people who’ve lost their job.
• It is said that Queen Elizabeth II has sent more than 175,000 100th birthday cards to people across the Commonwealth during her reign.
• The card that showed an illustration by John Callcott Horsley of a happy family clinging to one another and raising a glass to toast the recipient was criticized becasuse the design seemed to promote alcoholism.

Related content: Farewell Greeting Card Templates

Teacher Farewell Greeting Card

Employee Farewell Greeting Card

School Farewell Greeting Card

Farewell Retirement Greeting Card

Farewell Party Greeting Card

Funny Greeting Card Templates

Funny Farewell Greeting Card

Funny Birthday Greeting Card

Funny Paper Greeting Card

Funny Holiday Greeting Card

Funny Engagement Greeting Card

Graduation Greeting Card Templates

Graduation Photo Greeting Card

Graduation Congratulation Greeting Card

Graduation Invitation Greeting Card

Graduation Wishes Greeting Card

Graduation Day Greeting Card

Holiday Greeting Card Templates

Holiday Photo Greeting Card

Business Holiday Greeting Card

Personalized Holiday Greeting Card

Real Estate Holiday Greeting Card

Retro Holiday Greeting Card

Homemade Greeting Card Templates

Homemade Photo Greeting Card

Homemade Graduation Greeting Card

Homemade Anniversary Greeting Card

Homemade Wedding Greeting Card

Homemade Music Greeting Card

Types of Greeting Cards

Greetings cards as said can be in many different types. It is also to suit an individual’s preference when it comes to making their invitation cards. Below are some common types that we offer that are also generally utilized by many:

• Standard Greeting Card. A standard greeting card is printed on high-quality paper (such as card stock) and is in a rectangular shape and folded, with a picture or decorative embellishments on the front side. If you take a look inside, there is a preprinted message suitable for the occasion, along with blank space for the sender to add their signature or handwritten message. A matching envelope is sold with the card. Some cards and envelopes feature fancy materials, such as gold leaves, ribbons, or glitters.
• Counter cards. Greeting cards that are sold individually. This contrasts the boxed cards we offer.
• Personalized Greeting Cards. There are websites selling greeting cards that use special personalization technology as this allow consumers to modify a card, which is then printed and sent directly to the recipient.
• Photo Greeting Cards. In recent years, photo greeting cards have achieved pervasive popularity and come in two main types. The first type are photo insert cards in which a hole can be cut in the center. A photo slides in the cut circle just like a frame. The second type are printed photo cards in which the photo is combined with artwork and then printed, often on a high-end digital press, directly onto the face of the card. Both types are famous for sending holiday greetings such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and for baby showers.
• Pop-Up Cards. Pop-Up Cards are basically cards that, once opened, have a picture that literally pops out, giving the reader a surprise. Pictures and printed messages in greeting cards come in various styles, from fine art to humorous, and some are even profane. Nonspecific, more generic cards, unrelated to any occasion, might feature a picture (or a pocket to paste in a personal photograph) but no preprinted message.
• Cascade Greeting Cards. They are made using two pieces of card; however, it can be made with a single piece to simplify the process. These cards have two panels that interlock with slots. Once locked together, the panels spring out similarly to an accordion then fold flat for posting.
• Gate fold Greeting Card. A gate fold card opens, as suggested, like a gate, parting in the middle. With three panels altogether, this type of card has two folds, each creating a flap that meets in the center.
• Tri-Fold Greeting Card. This type of card fold is pretty straightforward to make as you will not need any extra materials to make the base. Exactly the same to leaflets, this tri-fold card folds twice to make three panels instead of two. All three panels will be equal sizes to fold precisely on top of one another.
• Aperture Greeting Card. An Aperture Card has a shape cut out of the front cover, folded over with a design framed in the window. Folded similarly to a tri-fold card, there are three panels with two folds. The aperture hole is created in the central panel, while the left panel is folded and stuck down to form the back of the window where the design sits. The card will then open like a standard fold card.
• Risqué Greeting Cards. Some companies offer risqué greeting cards with adult-based humor and cartoons. The humor in these cards can sometimes be offensive to more conservative parts of the population, so choose whom to send these cards wisely.

