Every year the same thing happens. Someone decides in the first week of December to send photo magnets instead of cards, and by then every printer worth using is booked.
Here is the calendar, working backward.
The deadlines
| What you're ordering | Order by |
|---|---|
| Bulk card-list quantities (100+) | First week of November |
| Gift sets (10–40 magnets) | December 1 |
| Small sets (5–10) | December 8 |
| Rush production | Ask before ordering — it sells out first |
Bulk needs the most lead time and gets requested the latest, which is why our December queue closes in mid-November and we stop accepting new holiday bulk orders when it does.
Replacing your card list
If you are sending magnets instead of cards, count households, not people. A 120-household card list is the 200-pack with spares, or the 100-pack if your list is tighter than you think it is.
Cost comparison worth running: a decent printed photo card runs $2 to $4 each once you include cardstock and envelopes. Our 100-pack is $3.75 each. Comparable money, and the magnet is still on their fridge next December.
That last part is either charming or slightly haunting depending on which photo you pick. Choose accordingly.
Postage
Magnets are thicker and more rigid than a card, so they usually mail as a non-machinable letter — a surcharge per piece. Weigh one finished piece at the post office before buying 120 stamps. We tell you the exact finished weight when we send your proof.
What to put on it
The family photo, your last name, and the year. That is it. Anything longer than about eight words will not read at two inches, and the year is what makes it collectible — families who receive one every December end up with a row.
Gift sets, not just cards
The 10 and 20 sets are the gifting sizes. A year of photos for grandparents. A set for each adult child. Ten shots of the dog in a Santa hat, which is a real order we receive every year and which has never once disappointed anyone.
Beyond December
Everything above applies to Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Eid, Diwali, and Hanukkah. Any occasion that produces a photo of people in the same room works. The deadlines just shift.