To have corporate holiday cards arrive in the first week of December, finish the design and recipient list by early November, approve the proof by mid-November, and mail by December 1. USPS recommends sending First-Class Mail by Thursday, December 17, 2026 for delivery before December 25 in the lower 48 states, but treat that as the last call rather than the plan.
Hanukkah runs December 4 to 12 this year, which USPS itself flags as early. If your list includes clients who celebrate it, those cards need to go out in the last week of November.
When should a business order holiday cards?
Order printed holiday cards four to five weeks before you want them mailed. The press is rarely the slow part. Design sign-off, a recipient list that several people have to approve, and signing and stuffing envelopes are where the weeks go.
| Step | Finish by | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Recipient list and design final | Friday, November 6 | Lists pass through several hands. Addresses arrive last more often than artwork. |
| Proof approved | Friday, November 13 | Every day a proof waits is a day off the mailing window. |
| Cards printed | Friday, November 20 | Standard digital printing is two to three business days. Foil, letterpress or embossing need extra days for the die. |
| Signed, addressed and stuffed | Wednesday, November 25 | Thanksgiving is November 26, and offices empty out that week. |
| Mailed | Tuesday, December 1 | Lands before inboxes and mailrooms flood, and before people travel. |
| USPS last recommended date | Thursday, December 17 | First-Class Mail, for delivery before December 25 in the contiguous US. |
Source for the USPS dates: USPS holiday shipping and mailing dates.
Flat card or folded card?
A folded card is the better choice when people will sign it, because the inside gives them room. A flat card printed on both sides costs less, stuffs faster, and suits a photograph or a single bold design.
| Format | Finished size | Envelope | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folded, standard | 5 x 7 in | A7 (5.25 x 7.25 in) | Cards signed by a team or a partner |
| Folded, small | 4.25 x 5.5 in | A2 (4.375 x 5.75 in) | Long lists and short notes |
| Flat, two sided | 5 x 7 in | A7 (5.25 x 7.25 in) | Photography or one strong design |
| Square | 6 x 6 in or similar | Square envelope | Standing out, at a postage cost (see below) |
| Postcard | Up to 6 x 9 in | None | Large lists where an envelope is not expected |
Why square cards cost more to mail
USPS classes a letter as nonmachinable when its length divided by its height is below 1.3, and a square envelope is 1.0. Every square card therefore pays the nonmachinable surcharge on top of the stamp. The rule is in the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, section 101. On a list of a few hundred it adds up, so decide on purpose rather than discovering it at the post office.
Which paper and finish suit a corporate card?
Choose an uncoated or matte stock if anyone will write on the card. Ink beads and smears on gloss, the same problem we describe in our guide to card stocks and finishes.
- Heavy uncoated stock: takes pen beautifully and feels considered. The safe corporate choice.
- Silk or satin coated stock: for cards built around a photograph. Leave a matte or uncoated inside if it will be signed.
- Foil stamping: gold, silver or copper on a logo or a single word. Needs a die, so add a few days to the schedule.
- Letterpress or blind embossing: a pressed impression you can feel. Quiet, expensive-looking, and also die-based.
- Colored or painted edges: only on thick stock, and only worth it on a short list of important clients.
All of these finishes are covered on our specialty finishes page.
Do we have to sign every card by hand?
No. The common approach is to print the greeting and the company signature, then leave space for a short handwritten line to the clients who matter most. It reads as personal without asking one partner to sign five hundred cards.
Variable data printing goes further: each card can open with the recipient's own name, merged from your spreadsheet, with no extra print time. The same spreadsheet can print the envelope addresses directly, which looks cleaner than labels and saves an afternoon.
Most December delays come from the address list, not the artwork. Send it as a spreadsheet with separate columns for name, company, street, suite, city, state and ZIP. A single column with everything pasted together has to be split by hand before a single envelope can print, and that is a day nobody planned for.
What should a business holiday card say?
Keep it short, warm and free of sales copy. "Happy Holidays", "Season's Greetings" or "Warm wishes for the new year" work for a mixed client list. A specific thank you, such as a project finished together or a first year as a client, is what people remember. Leave out discount codes and sales pitches.
If December is impossible, send a New Year card in the first week of January instead. It arrives when the mailroom is quiet, and nobody reads a New Year card as late.
How many cards should we order?
Count the list, then add about ten percent for spoiled cards, late additions and the people someone forgot. Order more envelopes than cards, around fifteen percent extra, because addressing mistakes happen and a mismatched replacement envelope is obvious.
Short runs print digitally, so a second small batch for late additions is quick. Long runs move to offset, where the price per card drops with volume. If you are near the line between the two, ask for both prices.
Other cards worth printing in the same run
Printing related pieces together keeps the stock and color consistent and puts everything through one proof cycle.
- Thank you cards: a branded set for the rest of the year, for clients, donors and referrers.
- Greeting cards: a neutral folded card with matching envelopes for birthdays, condolences and congratulations.
- Gift certificates: numbered, with optional foil and security features, for businesses that sell them over the holidays.
- Gift cards and carriers: printed plastic or card gift cards with matching sleeves.
- A custom calendar for top clients, which stays on a wall all year. See our custom calendar guide.
Holiday card questions
When is the last day to mail holiday cards in 2026?
USPS recommends mailing First-Class Mail by Thursday, December 17, 2026 for delivery before December 25 within the contiguous United States. For cards that arrive in early December, mail by December 1.
Do square holiday cards cost more to mail?
Yes. USPS treats a letter with a length-to-height ratio below 1.3 as nonmachinable, and a square envelope is 1.0, so each one pays the nonmachinable surcharge in addition to standard postage.
How long does it take to print corporate holiday cards?
Standard digital printing takes two to three business days after the proof is approved, and rush is available. Foil stamping, letterpress and embossing take longer because a die has to be made first.
Can you print each recipient's name inside the card?
Yes. Variable data printing merges names from a spreadsheet so every card is personalized, and the same file can print the envelope addresses.
Can you mail the cards for us?
Yes. Printing, addressing, inserting and the postal drop can be handled as one job, or we deliver the finished cards free anywhere in Manhattan for your team to sign.
See the full range of greeting and holiday card printing, or call with your list size and mail date and we will tell you whether the schedule holds.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.