10 corporate Christmas card ideas: design, greetings, timing, format and paper
Corporate Christmas cards are most often printed in A6 (105×148 mm), DL (99×210 mm) or a 150×150 mm square, on 300–350 g/m² board, from a CMYK file at 300 DPI with 3 mm bleed and text no smaller than 8 pt. Post domestic cards 2–3 weeks before Christmas Eve and international ones 3–5 weeks ahead, and send the electronic version 1–2 weeks before the holidays.
A good corporate Christmas card is a small but very personal point of contact with your customers. The recipient holds it in their hand and often stands it on their desk, so the idea, the wording and the print quality all matter. Below you'll find 10 proven design ideas, ready-to-use greetings, posting dates, a comparison of formats and papers, and tips for the electronic version.
10 corporate Christmas card ideas
The best cards combine festive spirit with the character of your business. Choose one central theme and stick to it consistently: your brand colours, a single typeface and clear, legible greetings.
- Minimalism with your logo – build a Christmas tree or a bauble out of your logo, or dust it with snow, and leave plenty of white space. One accent colour from your brand identity is enough.
- A theme from your industry – arrange the things you work with into a Christmas tree shape: keys, hard hats, coffee cups, paint tubes. The recipient knows instantly who the card is from.
- A photo or illustration of your team – a festive team photo or cartoon portraits of your staff. Remember to get each person's consent to use their image.
- Hand illustration or watercolour – commission artwork from an illustrator or buy it from a stock library with a licence that covers print. A delicate watercolour looks great on uncoated paper.
- A charity card – explain that instead of gifts, your company has supported a specific charity. Only include this if the donation has actually been made.
- A year in review – 3–4 short facts from the past year (a new branch, the number of projects completed) and a thank you for working with you. Only use genuine figures.
- An eco-friendly card – recycled paper, kraft board or seed paper that can be planted. Add one sentence explaining what the recipient can do with the card after Christmas.
- A card with a purpose – a fold-out Christmas tree decoration, a pop-up card or a calendar for the coming year on the back. Print like this stays on the desk for longer.
- Finishing as the main feature – a gold star in hot foil or snowflakes in spot UV varnish on a matt black background. The design can be very simple, because the finish does the work.
- A QR code with a surprise – the code leads to a video greeting from your team or a festive playlist. Print it at a minimum of 20×20 mm and test it on several phones.
How to write corporate Christmas greetings: examples
Greetings from a business should be short: 2–4 sentences, with no offers or discounts. Match the tone to the relationship – you'll use different language with a bank than with a regular at your local café. A handwritten signature from someone who knows the recipient works better than a printed one.
If you're sending cards to people of different faiths or abroad, neutral phrases such as "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" are a safer choice than religious references.
- Formal: "Wishing you a peaceful and happy Christmas and every success in the New Year. Thank you for your trust and for working with us."
- Warm, for regular customers: "Thank you for being with us all year. We wish you a restful Christmas and lovely moments with your loved ones."
- For business partners: "We're proud of everything we've achieved together. Merry Christmas and here's to a New Year in which we bring even more plans to life."
- Short, for small formats: "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – from all of us at [company name]."
- Universal, bilingual: "Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year. Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda." (add the second line in your recipient's language)
When should you send corporate Christmas cards?
Your card should arrive before the recipient breaks up for Christmas – many companies close their offices several days before Christmas Eve. Design, printing, addressing and signing take longer than you might think, so plan the whole process with several weeks to spare, ideally starting in November.
| Channel / recipient | When to send | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Post, domestic recipients | 2–3 weeks before Christmas Eve | December is peak season for postal services, so don't leave posting until the last week |
| Post, international recipients | 3–5 weeks before Christmas | Timing depends on the country and the type of mail; check your postal service's last recommended posting dates |
| Courier or in person with a gift | The recipient's last full working week | Check when your partner's office closes |
| 1–2 weeks before Christmas, on a working day | Before the wave of out-of-office replies | |
| New Year card | Between Christmas and the first days of January | A good option if you miss the Christmas deadline |
Which format should you choose, and which envelope fits?
The format depends on how you're sending the card and how much content it carries. A6 and DL are the cheapest to print and post, a square looks more upmarket, and a folded card leaves room for a handwritten note inside. Before ordering envelopes, check that they fall within your postal service's standard letter size – non-standard dimensions can push up postage costs.
| Card format | Trimmed size | Matching envelope | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 | 105×148 mm | C6 (114×162 mm) | Classic postcard, large print runs |
| A5 folded to A6 | 148×210 mm when open | C6 (114×162 mm) | Room for greetings and signatures inside |
| DL | 99×210 mm | DL (110×220 mm) | Slim, elegant and easy to post |
| Square | 150×150 mm | Square, approx. 160×160 mm | Premium feel, cards handed over in person |
| A5 | 148×210 mm | C5 (162×229 mm) | A large photo or illustration |
Which paper and finish should you choose?
