It's 4pm. Someone in the team mentions that it's Priya's birthday tomorrow. There's no card, half the team works from home, and the one person who usually buys cards is on holiday. Sound familiar?
For years, the answer was a dash to the shop and a card passed from desk to desk, hoping it reached everyone before the big day. A group e-card solves the same problem in a few minutes, and it works whether you sit in the same office or in five different countries.
What a group e-card actually is
A group e-card is one card that a whole group signs online. One person starts it and shares a link. Everyone who opens the link adds their own message, and can add a GIF or a photo. On the day you choose, the card is delivered to the person it's for.
With Card2Print, that looks like this:
- Start the card. Pick the occasion and a cover, and add the person's name. No account is needed.
- Share one link. Paste it into WhatsApp, Slack, Teams or an email.
- Everyone signs. People add a message, a GIF or a photo from their phone or computer, in a minute.
- It arrives on the day. Choose a date and time and we email it to them. They open it with a short animated reveal, then see the whole card.
Why people are switching from paper
Paper cards are lovely. But for a group, they come with problems everyone recognises.
- The card never reaches everyone. Remote colleagues, the night shift and people on leave miss out.
- Space runs out. The last ten people squeeze their names into a corner.
- Someone has to buy it in time. Which is how cards get forgotten in the first place.
- It's easy to lose. A paper card gets read once, then sits in a drawer.
A group e-card fixes each of these. Anyone with the link can sign from anywhere, there's room for everyone (up to 500 messages), and the card is waiting in the recipient's inbox, ready to open again.
"Never miss a card again": how it works in practice
The trick is that you can start the card the moment you remember, even weeks ahead, and schedule it. Here's a simple habit that works for teams, families and friend groups:
- Start the card as soon as you hear about the occasion. A birthday next month, a leaving date, a wedding in spring.
- Set the delivery date straight away. The card goes out on its own, at the time you chose.
- Share the link once. Use the Remind everyone button a few days before, to nudge the people who haven't signed.
Even the last-minute version works: started at 4pm, the team can sign by the evening and the card arrives first thing in the morning.
Tip: if you're the person who always organises the card, start it, schedule it, and hand the link to the group. Your job is done.
Is an e-card as personal as a paper card?
What makes a card personal is what people write, and how many of them write it. A group e-card tends to collect more messages, because signing takes a minute on a phone. People also add things a paper card can't hold: the photo from the team trip, the GIF that's become an in-joke.
And if you'd like something to hold, printing is free during the beta: a print-ready PDF of the whole card in A5 or A4, for a home printer or a print shop. See how to organise a group card for the full walk-through.
When a group e-card works best
- Birthdays at work, where the team is split between home and the office.
- Leaving and retirement, when you want everyone the person worked with to sign. Our leaving card messages can help.
- Weddings and babies, from colleagues, a sports club, or friends who live far apart. See what to write in a wedding card.
- Sympathy, when a group wants to show support gently and without fuss.
- Christmas and New Year, for teams, clients and families.
What it costs
Card2Print is in free beta: starting a card, collecting the messages and delivering it are free, with just your name and email. Print-ready PDFs are free too. Extras such as premium covers and your own photo as the cover are coming soon; at full launch the card stays free and you'll only pay for the extras you choose. There's no subscription and nothing renews.
Ready? Start a group card or see a demo card first.
Questions and answers
Do the people signing need an account?
No. Anyone with the signing link can add a message, a GIF or a photo from their phone or computer, without an account or an app.
Can I schedule an e-card to arrive on a specific day?
Yes. Choose the date and time when you start the card or later in Manage, and it's emailed to the recipient right on time. You can also send it straight away.
How many people can sign one card?
Up to 500 messages per card, so a whole department, a wedding party or a big family can all fit.
Can I print an e-card?
Yes. Open the card and choose Print for a print-ready PDF (A5 or A4, single pages or a folded card, for a home printer or a print shop). It's free during the beta.
