WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER VINTAGE CHRISTMAS CARDS THIS YEAR
Minted Christmas cards love kickin’ it old-school style. We have all heard the saying, “It’s an oldie but a goodie.” Christmas evokes a time of nostalgia and fond memories, like chestnuts roasting over an open fire, Bing Crosby playing softly in the background as snow falls gently, and little ones waking up at the crack of dawn to the smell of gingerbread pancakes. If yards and yards of wrapping paper and ribbon scattered across the living room floor takes you back to a simpler time, a vintage-inspired Minted Christmas card design might be for you.
During a time of celebration and sentiment, you may find yourself drawn to vintage Christmas cards that reflect the type of celebrations you used to have growing up or continue to observe as traditions. Minted offers a wide variety of holiday card designs, including selections that feature a vintage look. Explore our retro Christmas card designs as you sift the flour for your gingerbread cookies and wrap gifts with colorful comics saved from the Sunday newspaper. Rediscover our many Minted Christmas card offerings that show you and your family celebrating the old fashioned way.
RETRO CHRISTMAS: DESIGN ELEMENTS TO MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS CARD LOOK OLD FASHIONED
You may be wondering, “What exactly makes a card look vintage or old fashioned?” The pros at Minted have highlighted various design elements that can help create the vintage Christmas card look you crave.
Picture: For your holiday photo cards, use a black and white or a sepia photo filter. Minted allows you to upload your photo and choose between those filters so you don’t need to fiddle with photo editing software beforehand. In addition to the coloring of the photo, you could make your cards look more old-timey by incorporating older-looking clothes or vintage costumes into them, or placing your family’s photoshoot within the context of a more rustic location. Think barn, field or dirt road.
Text: Minted provides dozens and dozens of fonts to choose from for your vintage Christmas cards. Evoke the times of the early Renaissance with a traditionally scripted font like “King Bloser One Regular”. Opt for a more modern but still retro approach to script like “Anter”. Take a look at some examples we’ve compiled to illustrate how types of font can help create an aged or vintage look.
- Scripted Typography: Nothing screams old fashioned Christmas cards more than a scripted font. Curvy q’s and the exaggerated tails of elaborate calligraphy speak to the feather and quill that were used to compose letters in the 18th century. Minted Christmas cards are available in a mix of calligraphy-specific designs. If you find the traditional script too much for your modern sensibilities, Minted also offers designs that inject a twist into these elaborately scripted designs by mixing in Helvetica or other contemporary fonts into the card. The result is a truly unique Christmas cards, vintage-inspired yet up to date.
- Bold Typography: We know what you’re thinking: How can delicate calligraphy and bold typography both exude the essence of vintage Christmas cards? The beautiful thing about typography is that it has evolved over time, and there are several different eras in the past that adopted different typography styles. Bold use of type was leveraged in midcentury designs that have never really gone out of style, thanks to shows like Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. For example, Minted offers a New Year’s Eve invitation that’s inspired by the 1960s style of the Jetsons. It’s pop-culture-centric, fun and evocative of a time where it was all the rage to look forward into the far, far future.
- Block Style Typography: Many families treat their Christmas cards as a mini-newsletter. Annual cards present the perfect forum to announce that new house, added family member (babies and fur babies alike), big job promotion or vacation abroad that made the past year notable. When making these statements, it seems fitting to communicate in the form of newspaper print that dovetails with retro Christmas themes. You can use some of Minted’s classic block-style designs to announce all your family's important happenings in vintage Christmas cards.
Color: Vintage Christmas cards had a more muted tone to them than their contemporary cousins. In order to stay true to the aesthetic, make sure to avoid vivid and bright colors. These colors evoke modernity more so than tradition.
Cardstock: Minted offers thick or double thick cardstock that is made of 100% cotton. You can feel the quality of the paper in your hand as you run your fingers over it. The stock is not glossy and does not resemble paper printed from a modern photo machine. Your design will look even more authentically vintage with this added detail.
THE HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS CARD. WHERE DID IT ALL START?
