Make Your Holiday Postcards Stand Out With Artsy Effects
The holiday season almost always approaches faster than you think, and almost every year, the question of holiday cards arises: Will you even send them? What pictures should be used this year? Where should they be designed and printed? And, most importantly, how will you make them stand out among the dozens of cards that people receive every year?
Cue the Graphic Designer’s postcard templates, which allow you to DIY perfectly unique holiday postcards in just a few minutes. Our templates are handcrafted by designers and completely customizable. Combining them with Artsy Effects allows you to turn any photo into an artistic masterpiece, imitating hand-drawn, hand-painted, or digitally rendered art. You can add Artsy Effects right from the Graphic Designer. With this method, holiday cards have never looked better – or been as easy to make!
Why Send Out Holiday Postcards?
People have been sending out Christmas cards and holiday cards since the 1600s, but it wasn’t until the second half of the 1800s that commercially printed holiday postcards became popular. From then until the advent of digital photography, most holiday cards featured hand-drawn or painted illustrations! These were sent out from families, friends, businesses, politicians, and even royalty.
So whether you’re a parent, a business owner, or just want to reach out to the friends in your life, you can participate in sending out holiday cards. They’re a great way to check in, give an update on the year’s events, and let people know that you’re thinking of them. Using Artsy Effects also turns your holiday card into a piece of art that has the potential to stay on the fridge even after the holiday season.
People may be starting families later in life, but don’t let that stop you from sending out a holiday card as an individual or a couple. Pet parents, now is your chance to show off your fluffy friend with a painted portrait!
If you’re a small business owner, consider sending out holiday cards to your clients and employees. Keep track of other businesses you’ve collaborated with throughout the year and add them to the list, too! Big corporations can’t match the thoughtfulness of a personalized holiday card, especially not one that’s so unique.
How to Make a Custom-Painted Holiday Postcard
It only takes a few minutes to design a custom postcard with the Graphic Designer. Just head on over to the postcard templates to begin.
Step 1: Choose a Holiday Postcard Template
There are plenty of different postcard options to choose from, including several holiday-specific templates. Remember that you can always change the images and text, so choose whatever design appeals to you!
Step 2: Upload Your Photos
Drag and drop your photo of choice from your computer or the Image Manager right onto the canvas to replace the original image. Make sure to choose a high-resolution photograph with good exposure. (If you’re still at the photo shoot stage, here are our tips on taking great holiday photos!)
Step 3: Add An Artsy Effect
Click on your photo and click the Edit Image button. This allows you to use all the powers of the Photo Editor without leaving your current tab.
The Artsy Effects are marked by a paintbrush icon. Here, you can choose from dozens of hand-drawn and hand-painted filters! You’ve got your choice of watercolor effects, oil painting effects, sketch and vector effects, and many more. In this case, we’re going to be using Impasto GFX, which uses AI to create thick-painted brushstrokes and vivid colors.
You can adjust how true the filter is to the original image by changing the Fidelity. Use Variation to see slightly different versions of the same effect. Don’t forget to click Apply before wrapping up and heading back to the Graphic Designer.
Step 3: Customize the Template Details
Back in the Graphic Designer, you can add or edit text. Just click on the text box you want to edit to change the color, typeface, size, and effects.
Your postcard’s background color can be adjusted in the Customize tab.
You can add embellishments to your holiday postcard in the Graphics tab. Use the Search Graphics tool to find sparkles, holiday ornaments, flowers, and more.
Step 4: Save Your Postcard
And that’s it! Click Save at the top of the page to save your new holiday card to your computer or the cloud. If you’re planning on printing your card, make sure to save it as a high-quality PDF. If you’re sticking with a digital send, try a high-quality PNG instead.
And here’s your finished holiday postcard! It only took a few minutes to design an original postcard with our own images and creative flair.
Holiday Postcard Inspiration
With BeFunky, there’s no shortage of different ways to create unique holiday cards. Here are some inspo ideas to help you figure out the perfect holiday postcard to send this year!
Winter Worderland Postcard
Pick a good landscape photo you took this year, or choose one from our free selection of stock images, then apply an oil painting effect or similar filter. This is particularly effective if you’re a small business owner looking to send a more neutral, professional card.
Collage Postcard
Using the Collage Maker, you can put all your favorite photos from the year on one card. Try using the Batch Photo Editor to achieve the same aesthetic for all your images!
Mixed Media Postcard
To create an eclectic mixed media card, combine unedited photos with graphics with photos that use effects. Use the Cutout tool to step up your mixed media collage even more!
Make Your Own Artistic Holiday Postcards Today
With BeFunky’s templates and effects, creating and sending custom holiday cards has never been easier. The Graphic Designer is the most customizable holiday card maker around: Adjust the design as much as you’d like, or just drag and drop photos into a template before sending your holiday cards to the printer. Create your own holiday postcard today with BeFunky’s postcard templates!
