How to Print and Fold Your Own Greeting Cards at Home
A card you made yourself feels personal, and it costs a fraction of a store-bought card. You only need a printer, a sheet of paper and a few minutes. Here is how to get a clean result the first time.
Choose your paper
Plain printer paper works, but a heavier paper feels more like a real card. Look for card stock between 65 and 110 pounds (176 to 300 grams per square meter). Very thick stock can be hard to fold, so score the fold lines first by running the back of a butter knife along a ruler. Matte paper is easiest to write on. Glossy photo paper can smudge pen ink.
Set up your printer
- Print at 100 percent, also called Actual size. If the page is scaled to fit, the card panels will not line up with the folds.
- Print one side only.
- Choose color if the card has color. Draft or economy mode saves ink and works fine for most patterns.
- Print a test page on plain paper before you use your good card stock.
How a quarter-fold card works
A quarter-fold card is a single page folded twice. The page holds four panels. The two top panels are printed upside down, because they become the front and back of the card. The two bottom panels are the inside: one for your own words, and one with a printed message. It looks odd on the page, but once you fold it everything lines up.
Fold it in four steps
- Place the printed page in front of you with the upside-down panels at the top.
- Fold the top half backward along the middle so the printed panels are on the outside.
- Fold again from the left to the right, with the cover on the outside.
- Press along each crease with a ruler or the back of a spoon.
Add a personal touch
Write a few lines on the left inside panel in your own handwriting, then sign it. A short, specific memory is more meaningful than a long message. A sticker, a stamp or a small piece of washi tape on the front adds a finishing touch.
Envelopes
A standard A2 envelope (4.375 by 5.75 inches) fits a US Letter card exactly. For the A4 version, an A6 envelope is the right size. If you do not have one, you can cut an envelope from any sheet of paper using a template and glue the flaps.
A card pack to start with
Our Birthday Card Pack has 12 designs for kids, adults and milestone birthdays, with an envelope template and a page of message ideas. You can try two designs first with the free birthday card sample.
You can also browse every free sample on the Free Printables page, or see all digital downloads.
