Best Sites for Designing Holiday Cards

If you're like me, you prefer to create customized holiday greeting cards rather than pick up a stack of generic cards from the drugstore. A custom card says so much more about you — whether it's the personalized message, a picture of the kids or simply the ability to choose your own color and design.

There are plenty of sites that offer high-quality custom cards, for mailing, emailing or, in some cases, both. But a few stand out for offering the best combination of selection, quality and price. These are my picks.

Shutterfly and Tiny Prints

Whether you're interested in one of the many photo-centric designs on Shutterfly or one of the beautiful, stylized cards from the extensive selection on its sister site, Tiny Prints, you'll find the same great value proposition. Cards start at less than $2 a pop, and you can have them mailed out for you for an extra $0.55. Of course that way you won't be able to add a personalized message, so you can also choose to have cards sent to you with your return address on the envelopes (an additional $0.24 per) or order return labels ($0.29 per).

Paperless Post

Paperless Post creates a new level of class for e-cards, with its beautiful virtual stationery, elegant envelopes and animated simulation of opening a "real" card. The site offers a wide selection of cards, including designs you can customize with your own photos or logo. There are a few free designs, which you can also send for free to up to 1,000 recipients. Most designs, though, cost a few coins in Paperless Post's virtual currency — coins cost $0.07 to $0.20, depending on how many you buy.

New for this year are PAPER designs, cards that can be sent electronically and in the mail, so you can mix and match based on your friends' preferences. PAPER cards can be customized like the e-cards. A single card is $4, a box of 10 is $16, a box of 20 is $27 and the savings add up as you buy more cards. There is no option for Paperless Post to send your cards directly to recipients.

Pingg

With one of the largest selection of card designs to choose from, you're bound to find something to your taste on Pingg. Card designers include members of the Pingg community and well-known designers, like Martha Stewart. There are plenty of free cards but the recipient has to view an ad before viewing your card and you'll be limited to 250 recipients. Upgrade to pingg Plus for $10 per month and you can send to up to 2,500 recipients ad-free. Pingg also gives you the option of having your cards printed and sent for $2.50 per card plus postage.