Christmas Card：

HQES has many gorgeous printing finishes, featuring customized Christmas cards. Our finishes include glitter printing to let the design of snowy scenes be printed as really happening, metallic foil stamping to let the design of Christmas bells be printed as real gold looking, and let the design of Christmas trees be printed as true green looking. HQES also has UV varnishing printing for shinning memorable images, embossing or debossing the words or your logo feeling as engraving feeling, and more.

HQES is a certified Christmas card manufacturer in China. We always take Christmas cards wholesale orders at factory prices. It’s because HQES owns complete machines and can finish all the printing and handmade jobs in our own workshop. From small custom Christmas cards for business to bulk orders for Christmas cards. You will always get the most flexible custom services from HQES.

HQES has a professional QC team, with rich experience QA inspectors who ensure every detail is accurate and perfect. It starts from the paper material quality checking, quality control in the entire printing process, and finally to the final Christmas cards. The quality of HQES is 100% guaranteed.

In one word, HQES focuses on the quality of custom Christmas cards very much. And HQES will definitely be your best Christmas cards China supplier in the future.

Christmas Card: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

I know you want to import Christmas cards from China.

That’s why I will answer all your questions about Christmas cards.

Whether you want to learn about material type, printing technique, designs or features – you will find all information right here.

Keep reading to learn more.

What is a Christmas Card?

A Christmas card refers to a card mainly sent to friends and family during Christmas festivities as a form of greetings.

Christmas card

What are the Production Steps for Christmas Cards?

There are five major production steps that your Christmas card will undergo.

They include:

• Issuing stage
• Pre-press step
• Printing stage
• Post-press stage
• Delivery stage

During the issuing stage, artwork files for your cards are received and previews are sent to you for you to approve.

In case any issues are identified in your art files, your job will be placed on hold until everything is sorted out.

It’s at this same stage where quality control is carried out and your job might or might not proceed to the next stage.

You as the buyer have the authority to discard your job and if everything is all right, your order proceeds to the next stage.

In the pre-press stage, your job is assessed to ensure there are no errors. Later, your job will be placed in imposition and prepared to be plated.

The post-press stage is where your job will be coated and passed through the cutting, finishing, bindery, and die-cutting procedures.

The last stage is delivery whereby your job is well-packaged and prepared for delivery and afterward shipped to your desired destination.

What Types of Paper do you use for Christmas Cards?

Like other paper cards, we choose high quality material for all Christmas cards.

There are a variety of papers that you can choose to use for your Christmas cards.

This can range from paper cardboard, kraft paper, matte art paper, offset paper, glossy art paper, and wood free paper.

Keep in mind that the choice of paper will depend on your production needs and preferences.

Your choice of paper will also affect the printing effect so be sure to make a wise selection.

In case you are unsure of what kind of paper best suits your need, seek assistance from experts in that field or your supplier.

Other types of papers you can use for Christmas cards are not limited to;

• Crepe paper

crepe paper

• Scrapbook paper
• Origami paper

origami paper

• Washi paper
• Mulberry paper

mulberry paper

• News print
• Vellum
• Scrapbook paper
• Decoupage paper

Decoupage paper

• Tissue paper

Coated paper which can either be matte or gloss is mostly used for color printings in China.

If you choose matte, it’s advisable to include vanishing to achieve better quality.

On the other hand, white offset papers blend in well with black and white printings.

What are the Most Popular Paper Weights for Making Christmas Cards?

80lb is the oftenly weight used for making Christmas cards and several other items such as flyers, craft projects, menus, and business cards just to mention a few.

Additionally, the following weights are also popular in the U.S system and Metric system;

• Metric system for woodfree paper and gloss matt test art-paper
• 60#
• 90gsm
• 105gsm
• 128gsm
• 70gsm woodfree paper
• 157gsm
• 200gsm
• 250gsm
• 100gsm woodfree paper
• 300gsm
• 350gsm
• 80gsm woodfree paper

• S system
• 60# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 80# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 70# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 100# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 120# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 100# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 80# Gloss and matt text art-paper
• 10 pt Cardstock Gloss and matt C2S
• 12 pt Cardstock Gloss and matt C2S
• 16 pt Cardstock Gloss and matt C2S
• 14 pt Cardstock Gloss and matt C2S
• 60# woodfree paper
• 70# woodfree paper
• 80# woodfree paper

Do Christmas Cards come in Standard Sizes?

Yes, they do. 8 by 5 is the standard size for Christmas cards. Other sizes are not limited to;

• 9 by 6 – Ideal for large cards.
• 7 by 5 – An A7 envelope is an ideal choice for this card.
• 5 by 3.5 – A small standard card size that’s ideal for thank you messages.
• 5 by 5 – Also ideal for invitation or thank you cards.

