Greetings cards, including cards for Christmas, Valentines, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baby and other festivities, all of which can be personalised.
Photocards, starting from scratch using your photo or with a bit of help from their card gallery. Also gift tags, note cards, postcards etc. Not as quick as some others.
Over 1,000 card designs, typically £2.95, all of which can be personalised. Free delivery to the person ordering or to the recipient. Same day despatch if ordered before 1pm.
This famous card manufacturer now makes personalised cards, invitations and announcements for all occasions. From £2 individually, less in larger quantities.
Personalised cards from this trusted retailer from £2.48 including post. A few allow you to include your own photo.
General cards and cards for all occasions, predesigned or your own design. In both cases photos and text can be added. A NSPCC donation for each card sold.
Personalise with one or more photos, on their own or within a standard design from their gallery. Greetings cards from 75p individually or other types of card from 22p
Character cards including Disney and Forever Friends with one or more of your photos added. Powered by, and the same prices and ranges as Snapfish.
Cards from £1.59. UK postage is 39p for a single card, depending on weight and quantity for larger orders. Order by 3pm weekdays for same day despatch
Personalised cards are produced by:
(1) Specialist companies such as Hallmark, Yoodoo and Getting Personal.
(2) Photo printing companies, such as Photobox, Snapfish and Bonusprint.
How does it work?
The usual way to personalise cards is to use one of thousands of ready-made designs and adding your own text, on the front as well as inside a card.
With some companies, including Hallmark, Yoodoo and all the photoprinting companies, you can also use your own photo. The photo can be either on its own or inserted into locations on a standard design.
How quick?
Order by early afternoon and the specialist companies, including Getting Personal, and Yoodoo will get the card in the post that very day. The photo printing companies tend to take longer.
How many designs?
The specialist companies offer literally thousands of designs for all occasions: mainstream, such as Christmas, birthday or anniversary, or less widely known such as Diwali and Eid.
The photo printing companies have fewer designs, but still usually in the hundreds.
This is in addition to cards you can create yourself using your own photos through the photo printing companies and YooDoo.
Cost
Greetings cards start around £1.50 individually. If you need more than one, packs of ten can work out at less than 90p each. Other kinds of card, such as postcards, invitations and note cards, are usually a lot cheaper.
The photo printing companies usually have scales that price the cards much more cheaply the more you buy. Bulk orders, say for 100 cards, can be less than half the cost of an individual card.
Delivery costs
Snapfish and Truprint have high post charges, around £1 for a single card, which makes the total cost very high for small quantities. Some of the specialists usually deliver free.
Who to use?
If you want to incorporate your own photo, you have to use one of the photoprinting companies, Hallmark or YooDoo.
Of the photoprinting companies, we think Photobox has the best choice, unless you want a Disney, Forever Friends or other character card, in which case we suggest Snapfish.
The specialists have the biggest range of designs. Add your own photo and the choice is boundless.
If you just want to use your own text, the specialists are quicker and quality is excellent.