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Monday, December 2nd
Minted operates on a distinctive model where they showcase stationery, art, and gifts crafted by independent artists. It's a creative marketplace where artists gain exposure and earn a living from their work. Since 2008, Minted has been running design challenges, allowing artists to submit their creations for public voting and recognition.
Beautiful designs but the site can be tricky to browse
The designs you encounter on Minted are contemporary and visually appealing. When you dive into Minted's extensive collection of photo cards, you'll discover diverse themes, attributed to the individual artists who designed them. It's not the most intuitive site to browse, though: instead of showing all photo cards in one location, Minted makes you click around a little to land on the type of card you're ordering (like graduation or holiday). Once you get there, you can filter cards by event, format, style, occasion, and theme.
Upload a photo to find designs fast
One really helpful tool on Minted is the "Find It Fast” button. If you already have a photo in mind for your cards, upload it and be taken to a short list of designs that the platform suggests as a good fit. You'll need to be in the category you want already, like Holiday or Graduation, but it can definitely speed up the process if you're trying to design and be done already. We didn't think every suggested design was a winner (like a Christmas tree cutout... that cut off the faces of the two people in the photo) but we were still glad for the shortcut. Just be aware that Minted doesn't assume you only want a photo card, so some of the recommended designs may not feature any.
Free design help with unlimited proofs
Your process with photo card creation at Minted gives you unlimited proofs with an actual designer. Not exactly sure how you want the design elements to come together? Have some ideas for changes? No problem. Just use the Live Chat feature to reach out, and someone on the Minted team will give you a hand - at no cost to you.
Connect your contacts for free addressing
Another perk of buying photo cards here is the free recipient addressing. You'll have to upload your contact list to access it, but that's another solid way to take one more thing off your to-do list.
Understandably expensive
To view the pricing for a specific card, you'll need to click on it and explore the details. Generally, this print shop tends to be a bit pricier, partly due to the fact that you're purchasing from both the artist and Minted. However, this premium reflects the distinctiveness of the designs. The more photo cards you order in one go, the lower the per-card cost. For instance, ordering around 100 cards may set you back about $2.11 per card, but if you increase your order to a few hundred, the per-card price drops to as low as $1.69. Opting for higher-quality paper will also impact the overall cost, and expect a somewhat hefty surcharge of $99 if you want your design to include foil.
Watch for discount offers
When we visited the Minted site recently, we were offered a 20% discount on our first order if we entered our email address. Another pop-up invited us to take a survey and get 15% off, so keep an eye out for any offers that might come up as you browse the site.
Easy-breezy refunds or replacements
In case your purchase doesn't meet your expectations upon arrival, you can return it to Minted for any reason. Just reach out to customer service with your order number, describe the issue, provide a photo as evidence, and indicate whether you prefer a replacement or refund.
Customer feedback is a mixed bag
How likely is it that you'll need to take Minted up on that guarantee? The Better Business Bureau doesn't think it's too likely; or, at least, they're pretty confident that Minted will make things right if there's a problem. After all, the BBB gives this print shop a perfect "A+” rating and accreditation. The feedback in other places was a little more lukewarm, though. On Trustpilot, Minted only averages 3.4 stars out of 5 across nearly 2,000 ratings. Although an impressive third of all reviews there were a perfect five, a surprising 25% gave Minted the lowest possible score. It seems that you're probably going to love it or hate it here. It's worth mentioning that Minted offers a suite of services for wedding planning (as a sister business to their print work, more or less), and some of the complaints came from unhappy brides who had trouble with things like setting up events and RSVPs online.
Give it a look if you like backing indie artists
We really love supporting independent artists, and Minted is one of the only photo card services on our list that makes that so easy (and fun) to do. If you don't mind paying a little (or a lot) more for luxe designs and features, this print shop could be well worth your attention. However, because not every customer seems to be having a seamless experience with Minted's service, we can't quite put it at the top of our list.
Photo cards have been a timeless way to capture and share moments of significance in people's lives. While they were once primarily associated with graduation and wedding announcements, photo cards have evolved over the years to become a versatile and popular tool for personal expression, celebration, and communication. In this era of digital-everything, photo cards offer a somewhat nostalgic, tangible and heartfelt way to convey emotions and commemorate special occasions.
And in recent years, photo cards have seen a surge in popularity. In this visual age, where swift info consumption is key, photo cards shine. Visual stories are mightier than just words, and appeal to our quick-paced lives. These cards crystallize moments, capturing feelings for both the sender and the receiver.
As proof, you can look no further than social media. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and the rest have blossomed because of pictures. People sculpt their online selves, turning stories into visual timelines. Photo cards extend this digital tale into the tangible realm, offering a physical side to the online identity. They let people share treasured moments beyond the fleeting nature of digital posts.
Naturally, you may be looking at photo cards exactly for those two typical occasions: weddings and graduations. There's no shame in that game. People love receiving pictures of the happy couple or the accomplished graduate, especially if it's someone they don't get to see in real life as often as they'd like. But, there are plenty of other occasions where a photo card could lend just the right touch.
For example, custom holiday photo cards have become a beloved tradition, allowing families to share their joy and highlight memorable moments from the year. New parents often choose photo cards to introduce their newborns to family and friends, adding a personal touch to the announcement. The same goes for birthday invitations and thank-you cards (and those might be the perfect follow-up to those wedding invitations and graduation announcements).
Aspiring creatives can also make great use of photo cards. They're a terrific way to share art prints, inspirational quotes, or as a platform for showcasing photography.
If you're on board with the notion that photo cards are a great way to share your holiday or special occasion, do you know where to buy them? There are many online stores that cater to photo card production - but they vary widely in cost and quality.
When selecting a platform to create photo cards, here are some criteria that can help you get the best product and experience:
Photo cards continue to be a beloved means of commemorating life's milestones and expressing creativity, so the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched and ranked today's most popular platforms. We're confident that this information will help you get photo cards that exceed your expectations and deliver a meaningful way to share your cherished moments with others.
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