How do you design Christmas Card Online?

Designing Christmas cards online has been made easier thanks to the various online creative platforms.

One popular online platform to create your Christmas card is Canva. Others include;

• Smilebox
• Jukeboxprint
• Crello
• Psprint
• Fotor
• Fotojet
• Pizap
• Shutterfly

Where Can I find Christmas Card Ideas for Design?

You can easily get Christmas card design ideas from Google.

There are loads and loads of information from different sites that will aid in helping you land on a suitable design.

If at all Google won’t be satisfying, Pinterest is another helpful platform to identify thousands of design ideas for your Christmas cards.

What are the Recommended Guidelines for Custom Christmas Card Artwork?

The guidelines required are classified according to the following six factors;

• Safe area – The safe area is normally 125”/3mm inside the cut line and you should not extend your text or images beyond this point.

This is done to prevent the text or image from being cut off when trimming the final piece.

• Resolution – All images should not be less than 300dpi (dots per inch).
• Fonts – Outline the fonts and ensure that all transparencies or other effects used in vector format software are flattened.
• Full color – All art files should be saved in CMYK for them to retain the actual colors.
• Bleed – 125”/3mm bleed is required for all art files on all sides. Every submitted file should be 25”/6mm larger than the size of the product you intend to buy.
• Spot color – Submit your art files in PMS colors with the provided PMS numbers.

What are the Common Mistakes to Avoid when preparing Custom Christmas Card Artwork?

custom Christmas card

If you want timely and efficient printing, here are some of the common mistakes to avoid when preparing custom Christmas cards;

• Submitting an image with low resolution.

Ensure that your images are 300dpi.

• Make sure that your image or text lies within the safe area to avoid them being cut off when printing.
• Avoid submitting images in RGB color mode but instead, submit in CMYK.

This ensures that the image retains its true colors even after printing.

• Avoid placing the border near the edge of the cut line for it to look symmetrical after trimming the card.
• Color values of all areas that are solid black should be set to the following combination for better results;

C: 60%

M: 40%

Y: 40%

K: 100%

Which Printing Methods do you use for Christmas Card?

Here are some of the printing methods we use for Christmas card;

• Multi-color printing
• CMYK printing
• Monochrome printing
• Color printing

What are Some Christmas Card Printing Considerations that will Make it Stand out Above Competition?

For you to stand out among the rest you need to operate different.

You need to get to the root of what most people will relate to at that particular time.

Paying attention to the following factors can do the trick and make your Christmas cards stand out.

• Printing tone – As mentioned, understand what people will relate to.

For instance, while other businesses focus on making Christmas cards you could as well include New Year’s cards.

That’s not enough, as we all know during New Year’s everyone is up to the “New beginnings” mood.

What this implies is that you should make cards that reflect the same tone.

• Printing colors – It is more challenging to distinguish Christmas from New Year using colors.

However, making use of more blue colors while at the same time maintaining the common colors will set you apart from the rest.

• Printing icons -Symbols used during Christmas such as stars, angels, and Christmas trees among others.

This are some of the factors you should consider taking into account.

Horns, fireworks, snowflakes, and celebration favors are some icons mostly associated with New Year’s.

Which Coating Options do you Provide for Christmas Card?

Not only does coating protect your card but also makes it appealing.

Talking of coating, below are some of the coating options we provide for Christmas card;

• Varnish -Varnish is oil-based and this brings out a mild sheen and protects the printed materials.
• UV coating – It is best for achieving a smooth, glossy feel on your Christmas card.
• Film Lamination – This type of coating provides a more resistant finish as compared to UV coating.
• Spot UV – Just as the name implies, spot UV is used on small areas such as an isolated area or a photo.

It’s mostly ideal if you need to highlight certain areas of your cards including the logo.

• Aqueous Coating – It is a water-based coating that achieves a more satin finish.

In as much as it achieves a richer feel than varnish, it costs double the amount.

Why is Coating Important for Christmas Card?

Coating your Christmas card is essential as it not only adds a spark to your piece but also offers protection thus enhancing its durability.

What are the Things to keep in Mind when Choosing Coating for Christmas Card?

Consider the following factors when selecting a coating for your Christmas card;

• Only use varnish on coated stock to prevent it from diffusing into the paper.
• UV coating, laminate, and aqueous coating are better in preventing scuffing.
• Some coatings change the appearance of the color they cover by either discoloring, deepening the ink color, or turning yellow with age.
• Foil stamping and printing over coatings cannot be done.
• You are bound to pay less for press coatings as compared to bindery coatings owing to the slow application of bindery coatings over dry ink.

Why should I Source Christmas Cards from China?

The main reason why most buyers choose to source Christmas cards from China is due to the cost-effective prices.

