The Ultimate Greeting Card Suppliers List

Behind every great industry, there are hardworking and reliable suppliers keeping them going. If you want to create a success story in this sector, you need to know the ultimate greeting card suppliers. They provide the paper and card, the printing services, the labelling knowhow, the envelopes, cello bags and more.

I have put together a list of the ultimate greeting card suppliers in the UK to help you out. These are the companies that help me run Afrotouch Design, and the list is something I have refined through the years. Over time, you work out which greeting card suppliers are the best fit for your business, but these are the companies that I trust to keep my operation running as smoothly as possible.

Greeting Card Suppliers - Paper and Card Suppliers

The company from which you source your paper and card is one of the most important greeting card suppliers. Paper and card form the basis of everything you do, so striking the right relationship is a major priority.

I use G.F. Smith for my paper and card, a company that traces its history back to 1885. It remains at the forefront of paper technology, as well as accommodating small businesses by providing relatively small minimum orders. G.F. Smith also supplies envelopes in the same stock as its digital printing-ready card and paper.

The firm, based between London and Hull, is one of the most well known and popular greeting card suppliers when it comes to paper and card.

Digital Printing

There are a number of options for digital printing services for the greeting card industry. DifferPrint is a celebrated black-owned business who provide design and printing to the greeting card industry among other sectors. They are based in South London and clients range from start-ups to large-scale businesses.

Other digital printing suppliers that I use for my business include The Imaging Centre, which specialises in carrying out on-demand printing jobs for the greeting card industry, and Printed.com, which offers a creative hub where designers can use a simple tool to bring their greeting card visions to life. 

Stickers and Labelling

Every business in the arena needs greeting card suppliers to provide stickers and labelling for their products. Whether it is for displaying the price, your company logo and contact details or to let customers know what message they will find in the card. I have discovered a few businesses worth looking at for your greeting card business.

Printed.com offers four different shapes, with foiling possible and a turnaround time of just two days for their stickers and labels. The good news for fledgling companies is that there is no minimum order as well. WePrint Avery provides more shape options, but there is a minimum order of 80. However, the company’s bulk discounts are very attractive, which will suit greeting card businesses that are starting to take off. Pixartprinting is another well recommended sticker supplier for greeting card companies.

Envelope Suppliers

When looking for envelopes from greeting card suppliers in the UK, you have a couple of great options. All Colour Envelopes is based in East Sussex and provides traditional envelopes in an array of shades, as well as more premium and intricate products. You can also request free samples to ensure they are suitable for your requirements.

An alternative is Yorkshire firm Enveco, which promises the lowest market price for its envelopes, as well as 100% customer satisfaction. You can consult the firm’s specialists for all matters to do with customising their range for your needs too.

Cello Bags

Cello bags are an essential part of greeting card business. They protect the beautiful and vibrant cards until the sender opens them up to write their message. Eco-Kraft provides compostable bags for holding greeting cards, which are made from vegetable starch. This means there is no plastic waste, which is something that your customers no doubt will care about increasingly as we learn more about the effect that is having on the world.

For those on a tighter budget, Amazon is awash with cello bag suppliers. However, what you save in financial layout, you pay for in the fact that they are not as environmentally friendly as the Eco-Kraft versions.

And Finally…

If you are starting out and can’t afford to outsource your printing just yet and you’re looking for a home printer to produce your greeting cards, I would recommend the Canon MG7750 or a newer equivalent. This is what I used when I first started, it doesn’t tend to feed paper greater than 300GSM but it’s a good solid printer nonetheless.

I am always on the lookout for black-owned supplier – so if you’re a black-owned supplier to the greeting card industry or you know a great supplier please leave a comment below and I’d love to check them out.