The past two years have created shifts in consumer habits. One of the most significant is the number of gift cards consumers are purchasing. According to a recent retail trends study, printed gift card purchases were up 46% in 2021 compared to the previous year. This statistic showcases the increased demand many of our customers experienced last year.
When it comes to printed gift cards, there are certain criteria that matter most to customers. Here are a few key insights from last year’s Fiserv research:
- 69% of consumers take into account a gift card’s design when making a purchase
- 56% of consumers accompany gift cards with a greeting card
As industry experts who work with customers from a variety of different industries, we know the best practices for creating a gift card that will impact your bottom line. Based on these statistics around the importance of design and accompanying greeting cards, we wanted to highlight a few common questions about gift card printing and design.
1. Does Card Market provide greeting cards that can accompany gift cards?
Yes, we provide gift card carriers that many businesses use for packaging and selling gift cards. A carrier is a card presenter that serves as a greeting card and provides a way for your customers to write a note along with the gift card. People rarely give a gift card by itself, so we recommend that you save your customer the hassle of having to go elsewhere to get packaging for your gift card.
2. What different types of artwork can I use to customize printed gift cards?
There are a variety of ways you can enhance the design elements on your gift cards. We offer customers two specific artwork formats to consider: vector and layered. Vector art is a non-pixel-based piece of art that is fully editable and has no limits on size. Layered art allows you to move, edit, hide, lock, and work with content on one layer without affecting content on other layers. Layered art can be created in Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop.
Does Card Market provide design support that can help me create customization artwork on your cards?
Yes. Our in-house designers work with you to create a custom look that aligns perfectly with your business and branding goals. We also provide gift card design templates on our website. If you’re working with a designer, providing them with these templates will give them the guidelines to set the design up correctly.
3. What is the turnaround time for new artwork and custom designs?
The lead time for a customized design proof is 2-3 business days. New artwork or design updates can typically be turned around in 1-2 business days. This varies in the lead-up to the busy holiday season.
4. What design file types does Card Market work with?
Most customers submit artwork as a high-resolution digital image. We prefer vector art in .EPS, .PDF, or .AI file formats, and we also accept layered .PSD files. High resolution .JPG and .PNG files will work as long as they do not have template lines flattened to the art.
Count on Exceptional Gift Card Design and Printing with Card Market
We realize you might have many questions when it comes to gift card design and printing. For answers to questions related to estimated time and cost around printed gift cards, check out this post. When you’re ready to learn more about Card Market’s services, contact us today to schedule a consultation!