LookLoveSend Blog

Is it odd that I should find myself thinking about the holidays in the middle of summer? I find thoughts about the upcoming season seep in during weekend getaways or when I’m at the beach. Something about having a little extra time and getting outside my everyday environment gets the day-dreaming going, aided by magazines with way too much eye candy for my home and wardrobe. I deal with this by relegating all the things I would like to put in my house or on my kids onto my imaginary Christmas list.

I also think taking so many terrific photos of my family during the summer has something to do with it. Occasionally I’m even pleased enough by a photo of all of us to consider using it in our personalized holiday cards. But one challenge always seems to be how these vividly colored summertime photos feel out of place later in the year when viewed in the light of…well, gray and cold.

Color Options in Personalized Holiday Cards

Color is, as always, the key. With seaside pictures in shades of blue and gold, lake pictures of deep green and blackish blue, and kids dressed in the sherbert colors of summer, how can I use these wonderful photographic memories in seasonal holiday card designs?

Snow Beads by Sneha Sheth	Christmas Fonts Frame by Lauren Poole	Single Snowflake by Linda Facci
Using a Black-and-White photo	Evolving holiday colors	Photo-less (or tucked inside)

Black and White Photos

For starters, black and white photos are a clever way to turn a seasonal picture into a timeless one. The contrast of black and white works so well with any card design, but especially when put against the rich reds and greens typically associated with holiday and Christmas cards. As we’ve noted before, black and white tends to draw attention to faces and expressions and works beautifully for personalized holiday cards.

Evolving Color Choices

Second, colors in today’s photo holiday cards have evolved way beyond red and green, or the more neutral holiday silver, gold and blue. Earth tones like brown, or multiple shades of greens, reds give way to magenta, these are all great options that breathe new life into the traditional red and green Christmas card of yesteryear.

Photo-less Card Designs

You can still include a favorite photo without incorporating it into the holiday card design. There is no rule that says your personalized holiday cards have to have a photo of your family. In fact, some of the most striking designs come without a photo, giving you the option to include it inside the card or not. Going this route also lets you control who gets which photo, which may be especially helpful if you make holiday cards for different groups of people on your list.

You’ll find a huge selection of holiday cards you can personalize with or without a photo at www.looklovesend.com. Our cards print on premium weight card stock on your choice of a matte or photo-gloss finish. Choose a flat card or folded card to print additional photos or include more text. Coordinating envelopes can be pre-addressed for an additional charge.