If even just the thought of sending Christmas cards this year is too much work and bother, then consider this fun, virtually painless, and above all efficient way of getting the job done.

Photo Xmas cards.

They take just minutes to create and whether it’s a photo of the dog, cat, kids or whole family, I guarantee that this year, your card sends the most personal holiday greeting ever.

How do they work?

There are plenty of web sites that offer personalized Christmas cards but my personal faves are Shutterfly.com, TinyPrints.com, and Photoworks.com. I’ve ordered cards from all these sites without issue. Shutterfly has lots of styles with great prices, Tiny Prints has the most modern designs and color palette, and Photoworks has some funky cards you won’t find anywhere else.

The process itself is really simple. Just create a free account with the photo printing service of your choice, upload your photos to the web site. Select a card style, and then drag and drop a photo into the design. Add a personalized message, and that’s it!

In a nutshell, there are two types of photo cards to choose from. The first is where your photo is printed right to the edge and takes up the whole of the front of the card. Sometimes called notecards, these greetings are generally less expensive that other photo cards and are great if you have to send out loads of cards. Usually the inside is blank but depending on the design, you may have the choice to add a holiday message to the outside.

The second type is where your photo appears as part of a seasonal design on the front of the card. You may also be able to customize the outside or inside with a personal message or verse. Flat photo cards are often printed on photographic paper (like a conventional photo) and are the most economical. More expensive folded cards are printed on cardstock, which is nicer for writing on. Make sure you double check the type of paper of the cards you choose so you know what you're getting.

How do you get a good idea for a seasonal photo?

The key to a great Christmas photo card is not necessarily the style of card, but the photo itself. If you have a great photo in mind already, browse various card designs to find a good match. If you don’t have a photo in mind, look at designs first to get ideas for the kind of photo you want to take.

Whichever style you choose, make sure the photo is the highest resolution your camera can take before uploading it to the website. For the best quality output, 1024 x 768 is the minimum recommended resolution.

Here are a few tips to take the best photo for your holiday cards:

• Don’t be too complex in your thinking. The best ideas really are the simple and straightforward ones, and if you go too far overboard your Christmas card might not look as good as you’d like it to.
• Use props such as Santa hats and other simple Christmas decorations. Don’t forget to start experimenting and with lots photos well before Christmas so you have enough time to take the perfect shot.
• Use a photo that isn’t of you or your family. Do you have a constantly unimpressed looking cat or dog that simply isn’t in the festive mood? If you can get a good photo of their bored expression in front of a pile of gifts (or even better, the Christmas tree), that could make a wonderful and very humorous basis for a great Christmas card to send to everyone who knows you.
• Use a creative Christmas message for the front or inside of the card. Forget boring Christmas clichés. Invent a rhyme, or use family joke. Have an eggnog and get those creative juices flowing!

Do the final check before ordering.

As always with a personalized product ordered online, triple check everything before you place an order.

• Are you happy with the photo you have chosen?
• Are there any spelling mistakes in the content you have written to go on the inside the card? On the outside of the card?
• Have you ordered enough cards to send to everyone on your list?
• Are you using regular shipping or express shipping options? Make sure you have enough lead time to mail them in time for Xmas.

A last minute check like this never hurts and ensures that your personalized Christmas cards arrive on time and receive pride of place in the home of all your friends and loved ones.

Leanne Tremblay is a successful internet publisher who was amazed at how easy it was to create coffee table photo books from digital family photos. In no time at all, she was hooked. The result was Photo Printing To Go, an idea portal for transforming digital photos into Christmas photo cards, all-occasion photo greeting cards, photo books, and gifts.