The history of the first Christmas card dates back to 1843 when Sir Henry Cole commissioned his friend, John Callcott Horsley, to design a three-panel card. The center of the card showed a family enjoying a large Christmas feast with the words “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you” underneath it. The other two panels depicted families caring for the poor. The cards were initially met with some backlash. The public frowned upon the fact that the card did not adhere to the traditional religious messaging of the time. The card also depicted a child being served alcohol, which was controversial. However, despite that feedback, around 1,000 were produced (although the true number remains unknown). The cards were printed on a piece of stiff cardboard, using lithography (a printing process common in the early days of print production which uses a flat stone/plate and adheres ink to the imaged surface using a greasy substance) and were sold for 1 shilling each. At the time, 1 shilling was a high price, today it is the equivalent of $24.
With the evolution of the penny post came the evolution of the mass production of the Christmas card. Prior to the penny post, only the ultra-wealthy could afford to send mail. Now, with the expansion of railways, the price of sending mail decreased to half a penny and the act of sending Christmas cards became more and more accessible.
Over the years, the images rendered on Christmas cards transformed. The very first cards were more religious and had the Nativity on them. They later transformed into showing snow scenes and robins. Since the intent of the old-fashioned Christmas card was to send a general message to loved ones, cards only had a front and a back. The front had a single illustration, and the back would have a pre-written image. As the greeting card industry blossomed, customers were able to customize their cards for their wants and needs.
WHAT MAKES A MINTED VINTAGE-INSPIRED CHRISTMAS CARD UNIQUE?
Cue in Minted circa 2008. The company was founded by Mariam Naficy who invented the first Minted Design challenge. In case you didn’t know, Minted’s assortment of cards is comprised of several design challenges run throughout the year in which independent artists submit their designs and receive feedback from their peers. Consumers (such as yourself) and other artists then vote on these designs, and Minted sells the designs that receive the most votes. Independent artists then receive a commission off each card that is sold on our site. Long-story-short, our cards are consumer crafted and support the livelihood of independent artists.
Empowering the consumer's voice doesn’t just stop with our crowdsourcing model. Minted also allows customers to customize several aspects of their Christmas cards within our website. For example, once you select a design, you can upload an image of your family. Further, if you have difficulty pairing a design with your family portrait, you can text us. We have a Text Us Your Photo program in which you can text Minted your family photo at 415-915-CARD (2273). A design associate will then recommend five designs that pair with your photo.
Minted’s collection of old fashioned Christmas cards come in various printing types - flat printed, foil-pressed and letterpressed. Our foil colors come in various colors, including red foil for that seasonal embellishment. Give your text some extra shine!
After you have landed on your card design, you can edit the text and font within our Minted customizer. Our customizer has dozens of fonts to choose from, ranging from modern Helvetica fonts to ornate scripted ones (perfect for your vintage Christmas card look). In addition to being able to change the text and font, our customizer also allows you to change the layout of the text within the design. If you find that the bottom of the card is not the best place for your witty words, you can always rearrange them to the top to be front and center.
Outside of being able to adjust the content within your design, you can also add a few embellishments to your card and envelope. Within our customization tools, you have the ability to add custom foil to your design. What does this mean exactly? Well, if you select a card that does not have foil in the artwork, you can add in foil (hence, custom foil). Further, if it interests you, you can incorporate your card design onto the envelopes that it comes in. You can upload contacts within your Minted address book for free custom envelopes and free recipient addressing, styled to match your design.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Your Minted Christmas card details don’t just have to stop with the card and the envelope. You can tack on matching stamps that complement your card design. You could also adopt a SkinnyWrap return label to stylishly communicate your return address. Minted has all you need and more to make your Christmas cards unforgettable and stand the test of time. Choose from three size options to suit any budget:
- Classic size (7" x 5"): If you order 100 cards, the price per card starts as low as $1.82.
- Petite size (6" x 4.25"): If you order 100 cards, the price per card starts as low as $1.65.
- Postcard size (6" x 4.25"): If you order 100 cards, the price per card starts as low as $1.49.
