Shutterfly Holiday Card Highlights and a GIVEAWAY
December has arrived, my holiday-loving people. The time of year when we can finally sip our gingerbread lattes, deck our halls, and strut around in red flannel pajamas singing Santa Baby without judgment. The first early bird cards arrived like clockwork to my mailbox this week...you all know who you are. As a photographer, I always look forward to receiving holiday cards in the mail from clients. Some years I get dozens from past and current families, and I always display them for my own family as we reflect on the year. It's fun to see which photos my clients choose to highlight and what styles are popular. Card designs and card quality are very important to me because they showcase my work. I have tried many companies over the years, but the past few years I have been pleased to work with Shutterfly for its range of beautiful designs, excellent customer service, and value.
Today, I'm sharing my 2016 picks for holiday cards from Shutterfly.com, along with a quick tip for how to ensure your professional photos print beautifully on your cards. Read all about it below, and don't forget to stick around for a special giveaway from Shutterfly!
Jumping right in, here's a look at my six fave designs for holiday cards from Shutterfly's 2016 lineup!
First up...
What a neat idea! Have you seen these new pop-out cards? Your photo is printed on the card, and recipients can use the perforated edges to pop the photo out and keep it up all year, or even frame it! I know my long-distance family would love to have this unique style. The back also has a nice space for a typed or handwritten message.
Gradient Snowflakes Ornament Card
Doubling as both a card and an ornament, this card makes happy grandparents everywhere. I like the interesting edging and gold lettering on this particular design, but there are so many styles and colors to choose from, or you can even upload your own design!
Festive Collage Christmas Card
A great choice for a large family. This card welcomes lots of color and variety in the photos around the card with its simple message over distressed wood in the center that grounds the look.
Perfect for a simple newborn announcement or a single beautiful portrait. This card sets itself apart from the traditional reds, greens, and golds of this time of year...yet it still has a magical, wintery feel.
Single Snowflake Gallery Christmas Card
This style is my pick for those who like to share about individual family members, highlights from the year, or family announcements...along with plenty of photos. It's a great way to update friends and family across the miles.
And my final favorite is:
Glorious Gallery Christmas Card
I love the classic look of this card. It has a crisp, clean layout while telling a story in multiple photos and making a festive statement with beautiful gold foil debossed lettering.
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So there you have it! A few of my favorite (holiday card) things. I hope you found them inspiring!
Whichever design you choose, you'll want to follow this tip when ordering prints or cards using custom photography: If your images are already edited for white balance and color consistency, then be sure to turn off any auto-corrections options before printing. In Shutterfly, that means clicking on each image in your card and deselecting 'auto effect' to turn off the automatic edit function that is applied to all images by default. Each image should be have the 'no effect' setting before being sent off to the printer. This only pertains to hand-edited images.
And now for a 24-hour giveaway...
Shutterfly has generously donated a $50 Shutterfly gift card to one of my fans!
To enter: 1) Be a fan of Angie Klaus Photography + Films, 2) 'Like' my Shutterfly Facebook post, and 3) Comment either on this blog post or on the Facebook post with your favorite type of card. I will number the comments and randomly select a winner.
This giveaway is only open for 24 hours. Entries close tomorrow night--Saturday 12/3--at 8pm EST. Winner will be announced on Facebook tomorrow night! Good luck!
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. All opinions are my own.