How to Create & Sell Photo Greeting Cards

Select the photos to use on your greeting cards. If you need to take photos for a series of themed cards, such as puppy greeting cards, organize a photo shoot and take plenty of photos so that you can choose from a variety of images.

Choose a graphic design program like Photoshop. If you don't have a copy of this program, consider using the freeware program GIMP. It is important to use a program that you know or are willing to learn. If you are unfamiliar with either of these programs, take time to review instructions on how to use the program to get a sense of its capabilities

Open Photoshop or another graphics program. Select ̶0;File̶1; and click ̶0;New.̶1; In the dialog that opens, change the increments to inches and enter the size of the card. Make the resolution 300 and click ̶0;OK.̶1;

Select ̶0;File̶1; then ̶0;Open.̶1; Open a photograph you have saved on your computer. Next, click ̶0;Edit̶1; and choose ̶0;Copy.̶1; Go back to the main document, select ̶0;Edit̶1; and click ̶0;Paste.̶1; This will place your photo on a layer within the layers panel. Add multiple photos for a montage design. As you add graphics or text to your card's design, create a new layer for each element.

Improve your photos by making changes to your images, such as adjusting the ̶0;Hue/Saturation̶1; or the ̶0;Brightness/Contrast.̶1; You can apply ̶0;Gradients̶1; to text or images by selecting the ̶0;Gradient̶1; tool from the toolbar. Click on the ̶0;FX̶1; icon to choose from a number of other options available.

Upload your cards to websites that allow you to open your own shop and sell your cards through their site. Cards sold through sites like CafePress or Zazzle allow you to make a profit without carrying any overhead.

Sell your cards in shops or stores in your area by speaking to their purchasing agents. If storeowners don't want to purchase the cards from you, inquire about placing a display of your cards in the store and selling the cards on consignment.

Start your own website to sell your cards. You can set up an account with a company like PayPal to process purchases. List your site with search engines such as Google and Yahoo and seek ways to advertise online to get your product in front of potential customers. When possible, promote your website and cards at special events like crafts fairs.