Custom Flat Greeting Cards
Custom flat greeting cards — one panel, printed both sides, no crease to crack — on heavy card with matching envelopes, from 100. Proof and price the same working day.
No fold means nowhere to go wrong, and nowhere to hide
- Board
- Coated 350–400gsm; uncoated 400–600gsm; duplexed 600–900gsm; cotton
- Builds
- Single panel, printed both sides; no crease
- Sizes
- A6, A5, 5 x 7 in, square and custom
Get a price for Flat Greeting Cards
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- Free dielineThe flat drawing comes with the quote, before you commit.
- Proof before pressNothing is printed until you have seen it laid on the dieline.
- Die kept for reordersTooling is paid once. Every reorder skips straight to press.
- Quoted in four marketsUS, UK, Canada and Australia, in the delivery currency.
Where a flat card beats a folded one
What it gives up is the private inside panel. A message on the back of a flat card is read by anyone who handles it, which suits an announcement and does not suit a birthday card.
- Thicker stock for the same money: no fold means the card can be 600gsm or duplexed.
- Both faces are usable, so a photograph on the front and the message on the back.
- Cheaper to post: a flat card is half the thickness of the same card folded.
- Faster to produce: no creasing and no folding stage.
Stocks that suit a single panel
| 350–400gsm coated | Sharp photographs, both sides; the cheapest flat card |
|---|---|
| 400–600gsm uncoated | Thick, matte, writable; the note-card feel |
| 600–900gsm duplexed | Two sheets bonded, often with a colored core showing at the edge |
| Cotton 600gsm+ | Soft, deep deboss, letterpress-like; the wedding stock |
The edge is visible on a flat card
On a folded card the cut edge is a detail. On a flat card, held and turned, it is part of the design. That is why flat cards are where edge painting and colored cores earn their cost: a band of color around the perimeter that is only seen when the card is picked up. Rounded corners are the other edge decision, and they survive a handbag better than square ones.
A duplexed card with a colored core gives an edge color without the extra painting stage.
Sizes and the envelope
A6, A5, 5 x 7 in and square are the usual sizes, with the envelope cut to the card plus 5 mm. Because a flat card is thin, it fits a standard envelope where the folded version of the same design might not, and it often posts a band cheaper. Our folded cards with a creased spine are the alternative where a private inside matters.
What flat cards are used for
Thank-you cards from a brand, save-the-dates, birth and moving announcements, compliment slips, artist prints sold as cards, and enclosure cards inside a parcel. Anything where the message is short and the object is meant to be kept.
Flat Greeting Cards — specification
The rows that are specific to this build first, then what applies to every job we run. Anything not listed is a question, not a limit — send the brief.
This build
- Board
- Coated 350–400gsm; uncoated 400–600gsm; duplexed 600–900gsm; cotton
- Builds
- Single panel, printed both sides; no crease
- Sizes
- A6, A5, 5 x 7 in, square and custom
- Edges
- Square or rounded; edge painting and colored cores available
- Envelopes
- Matched stock, card plus 5 mm
- Finishes
- Foil, deboss, spot UV, matte laminate
- Minimum
- 100 cards
On every job
- Print process
- Digital below about a thousand, offset above it. Both sides as standard on cards, tags and leaflets.
- Color
- CMYK with spot colors for a brand match. Uncoated and cotton stocks print noticeably lighter than coated ones.
- Tolerance
- Trim plus or minus 1 mm guillotined, plus or minus 0.5 mm die-cut. Anything over about 170gsm is creased before folding.
- Tooling
- A die only where the piece is shaped, perforated or drilled, made once and kept. A plain rectangle needs none.
- Food contact
- Food-safe inks on menus and counter print that will be handled where food is served.
- Sustainability
- Uncoated and unlaminated stocks recycle without separation, and FSC papers are available across the range.
- Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area, fonts outlined. We check every file and send a proof before press.
- Dieline
- Supplied free with the quote, before you commit. Yours whether or not you order.
- Sample
- A plain unprinted sample at the finished size on request, for fit and construction.
- Reorders
- Skip the tooling and go straight to press at a lower unit price.
- Lead time
- Quoted with the price against your fill date rather than promised before we have seen the spec.
- Markets
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia — priced in the delivery currency, freight included.
Boards and films we build flat greeting cards on
Sheet print is judged in the hand more than a box is: the weight, the surface and whether a pen works on it. These are the stocks we run for cards, folders, leaflets and stationery.
Coated card 300–400gsm
The workhorse. Sharp full-color print, matte or gloss, laminated where it is handled. Does not take a pen unless the finish is matte.
300–400gsmUncoated card
No clay coat. Colors read softer and warmer, a deboss goes deeper, and it writes on with anything. Photographs lose punch.
300–400gsmCotton and textured card
Soft, thick and fibrous. Takes a deep blind deboss and reads as an invitation. Foil sits beautifully; four-color does not.
400–700gsmDuplexed card
Two sheets bonded, often with a colored core, for a very thick card with a visible colored edge. The heaviest thing we print.
600–900gsmText paper 100–170gsm
Leaflets, folder inners and booklet pages. Folds without cracking and takes a full-color print on both faces.
100–170gsmManila and kraft paper
Unbleached, tan, and cheap. One or two colors read well; white ink gives a light mark. Envelopes, folders and tags.
