Birthday
A printable birthday card for him or her that looks like a real card
Updated
A printed card can look cheap or it can look like something from a stationery shop. The difference is mostly paper and one or two printer settings.
This guide covers what to print on, how to set up the printer, how to fold cleanly, and what to write inside for a partner.
Paper: the single biggest difference
- Use card stock of 200 to 300 gsm. Most home inkjet printers take up to about 250 gsm through the rear or single-sheet feed; check your printer's manual.
- Matte or silk finish is easiest. Glossy photo paper shows fingerprints and cracks when folded.
- If your printer will not take thick paper, print on normal paper and glue it onto coloured card. It looks deliberate.
- No good paper at home? Any print shop or photocopy shop can print one sheet on card stock for a small fee. Bring the PDF on your phone.
Printer settings
- Paper size: A4 in most countries, US Letter in the US, Canada and the Philippines. Match the PDF to the paper in the tray.
- Scale: 100% or “actual size”. Turn off “fit to page”, which shrinks the design and moves the fold line.
- Quality: “best” or “high”. Paper type: “matte” or “card stock”, so the printer uses the right amount of ink.
- Print one test page on normal paper first. Fold it to check that the front lands where it should.
Folding cleanly
- Let the ink dry for ten minutes before folding.
- Score the fold first: run the back of a butter knife or an empty pen along a ruler on the fold line. Then fold along the scored line.
- Press the fold flat under a heavy book for a few minutes.
What to write inside, for him or her
A birthday message for a partner works like an anniversary message: one specific thing, said plainly. Some starting points:
Happy birthday to the person who remembers my coffee order and forgets their own keys. I love both parts.
This year you started running, learned to make roti and still had time for me. I cannot wait to see what you do next.
Thank you for being the best part of every ordinary day. Happy birthday.
You are another year older and still the first person I want to tell everything to.
Happy birthday. Dinner is on me, and so is the washing up.
More examples and a simple structure are in the anniversary message guide; the same shape works for birthdays.
A printable card that does a little more
Lockette cards are print-ready PDFs for A4 or US Letter. The front, with your photo on it, must stay flat; the rest folds however you like. When they scan the front with their phone camera, no app needed, the photo comes alive with your message. The card also opens a private gift page behind a question you set about a memory you share.
Every order is checked by a person and ready within 24 hours, so order a day before the birthday.