Notecards: the underdog of the stationery world
/When it comes to paper stationery products, greeting cards seem to get all of the attention. To be fair, it’s not without good reason- they serve a very specific purpose and are the most traditional method of giving greetings for big occasions like birthdays, weddings, babies, thank you’s and whatever other life events someone is celebrating.
I instead want to give some attention to the hard-working, underrated, and more versatile (in my honest opinion) notecard. Everyone does notecards differently, and may have their own idea of what they are. For this post’s sake I’m talking about a flat card, measuring about 5.5” x 4.25” or smaller. They also tend to have an image, name, or short greeting in a corner or an edge, and are paired with an envelope for gifting or mailing.
So simple. No fuss, less muss. No having to pick out the perfectly greeting card that might be too wordy, or lovey-dovey, or just otherwise not fitting the occasion at hand. Now, at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I do need to say that for the big events mentioned above, I tend to use a greeting card. They have a bit more space, things can be folded into them and not have surprises ruined immediately, and they just seem a bit more appropriate for the people you care about the most. With that being said, I do prefer a notecard and probably end up using them more throughout the year.
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of scenarios where I have - or would - use a notecard:
To place in wholesale or online orders
As a host/hostess note, or to pair with a host/hostess gift
To tell someone you love them
For thank you notes
For condolences
For congratulations or celebration
To send a message of friendship, just because
To send any kind of message, just because
Get well or thinking of you
To welcome a new neighbour
As a retirement note
For a recent graduate
Moving away or bon voyage messages
For acknowledging really ridiculous things that would never have a matching greeting card. For example, ‘congrats on not crying during your haircut this time’ or ‘you finally finished a puzzle!’
I know I’ve probably convinced you already, but I’m going to keep going- here’s some bonus reasons why I think the notecard is a superior stationery product:
They are cost-effective
Because of their generally smaller size, using half the amount of paper (remember, nothings folded), and the simplicity in the printing, I as a letterpress printer can produce notecards for much less than a greeting card. This also tends to be the case with other mass-produced stationery, and buying a multi-pack or boxed set tends to have even better cost-efficiency.
Great for casual greetings
Sometimes you want to share with someone that you don’t have a close relationship with- a coworker, boss, the pizza delivery guy, random strangers you meet on the bus, you get the picture. Notecards in this case always seem like a less formal way to go. The person receiving it wouldn’t mistake it for a message of your hidden undying love for them (unless you blatantly spell it out of course).
They can basically work for any occasion
In general I try to keep my stationery products as broad as possible, with the exception of a couple of specific categories such as birthdays, thank you’s, and babies. Other than that I intentionally write notecards that can easily be used for multiple occasions. So, my notecard with the message ‘about f*cking time!’ is great for newly engaged couples, your roommate who has finally washed their dishes, or for the retiree in the office who has had a countdown in the staff room for 5 years.
Easily customized
Whether you’re looking for personal stationery or something for your brand or business, notecards are easily customizable to suit your design preferences, from lame and boring to bold and sassy. Couples using notecards for thank you messages may choose their wedding colours for the ink, a cat lady might opt for a personalized set with her favourite kitty’s paw print, and a small business might want to include their logo to send out branded notes to their VIP customers.
Personal touch
This works for anything you write by hand and give to someone, not just notecards. There is just something so special about receiving a handwritten note in the mail or delivered with a gift that you just don’t get with an email or text message. If it’s a note that was sent as a ‘just because’, even better. There’s never a bad reason to connect with the people you care about the most, even in a small way.