Depending on a person’s interest, any of these will make a perfect greeting card. You could also get Funny Birthday Cards for more options.

Handmade Love Greeting Card

Animated Love Greeting Card

Love Anniversary Greeting Card

Personalized Love Greeting Card

Birthday Love Greeting Card

Pop Up Greeting Card Templates

Homemade Pop Up Greeting Card

Pop Up Holiday Greeting Card

Pop Up Love Greeting Card

Pop Up Flower Greeting Card

Pop Up Birthday Greeting Card

Photo Greeting Card Templates

Anniversary Photo Greeting Card

DIY Photo Greeting Card

Disney Photo Birthday Invitation Card

Folded Photo Greeting Card

Funny Photo Greeting Card

Professional Greeting Card Templates

Professional Holiday Greeting Card

Professional Photo Greeting Card

DIY Professional Greeting Card

Professional Thank You Greeting Card

Professional Business Greeting Card

Wedding Greeting Card Templates

Wedding Anniversary Greeting Card

Wedding Wishes Greeting Card

Wedding Congratulations Greeting Card

Wedding Ceremony Greeting Card

Wedding Shower Greeting Card

Planning Your Greeting Card

Even though there are digital greeting cards available, some still prefer to make one by hand. This is an avenue to express one’s creativity apart from that personalized look. Here are ten easy steps for a DIY greeting card:

• Fold a piece of paper in half. The best kind of paper to use for card making is A5 cardstock paper. A5 is a medium-sized cardstock that is sturdy but folds easily. A4 cardstock can also used in card making. You can purchase cardstock at your local craft store.
• Decide on a feature for the card. This can be an image; drawing; sticker; glittery lettering; or even a small, thin object. You could also add a photograph if it would have a special meaning for the receiver. Get creative—use glitter or anything else you have lying around the house to make your card special and unique. Always remember the person to whom you will be giving the card and the occasion for giving the card.
• Plan a layout for your chosen feature. There are numerous ways to do this. Layer a few pieces of colored paper, each smaller than the last, underneath the feature. You can also draw designs around your feature or use a ruler to create borders around your feature using brightly colored pens. Lay pipe cleaners along the edge of your card to create 3D borders.
• Decide whether you would like a greeting on the front of your card. You can buy stickers with greetings on them, or you could go for a handwritten type of greeting. Do not add the greeting until you have stuck everything down.
• Start making your greeting card. Put your design together. Once you have everything arranged on the card, take everything off the card but be careful where everything should be glued down. A trick to help you remember the different layers is to lay everything out from the bottom layer to top layer on a table. That way, you won’t get confused when gluing everything down.
• Write your greeting on the front part of the card (optional). Write the greeting once you have glued everything down. If you have a sticker with a greeting on it, place it where you decided it should go when planning the card. Write your message inside the card. It can be as simple as “Hope you’re doing fine!” or as detailed as a full-length letter.
• Consider the text you want to include. Most greeting cards have standardized text before you get into the personal greeting. You can skip this part if you want, but if you’re trying to mimic a greeting card that you would find at a store, you might want to include some sort of greeting. Write something that fits the occasion.
• Try embellishing your card with letter patterns. Cut out letters from newspapers or magazines of varying sizes and fonts and paste them around your card in a mix-matched manner. You could even choose to take your greeting from a line of text in a magazine story.
• Use a perturbed look. Buy some patterned paper and cut a piece about the size of your card. Now tear it in half diagonally so that you can see the tear running across the paper. Paste this torn piece of patterned paper on top of your greeting card to give it a distinct perturbed or retro look.
• Print your card. Once you have proofread your card, all you need to do is print your card out. It will print out onto whatever piece of paper you insert into the printer in the format that you love.

Try out these Easter Greeting Cards, St. Patrick’s Day Greeting Cards, and Holiday Greeting Cards for size!

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