90–300gsmSynthetic stock
Polypropylene sheet for tags and cards that get wet, torn or handled outdoors. Prints like paper and does not soften.
200–400 micronBoard-backed
A printed face laminated to grayboard, for a rigid card, a folder back or a display that has to stand up on its own.
1–2 mm boardNot sure which? Say what goes in it and where it is sold — the material follows from that. Our notes on recycled, recyclable and compostable cover which claims each stock can honestly carry.
- 01
Send what you have
A dimension, a photograph beside a ruler, or the product itself. No technical drawing needed — that part is ours.
- 02
We quote and draw
A price, a dieline and a date come back together. If a different build would suit the product better, that is in the reply too.
- 03
Approve the dieline
The flat drawing is yours to check: which panel is the front, where the folds fall, how deep the cavity really is.
- 04
Artwork on the dieline
You place your design on the flat we sent, or we place it for you, and you see a proof before anything goes to press.
- 05
A sample if you want one
A plain unprinted sample at the finished size shows fit and construction — the things a drawing cannot.
- 06
Cut, printed, shipped
The die is cut once and kept, so every reorder skips the tooling and goes straight to press at a lower unit price.
Format
Vector PDF or AI where possible. Raster artwork at 300dpi at final size, in CMYK.
Bleed
3 mm past every trim line, so a fraction of drift on the cutter never leaves a white edge.
Safe area
Keep type and anything important 4 mm inside the cut and away from every fold.
Color
Convert to CMYK before sending. Uncoated stock prints lighter; a spot color is the only exact match.
Fonts
Outline them or supply the files. A missing font substitutes silently and the proof will not match.
Barcodes
On a light, matte, unvarnished patch with the quiet zone clear — a code on gloss fails the scanner.
Not set up that way? Send it anyway — fixing a file is a short conversation, and we check every one before press. Our guide to preparing print files covers each point.
Sheet print takes the widest range of finishes of anything we make.
Matte lamination
Soft, fingerprint-resistant, and it still takes a pen. The default on anything handled.
Gloss lamination
Maximum color depth. Shows every fingerprint and refuses a ballpoint.
Hot foil
Gold, rose gold, silver, holographic or a color. The block is small so the die is cheap.
Emboss and deboss
Deepest on uncoated and cotton stocks; shallow and prone to cracking on gloss coated.
Spot UV
A gloss shape on a matte laminate. Best on a dark ground where the contrast reads.
Edge paint and colored core
Color on the cut edge of a thick or duplexed card. Only seen when the card is picked up, which is the point.
Soft-touch
A velvet laminate on a cover or a folder. Marks on white; excellent on dark.
Uncoated and textured
No film at all. Writes on, debosses deeply, and reads as considered rather than cheap.
Not sure which suits the shelf it sells from? Say where the product is sold and we suggest one — our notes on specialty finishes show them on real boxes.
Sizing printed sheets, folds and the grain: flat greeting cards
A printed piece is specified flat and finished folded, and the difference between the two is where mistakes live. Send the finished size you want and we work back to the flat.
- Finished size
- The size after folding and trimming. A6, A5, A4, DL, US letter and legal are standard; anything else is cut on its own die.
- Bleed and safe area
- 3 mm of artwork past every trim edge, and nothing important within 4 mm inside it. The guillotine drifts by a fraction on every stack.
- Grain direction
- Paper folds cleanly along the grain and cracks across it. We set the grain to the fold, which is why a sheet is not simply cut from the biggest sheet available.
- Fold allowance
- On a roll fold or a gate fold, the inner panels are cut a millimeter or two shorter so the piece closes flat.
- Creasing
- Anything over about 170gsm is creased before folding. Without it the fold cracks and the coating flakes along the line.
- Trim tolerance
- Plus or minus 1 mm guillotined, plus or minus 0.5 mm die-cut.
Not sure your numbers are right? Send the product dimensions rather than the box dimensions and we work the box out — the full method is in our guide to measuring for a box.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Spec your Flat Greeting Cards
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a stock and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about flat greeting cards? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
What is the difference from a folded card?
A flat card is one panel printed both sides with no crease. It is thinner to post, can use much heavier stock, and has no private inside.
How thick can a flat card be?
Up to about 900gsm duplexed. Without a fold there is no limit from creasing, only from the envelope and the postage.
Can I have a colored edge?
Yes, by edge painting or by using a duplexed card with a colored core, which gives the edge color without a painting stage.
Do you supply envelopes?
Yes, matched to the card size and stock.
Is it cheaper than a folded card?
Usually, because there is no creasing or folding, and it often posts a band cheaper for being thinner.
What is the minimum order?
100 cards.
Can both sides be printed?
Yes, and on a flat card both sides are seen — a photograph on the front and the message on the back is the usual layout.
Are rounded corners available?
Yes, and they survive a bag or a pocket better than square ones.
Can I write on it?
On an uncoated or cotton stock, yes. Coated and laminated cards refuse most pens.
Is it suitable for a wedding save-the-date?
It is the usual format for one — the message is short and the card is meant to be kept on a fridge or a board.
Can I run several designs together?
Yes, on the same stock and size, which is cheaper than separate runs.
Can it be used as an insert in a parcel?
Yes, and a flat card lies against the product without adding bulk, which a folded card does.
Same range
