The Stationers Guild

As those who have followed my Blog posts know, I have long felt that the resolution of  glossy or matte photographs developed in a photo store are generally superior to  imprinting digitally directly on card stock.    This should not be surprising, since these photographs use high-tech developing equipment under consistent printing conditions and are printed on papers that were specifically developed for this  process.  Digital photography, on the other hand,  is more complicated because of the far greater variety of monitor resolutions, printer settings, ink colors and the papers on which your photograph is printed.  Nevertheless, digital printing is quickly closing the gap and in some cases it may prove to be the best option for this year’s holiday photo card.

One firm whose printing  and designs have generated a strong response from early-bird holiday photo card shoppers  is Tag & Co.  Tag & Co. provides a variety of different design options for your photograph(s) on a simple but elegant card.  While the  size of the photograph digitally imprinted on the card is generally smaller than the standard 4″x 6″ photograph, the resolution of the photograph and the beautifully designed setting work together in great harmony.  Clearly, a lot of thought and technical precision has gone into these beautifully crafted holiday photo cards.

Tag & Co. Holiday Photo Card Sample

Tag &. Co. holiday photo cards are flat cards.  If you need to write a short message you can use the back of the card or enclose a newsletter.  In any event, the reproduction quality and Tag & Co. designs certainly make for an elegant photo card.

Tag &. Co. Holiday Photo Card

If you are looking for a quality Christmas photo card,  I would certainly recommend giving taking a look at Tag & Co.’s new holiday album.  As with all fine stationery and custom greeting cards, a visit to at Guild member store in your neighborhood is encouraged.

I have been closely following the evolution of digital photography and its impact on the holiday photo card industry.  For the most part, I have been quite disappointed with the poor resolution of digital images, particularly those that are mass-produced by commercial printers.   Furthermore, the holiday designs and motifs that often frame the holiday photograph are generally quite pedestrian.  The end result is a holiday photo card that often resembles a business flyer that does little justice to your family photograph.

At this year’s National Stationery Show, I had the opportunity to chat with David Evans of William Arthur, a leading designer of holiday photo cards.  David explained that William Arthur planned to extend the options available to its loyal clients by offering the same classy designs regardless of whether one uses photo mounts or digital imprinting.  As the image below suggests, William Arthur has been remarkably successful in maintaining their traditional high design standards while providing their clients with an exciting new array of printing options.

Digital Holiday Photo Card and Card with Photo Mounts

William Arthur’s Holiday 2009 photo album is broken down into three broad sections:  Digital, Transitional and Traditional.  Sample designs in the Traditional section use photo mount adhesives to mount a 4″x 6″ photograph directly on the card stock.  Clients can choose from a variety of holiday greetings and personalize the photo card with their family names. 

Sample photo cards from the Transitional Section can be printed digitally or with photo adhesives to mount your photographs directly on the personalized greeting card.  William Arthur has done a remarkable job maintaining the elegance of the photo frame to showcase your photograph regardless of which printing method you select.  From a casual glance, it is often difficult to determine whether you are looking at a digital image or the actual photograph.  Clearly, William Arthur has invested a considerable amount of time and energy to maintain this high standard of excellence.

William Arthur Digital Holiday Photo Card

While William Arthur makes it rather easy to work with both printing options, digital printing is far more complex.  Specifically, most digital photographs need to be cropped and often need some minor editing (i.e. “red eye”).  Furthermore, since you are printing digitally, you are no longer restricted to a limited number of ink colors.  While the end result may be easier since you don’t need to mount the photos on the greeting card, the design options require careful consideration and a not insignifcant investment of your time.

William Arthur holiday photo cards are definitely worth a look if you value excellence in design and execution.  We strongly encourage you to visit a qualified stationer in your neighborhood who can walk you many design options available from William Arthur’s delightful 2009 holiday photo album.

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild