Personalised card guide: templates, sizes and design tips

Make a birthday card, thank-you note, invitation or everyday greeting with your own photos and words. This guide explains the sizes, templates and design choices for Picsme personalised cards, with practical ideas for making each one your own.

Create your personalised card

Picsme cards are printed in the UK on 260gsm card, with a silk-coated outside and a writable inside. Every card includes a white envelope. Use a photograph, your own illustration or a design built from text and decorative elements.

Which size should you choose?

Size	When it can work well
A6	A compact greeting, thank-you card or invitation.
A5	More space for a photograph and a personal message.
A4	A larger card for group signatures or a more prominent design.
Square, 135 × 135mm	A balanced format for square images, invitations and simple graphic layouts.

Consider how the photograph will fit the front and how much writing space you need inside. A larger card gives you more room, but it also makes a small image's limitations more visible.

Four pages, one folded card

The four-page format means the front, inside left, inside right and back. It is a folded card, rather than four separate sheets.

Front: choose the main photograph or artwork and any short greeting.
Inside left: leave space, add a supporting image or include extra wording where the layout allows.
Inside right: place your main message, invitation details or handwritten greeting.
Back: check the finishing details and any text or design you have included.

The writable inside is useful when you want to sign the card or add a note by hand. Leave enough clear space in the design for this.

Choose from 200+ card templates or start from blank

The editor offers more than 200 starting designs for A6, A5, A4 and 135 × 135mm square cards. Choose your size and quantity on the personalised cards page, then select Customise your Card to browse the templates.

Use an occasion category to narrow the choice, or choose the blank starting option to build your own. A template gives you a starting arrangement of photos, text and decoration. Replace the example names and wording, add your images and check every page for placeholders before ordering.

Card ideas for different occasions

The template browser includes birthday, children's party invitation, thank-you, wedding, new baby, graduation, seasonal, sympathy and everyday categories. Choose the message first, then a layout that gives it enough space.

Birthdays and children's party invitations

For a birthday greeting, combine a favourite photo with the person's name, an age if wanted, and a short line such as “Happy Birthday, Emma”. A single strong photograph makes the front easy to read; a few shared memories can work as a collage.

For a party invitation, put the child's name and occasion on the front. Keep the date, start and finish times, venue and RSVP details together inside. Check that the lettering remains readable at the chosen card size.

Thank-you cards and everyday messages

Use a photo from the event or a simple illustration, with a short thank-you on the front. Print the same general message inside for several recipients, then leave room to handwrite individual names and a personal sentence.

Everyday themes also suit a note to a friend or a greeting sent just because. If the message matters more than the photograph, start with a text-led design and a quiet background.

Wedding invitations, save-the-dates and wedding thank-yous

These have separate template categories. A save-the-date can focus on your names and wedding date; an invitation needs the time, venue and reply details too. For thank-yous, use a wedding photograph and leave space for a personal message. Keep colours and fonts consistent if you are creating matching cards.

Birth announcements, baby showers and graduations

For a birth announcement, feature one clear baby photo and the details you want to share, such as the name and date. Keep decorative elements away from the face. Baby shower invitations need the event date, time, location and RSVP information.

A graduation card can pair a portrait with the graduate's name, achievement and a short congratulations message. Check names and dates carefully, especially if you are ordering copies for family.

Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day and holidays

Use a shared memory or a photo of the family, with wording that sounds like you. Add a printed message inside, or leave it clear for handwriting. For Christmas and other seasonal greetings, browse the holiday themes and use backgrounds or clipart to carry the occasion without crowding the photograph.

Sympathy and other personal occasions

For a sympathy card, a restrained background and a sincere message can be more appropriate than lots of decoration. Check the wording with care.

You can also make an anniversary, new-home or congratulations card from a blank design or an adaptable everyday template. These are design ideas; they do not depend on a dedicated template category being available.

How to personalise your card in the editor

The editor includes Photo, Text, Layout, Background, Border, Clipart, Style and Filter tools. Start with the main photo and wording, then add decoration. Use the page selector to check the front, both inside pages and the back as you work.

Text: names, greetings and printed messages

Select a text box to edit its wording. The text controls include font, font size, bold, italic, underline, colour, alignment and letter spacing. Use a larger size for the main greeting and a simpler, readable style for longer messages or invitation details.

Keep the front greeting short enough to read at a glance.
Use strong contrast: dark text on a pale area, or light text on a dark area.
Avoid placing small lettering over faces or a busy photograph.
Use one or two fonts consistently instead of giving each line a different style.
Leave a clear area inside if you want to write or sign the card by hand.

Photos, illustrations and your own artwork

Use the Photo tool to upload your images. JPG and PNG are useful starting formats; use an original, high-quality file rather than a screenshot or a small image copied from a message. You can use your own illustration or finished artwork as an image too.

Place the image in a photo box and check how it fills that space. A wide group photo may lose people at the sides when placed in a tall box. Choose a better-fitting layout or adjust the image placement, then check the crop again. Keep faces, lettering and important details away from the outer edges and fold.

A larger card or a tightly cropped photo needs more image detail. Zoom in to inspect the source before uploading, and review any quality warnings shown by the editor. Enlarging a blurred image or applying a filter will not restore missing detail.

If you upload artwork that already contains lettering, that lettering is part of the image. Edit the original artwork to change it, or use separate text boxes in the card editor when you want to adjust names and messages easily.

Layout: where photos and text sit

Use Layout to explore arrangements, or add empty photo and text boxes to build your own. The editor also provides a Rearrange layout control. Choose the number of images first so every photo has enough space.

One-photo front: let the image lead, with a short greeting above, below or on a clear part of the picture.
Photo collage: choose a small set of related images, use consistent spacing and avoid cropping every picture too tightly.
Text-led invitation: give the event details a clear reading order, with decoration around them.
Illustrated card: use your artwork as the main element and position the greeting where it remains readable.

Leave breathing room around the edges, between boxes and near the fold. Do not stretch an image out of proportion to fill a space. Check each side separately, including any decoration or text on the back.

Backgrounds: colour, pattern and contrast

The Background tool includes options such as classic, modern, baby, polka dots and lines, gradients and seasonal designs. Choose a background that supports the photograph and message. A patterned background can work well around a simple photo, while a busy collage usually benefits from a quieter backdrop.

Pick a small colour palette from the photograph or occasion and repeat it across the card. Check text against the actual area behind it, especially where a pattern changes from light to dark. Leave a pale, uncluttered space for handwriting inside.

Clipart: finishing touches with a purpose

Clipart categories include shapes, dividers, frames, monograms, wedding elements, thank-you text and seasonal decorations. Use a small number of relevant elements to underline the occasion, frame a message or separate information.

Keep decoration away from faces and essential text. One divider or small motif can be enough. If you use decorative words supplied as clipart, check that their wording is suitable; add a text box for a name or message you need to type yourself.

Borders: framing photographs

Select the photo element you want to frame, then explore the Border tool. It includes border choices and a size control; colour controls depend on the selected border. Keep border widths consistent across a collage and check that the frame does not cover an important part of the image.

A subtle border can separate a photograph from a similar-coloured background. Leave space between the framed photo and the edge of the card, and check the result at the finished size before ordering.

Filters and styles: keep the result consistent

The Filter tool works with a selected photo. Add your image first, then explore the effects available for it. The editor also has a Style tool for the selected element. Available controls depend on what you have selected.

Use effects lightly so skin tones and important details still look natural. For a collage, compare the pictures together and aim for a consistent look. A filter cannot fix a blurred or low-resolution original, so change the source photo if its quality is the problem.

Three simple designs to try

A personal birthday card: start with a birthday template, replace the main photo, add the recipient's name on the front and leave space inside for a handwritten message.
A party invitation: choose a party theme, use one photo or a small decorative motif, then place the date, time, venue and RSVP details together in a clear text area.
A set of thank-you cards: use one event photo and a printed thank-you message, order copies of the same design and add individual notes by hand after delivery.

Can you order one card or several copies?

You can order a single card. For several copies of the same design, choose your quantity on the product page before opening the editor. Select 10+ to enter a larger quantity. Check the quantity and total again in your basket before paying.

For invitations and thank-you cards, one finished design can be used for multiple copies. If each card needs different printed names, photos or wording, create those as separate designs. Handwriting individual names after delivery can be useful when the printed design is the same.

How to create and check your card

Choose your card size and quantity, then select Customise your Card.
Browse an occasion category, choose a template or start from blank.
Add your photos or artwork and replace the sample wording.
Review the front, both inside pages and the back. Check crops, spelling and space for handwriting.
Check your basket quantity, delivery address and order total before paying.

Current card prices

Size / option	Current price from
A6	£1.49
Square (135 x 135 mm)	£1.49
A4	£1.99
A5	£1.99

Prices shown are per card and include a white envelope. Delivery is separate unless your order qualifies for free delivery. Any eligible discount is confirmed at checkout.

Each card includes its white envelope. The cost of having your order delivered is separate unless it qualifies for free delivery. Supplying an envelope does not include postage for sending the card on to someone else.

Final card checklist

Confirm the size and orientation.
Check the front, both inside pages and the back.
Replace all sample names, dates, wording and photo placeholders.
Check image quality, crops, text contrast and spacing near the edges and fold.
Proofread names, event details and messages.
Leave room for handwriting if you want to add a personal note.
Confirm the quantity, delivery address and final order total.