The standard for single-sheet cards is 300–350 g/m² board – it's rigid and won't bend in the envelope. Folded cards must always be creased, because from around 170 g/m² upwards the paper cracks along the fold without creasing.
If you plan to sign cards by hand, avoid gloss coated stock and lamination, as ink smudges on them. Uncoated paper or unlaminated matt coated stock is best to write on – or at least keep the inside of the card unlaminated.
- Matt coated 300–350 g/m² – versatile, good colour reproduction and easy to sign.
- Gloss coated – rich, vibrant photos, but harder to write on.
- Decorative or textured paper – a premium effect, ideal for foiling and embossing.
- Kraft board – a natural, eco look; the brown base shifts ink colours, so avoid delicate pastels.
- Soft-touch lamination – velvety to the touch and pairs well with spot UV varnish.
- Hot foil and spot UV varnish – these need a separate vector layer in the file, set up in a single 100% colour.
How to prepare your print file
Save your design in CMYK, with images at 300 DPI at 1:1 scale. Add 3 mm bleed on every side and keep important elements (text, logo, QR code) at least 3–5 mm inside the trim line. Set text at no less than 8 pt, and use 10 pt or more for thin typefaces on dark backgrounds.
Print small text in 100% black (K) and large black backgrounds in rich black, e.g. C40 M30 Y30 K100. Convert fonts to outlines or embed them in the PDF. If you don't have your own designer, you can order a Christmas card design from plakaty.shop (wielkareklama.eu studio) in A6, A5, DL or 150 mm square – a package with one design concept costs €12, and the finished PDF comes with 3 mm bleed and a safety margin. Whoever designs your card, proofread all the text and company details before it goes to print.
Electronic Christmas cards: how to prepare them
An electronic version works well for a large contact list and for recipients who work remotely. Set the email graphic at 600–700 px wide in the body of the message, but export it at twice the size (approx. 1200–1400 px) so it stays sharp on high-density screens. Keep the JPG or PNG file to a few hundred KB.
Don't send the image on its own or as a heavy PDF attachment – spam filters rate image-only emails less favourably. Include your greeting as plain text too, add alt text to the image and personalise the salutation. If the card includes an offer or discount, it becomes marketing communication, and sending it by email requires the recipient's consent.
- Email: graphic 600–700 px wide in the message body, exported at approx. 1200–1400 px.
- Social media post: 1080×1080 px.
- Stories: 1080×1920 px, with key elements kept away from the top and bottom edges.
- Animation: a lightweight GIF or short MP4 video linked from a QR code or a button in the email.
Checklist
- All greetings, names, phone numbers and addresses proofread
- File in CMYK, images at 300 DPI, 3 mm bleed
- Text and logo at least 3–5 mm inside the trim line, text at least 8 pt
- Fonts converted to outlines or embedded in the PDF
- Foil or spot UV layer set up separately as vectors
- Creasing ordered for folded cards
- Envelopes matched to the card format and standard letter size
- QR code tested on several phones
- Posting date planned with time to spare for printing and signing
FAQs
What is the most popular format for a corporate Christmas card?
The most common choices are A6 (105×148 mm) with a C6 envelope and DL (99×210 mm) with a DL envelope. Both formats are inexpensive to print and fit standard envelopes. A 150×150 mm square is chosen when the card needs a more upmarket feel.
What paper weight should I use for Christmas cards?
For single-sheet cards, 300–350 g/m² board is best. Folded cards are also printed on heavy board, but always with creasing so they don't crack along the fold. If you want to sign the cards by hand, choose a matt paper without lamination.
When should I send Christmas cards to customers?
Post domestic cards 2–3 weeks before Christmas Eve and international ones 3–5 weeks ahead. Send the electronic version 1–2 weeks before Christmas, on a working day. If you miss the deadline, send a New Year card instead.
What should I write in a corporate Christmas card?
2–4 sentences are enough: your good wishes, a thank you for working together and a signature. Avoid offers and discounts, as they spoil the personal feel of the card. For recipients from different cultures, neutral phrases such as "Season's Greetings" work better.
Is a printed card or an e-card better?
A printed card is more personal and stays on the recipient's desk, but it takes time and budget for printing and postage. An e-card is quick and inexpensive for a large contact list. Many businesses send printed cards to key partners and e-cards to everyone else.
How do I prepare a Christmas card file for the printer?
Save the design as a PDF in CMYK, with images at 300 DPI, 3 mm bleed and a 3–5 mm safety margin. Convert fonts to outlines or embed them. Set up any foil or spot UV elements on a separate vector layer.
