How To Buy Cards Well

September 15, 2026

We draw and print our own cards and prints in the UK and post them ourselves, so everything below is written from the inside. Where a deal isn't worth chasing, we say so.

Most card-buying problems are solved before December: buy a few good ones in advance and stop paying petrol-station prices in a panic.

Here's what actually separates a good card from a bad one.

Cards, drawn and printed in the UK

Heavyweight stock, blank inside, kraft envelope, posted the same working day where we can.

You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) £3.87

Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him £3.87

Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) £3.87

Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Her £3.87

I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Strongbow Dark Fruits Ever (Valentines Day Card) £3.87

Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card) £3.87

Shop all cards

What to look for

Card weight: 300gsm or heavier, or it won't stand up on a shelf.
A6 and A5 are the standard UK sizes. A6 posts as a letter; oversized and square cards cost more.
Blank inside means the message is yours. Printed verse dates fast and rarely fits.
Check the envelope is included and matches the card size before you buy.
Uncoated stock takes ink better if you write with a fountain or gel pen.

Postage without surprises

First Class is usually next working day, including Saturdays. It's a target, not a guarantee.
Second Class is supposed to be two working days but can take up to five days anywhere in the UK.
Working days run Monday to Saturday. Standard letter post isn't tracked.
Square cards and anything over 5mm thick cost more than a standard letter.
A badge or keyring inside makes the envelope a large letter.

Keeping a stock at home

Six blanks, two birthday, one sympathy, one congratulations, one thank you. That covers almost any week.
Store them flat, away from radiators and sunlight, or the colour goes.
Buy a few spares every time you order. They keep indefinitely.
Keep a book of stamps with them. Running out of stamps is the usual reason a card sits unposted.

Where the money goes

Personalisation, premium envelopes and delivery upgrades often cost more than the card itself.
Independent printers are usually cheaper per card than the big personalisation sites once add-ons are counted.
The cheapest card you never send is the most expensive one you'll buy.

Shop all cards