How to Make a Digital Greeting Card for Free

DW Bender created this digital greeting card.

We like to send greeting cards to our friends and loved ones to acknowledge special events like birthdays or celebrate holidays. Digital versions of these delights can consist of small files or graphics that are e-mailed to recipients, saving money and time.

Instructions

1. Start with a word processor. Most allow for the insertion of images. Add formatted and colorful text as a greeting, and then e-mail the document to the recipient. This only works, however, if the recipient can open the file. If sender and recipient both have the Windows operating system, use Microsoft WordPad to create and view the card.

2. Use an art program like Microsoft Paint, also a part of Windows. Most image applications let you freely mix text and pictures and allow unlimited transformations of both components with special filters like shadows or blurs. One advantage of using art software is that you can save the result as a JPEG file and can be opened on any operating system with a Web browser.

3. Try an online card site like BlueMountain.com. While most of the cards cost a small fee, they have a wide selection of freebies. Many of its cards feature sound, images and animation. Free cards have limited available features.

4. Download, install and run a digital card program, like CardEL, which is available from the link under Resources. You can choose from more 100 pre-assembled cards that allow you to add a personal message. You can also create a custom card by loading a GIF or JPEG image. You can then send your creation through the software's built-in e-mail function. The recipient receives a message that combines the static picture and your formatted message, along with a couple of clickable banner ads that finance the application.

References

• Inserting pictures in WordPad
• Microsoft Paint overview

Resources

• CardEl