It’s understood that the first Christmas card printing was created and sent on behalf of Sir Henry Cole. The first Christmas card printed was done so by a man named John Horsley, an English artist and illustrator. The purpose of the first Christmas card was to wish business
The first Christmas card was created and sent in 1843. A man named John Calcott Horsley printed the first Christmas card for Sir Henry Cole, the friend who had given him the idea.
Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy British businessman, wanted a card he could proudly send to friends and professional acquaintances to wish them a “Merry Christmas.” With that in mind the very first Christmas cards were printed for B2B purposes and not the more commonly recent use of personalised Christmas card printing.
The very first commercially sold Christmas card design depicted a typical English family enjoying the holiday, and people performing acts of charity. An important part of Victorian Christmas spirit. One thousand copies of the Christmas card were printed and sold for one shilling each. This is reportedly the first Christmas card to be produced and sold to the public.
Why were Robins traditionally included on Christmas Card Designs?
There are quite a number of theories around the usage of robins on Christmas card designs. The first and probably most likely is that Robins are one of the non-migratory birds and thus are a common sight during the winter months. This has then translated across all manner of printed items including wrapping paper and of course Christmas Cards.
The second theory falls around the tradition of sending Christmas cards, where postmen who wore bright red uniforms were often referred to as Robin’s or Redbreasts in Victorian times. This is often alluded to in old style Christmas Card designs where a postman or postbox is included within the design. This trend has continued to this very day.
Marcus Ward & Co – Christmas Cards & Calendar Printing
Of all the places in the world with heritage around Christmas Card printing, Belfast was the location of one of the largest publishing companies known for its greeting cards and calendar printing. Marcus Ward and Co, located within Belfast City Centre started in 1802 as a paper mill. In 1833 the company changed direction and focused on stationery and general publishing.
In the 1860s Marcus Ward & Co began mass-producing calendars and greeting cards. Initially they printed cards for other publishers such as Goodall and Charles Bennett. By the late 1860s they began printing greeting cards under their own name. Towards the tail end of the century in line with the development and distribution of Christmas cards this became a very successful area of business development for the company. Marcus Ward and Co also became the first stationer to print the company name on the front side of their greeting cards.
Titanic Hotel, Belfast Christmas Card
With Belfast being heaped in the tradition of greetings and Christmas card printing, we’re delighted to continue to support this tradition in current and future years. This year we’ve already printed cards for many business and personal projects. One of our favourite is the new 2020 Titanic Hotel Christmas card. Beautiful illustrations of the hotel paired with subtle typography and printed on a beautiful uncoated card stock, these Christmas cards are the perfect blend of quality and cost effectiveness.
Where to order Christmas Card Printing in Belfast
We at Kaizen Print fully believe that as a company we are one of Belfasts’ leading digital printing companies. One of our most popular seasonal products is Christmas Card Printing. We offer a wide range of affordable, high quality cards printed on the highest grade of FSC compliant card stocks available. We do offer a range of designs to tailor to your need or we are happy to create a bespoke design based upon the requirements of your organisation.
To order your Christmas cards please visit our Christmas Card page or get in touch with our client services team via the contact form or on 028 9002 2474. We’re delighted to assist in anyway we can.
