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Printing Glossy Greeting Cards

How to Get a Glossy Finish on Your Greeting Cards

Fabulous! You have provided so much information and I can't thank you enough. I am starting my own business and your knowledge has helped tremendously.

If you have a moment, I do have a question.

I am going to create greeting cards from scratch, including original art work and text. I want to be able to print out my own cards without contracting out.

Is there a printer that will print, crease and gloss the cards? What do companies like Vistaprint.com and Kinkos use?

Again, I sincerely appreciate this wonderful site. You are an angel among crafters.

Melissa

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The options are without limit; but they come at a cost.

Print shops with commercial presses have machines that can fold stock, but they also have minimum print runs that start at 2000 copies.

The companies I checked out which offer small quantity greeting card production services do not have folding machines.

Kinkos has pre-scored card stock which the customer folds herself. No special equipment required.

Overnight Prints does not offer pre-scored card stock but notes that the stock is easily scored and folded.

You can have your cards printed on glossy paper – either glossy on both sides or glossy on one and matte on the other. You can also have a UV coat added to protect your artwork from sun damage. If you contract your work out, the sky is the limit. Prices start at about a dollar per card.

DIY and Save

I print and fold my own cards. My standard card stock is white or ivory 225 gsm and costs 6 cents a card. I buy envelopes in bulk for 7 cents each. Ink cost depends on the design.

My average is about 7 cents a card. If you want a heavier paper or glossy finish, it will cost a few cents more. Bottom line: you can save about 70 to 80 cents per card if you DIY.

Having tried several brands of printers, I always come back to HP for graphic printing.

Here are my tips and tricks on Card Folding Techniques.

Finally, here are some ways to minimize your Ink Costs.

Good luck with your new venture. I’m so glad you have found The Artful Crafter helpful.

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