Choosing the perfect birthday card for your friend is about understanding their personality, personalizing the message, where they are in their life and selecting a design that resonates with them. Keep it thoughtful, age-appropriate, and timely to make the birthday card a cherished part of their celebration.
Think about their Personality
Think about your friend's personality and interests. Are they humorous, sentimental, or quirky? Choose a card that aligns with their unique qualities and preferences. A funny card might be perfect for the jokester, while a heartfelt one suits the sentimental soul.
Personalize
Opt for a card that allows you to add a personal touch. Look for cards with blank spaces where you can jot down memories or inside jokes that are meaningful to both of you. Adding a personal touch makes the card extra special.
Appropriate Designs
Ensure the design of the card is suitable for your friend's age. While some may appreciate playful and vibrant designs, others might prefer something more sophisticated. Choose a design that reflects their taste and style. Be careful not to offend if picking a funny design.
Think about what else has happened recently in their life or what they have got coming up
You best friend might typically be the life and soul of the party and would normally respond well to a funny card, but if they have had a rough year perhaps or have a challenging year ahead maybe they need something more uplifting and positively affirming. If they have achievements to celebrate let them know you are proud of them.
Reflect on your relationship
Think about the depth of your friendship. For close friends, consider a card that reflects the bond you share. For newer friendships, a card with a more general and friendly message may be appropriate.
Card Quality
Birthday cards are often collected stored away in keep sake or old shoe boxes and looked back upon in many years to come. Cards are relatively low cost, look for cards printed on quality card stock. Typically card stock should be between 80lb or 225 GSM (grams per square meter) and 296 GSM.
Sustainability
Our understanding of small actions we can take as individuals to reduce negative environmental impact is evolving. If you are going to buy card make it meaningful, not one that is going to be thrown away. Look at the suppliers sustainability policy and make a judgement as to whether to purchase. Things you might want to consider are are they printed an recycled paper, what country are they printed in and how far do they have to travel to be delivered to you. Remember it is often harder for small independent designers to understand or influence their supply chain compared to large retailers and publishers but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use the on sustainability grounds. Some of the sustainability benefits of buying from a small independent designer include; you can chose a designer more local to you, they tend to produce less waste, they will produce small runs or even one off prints and not over produce stock that is never sold.