Photomount or Digital Holiday Photo Cards? The Debate Continues
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 scenario, but photography enthusiasts are adamant that digitally-imprinted Christmas photo cards are certainly not nearly as captivating as photos attached to the greeting card. One seasoned stationery store owner and recreational photographer said, “Electronically produced photo cards simply do not have the high-quality and print image resolution of photos developed by a commercial printer. Some digital holiday photo cards may be quite attractive, however, if you do a comparison side-by-side, the actual difference is evident: Photomount greeting 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 appreciate the differences in both printing processes, it is wise to visit a qualified stationery store in your neighborhood and see printed samples in person. Whatever option works for you, a number of printing companies are in the midst of their holiday card sale. Save anywhere for 20% to 50% by purchasing your holiday photo cards before the end of September.
This appears to be an idyllic scenario, but photography enthusiasts are adamant that digitally-imprinted Christmas photo cards are certainly not nearly as captivating as photos attached to the greeting card. One seasoned stationery store owner and recreational photographer said, “Electronically produced photo cards simply do not have the high-quality and print image resolution of photos developed by a commercial printer. Some digital holiday photo cards may be quite attractive, however, if you do a comparison side-by-side, the actual difference is evident: Photomount greeting 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 appreciate the differences in both printing processes, it is wise to visit a qualified stationery store in your neighborhood and see printed samples in person. Whatever option works for you, a number of printing companies are in the midst of their holiday card sale. Save anywhere for 20% to 50% by purchasing your holiday photo cards before 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.