As if that’s enough, China keeps up with emerging trends in technology by using advanced and ISO-certified printing facilities.

What are the Cost Considerations when Importing Christmas Cards from China?

Importing Christmas cards from China shouldn’t be very costly owing to their weight. Nevertheless, here are some considerations to keep in mind while at it.

• Always negotiate on the prices as most if not all suppliers are willing to lower their initial price.
• Conduct thorough research to identify a suitable and qualified supplier as this might save you unplanned costs or inconveniences.
• Enquire from different suppliers instead of a single one.
• This helps to get an insight regarding who best suits your preferences and the price range of the Christmas cards.
• Working with the right sourcing agent can reduce your costs significantly as they are well networked and able to get your products at good prices.
• Invest in inspection to ensure that you get what you wanted.

This also prevents losses and costs caused by the wrong production.

When is the Best Time to Import Christmas Cards from China?

The best time to import from China would be before the festive season preferably before August as this is when the peak season starts.

What are the Available Delivery Options for Christmas Cards from China?

Christmas cards are not bulky as such and therefore they can be delivered via Air freight, sea freight, and door-to-door delivery.

Door-to-door delivery is suitable for small orders and has fast transit times. Additionally, you can track your goods online.

Air freight is ideal for medium-sized shipments and it’s much faster.

Ocean freight is ideal for medium to large orders. Not forgetting that it’s the least expensive delivery option.

What is your Average Order Turnaround Time for Christmas Cards?

The turnaround time normally depends on the size of cards and delivery methods used. Averagely this can range from 6 days to 1 month.

What do the Main Elements of Custom Christmas Card Cost?

Some of the main cost elements of custom Christmas card are not limited to;

• Material cost
• Design fee
• Post-print processing fee
• Pre-press cost
• Printing costs
• Other expenses such as transportation fee, packing fee, and rush fee among others.

Which Payment Methods do you Accept for Christmas Card Orders?

We have a variety of payment options that are commonly used. The following are some of the payment options we accept;

• Bank to bank transfers – It’s one of the most common methods used to send money and often takes 2 to 34 days for your transaction to be completed.

The minimum transaction amount needed for this payment method is $1000.

• PayPal – PayPal is a secure payment method that is well spread across 103 countries. Your products will be shipped once the PayPal payment notification is received.

Using PayPal will require a handling charge of 5%.

• Western Union – Western Union is not only quicker but also reliable.

A handling charge of 1.5% will apply when using this payment method.

Is there a Minimum Order Requirement for Christmas Cards from China?

Yes, there is. Different suppliers have different MOQ for Christmas cards from China.

This can range from as low as 100 pieces to as much as 50,000 pieces and more.

What is Christmas Card Sample/Proof?

A Christmas card sample refers to an illustration of your press-ready file.

It is sent to you for preview before your order commences.

You need to do a keen examination of the layout to avoid any disappointments once your order has been completed.

What Christmas Card Sample Options do you provide?

Some of the sample options available include the following;

• Digital hard-copy proofs/ color proofs – As the name implies, these cards are made using a digital printer.
• Online PDF proofs – Are suitable for fast web downloads.
• Press proofs /wet proofs – They are considered the most accurate proofs and are produced by offset press using similar equipment.

What is the Turnaround Time for Christmas Card Samples?

The turnaround time for Christmas card samples will vary based on the proof options.

For instance, Online PDF proofs will have a turnaround time of 48 hours after the files are received.

On the other hand, press proofs/ wet proofs will take 5 to 10 days to be shipped out after files are received.

Digital hard-copy proofs/ color proofs have a turnaround time of 48hours soon after the files are received.

How do you verify the Quality of the Christmas Card samples?

Ensuring that you get the right quality for your products is key to any successful business.

In that line of reasoning, below are useful tips to guide you in verifying the quality of Christmas card sample;

• Confirm the quality of the image and accuracy of the colors by checking if the images are cropped correctly and the color placement is accurate.

The images should as well have good contrast.

• Ensure that the fonts, bleeds, and crossovers are accurate.

Examine the margins and page alignments and look out for any missing characters. Ensure that the bleeds have extended past the trim marks.

Also, the text should be well spaced.

• Countercheck the print and set-up specifications.

Check the specifications of the final paper stock which might include foils, varnishes, embossing, and die cuts.

Also, confirm the indicia for accuracy.

• Confirm proofs for correctness against hard-copy proof samples.

Ensure that there are no missing pages and all pages are in the right order.

Check whether the page numbers are accurate and images are properly placed.

Also, take measurements of the final trim size and confirm the folds for accuracy.

At HQES, we offer unlimited options when it comes to bulk purchase of Christmas cards.

We can offer customs Christmas card printing solution depending on your unique requirements.

Contact us now for all you Christmas card needs.