Frequently Asked Questions

A: Envicards are a unique virtual card that offers you the ability to create your own card that looks and feels exactly like a traditional card, but without the impact on the environment. You can also edit any card in the card store to suit your needs.

A: We believe that Envicards are a superior product to e-cards. An Envicard replicates the experience of opening a REAL card with a very REAL personal touch, without adversely affecting our Environment. This allows Envicards to create a much more genuine effect when a card is opened – offering all the benefits of a traditional paper card, but without the negative environmental consequences.

A: No. We will NEVER sell or give away your information. We will only use your information for the listed purpose of our website (for more information, see our privacy page).

A: It is extremely difficult to implement a subscription program, and still pay fair commissions to card designers when monthly or annual subscriptions are in use, because cards then effectively have a ‘variable cost’.

A: We do NOT allow third party advertising on our site. This is to maintain the high quality experience that Envicards user’s desire.

A: We encourage all users to avoid printing cards. However, the option to print cards still allows you to choose the type of paper you print on. We recommend printing on recycled paper approved by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Rest assured, most cards purchased through our site are not printed.

A: We are always interested in improving the Envicards experience, and we would love to hear from you! Please use the contact form on the Support page.

A: Yes, but you cannot upload any images until you have an account and are logged in. We recommend starting an account before you make a card, because it allows you to save your card and add images.

A: It depends on many factors. Some cards take less than a minute, and others can take hours. It depends on the designer and intricacy of the card design.

A: You can edit any card in our Card Store by clicking on the ‘Personalize’ text above each card, and then adding your own personal touch to a card before sending it. If you want to Make your own card, but don’t have enough time, try starting the card, saving it, and then opening it again later when you have time again. Having an account provides this flexibility.

A: If you are having a hard time coming up with a card design, try browsing our Card Store for inspiration. You may find the exact card you are looking for. You can also visit our Support Page for additional resources, or click on the ‘Help’ button in our Card Editor.

A: When you start a card, the card layout will appear in the Properties bar. Once you start adding content, the properties bar will change its content to suit any active objects. You can change your Card Layout at ANY TIME by clicking on an empty part of the workspace (or an empty part of the card). The Card Layout box should appear in the Properties toolbar, and you can change the card layout by clicking the layout buttons.

A: There is a tool bar on the left hand side of the card editor. When you Make a Card, you can add text by clicking on the text button, or add a photo by clicking on the ‘Image’ button. There is also a shapes button to add shapes.

A: Unfortunately, you can only use the fonts that are available in the Card Editor in designing your card. If you want your font in your card, you can always use a 3rd party program like Photoshop at home to embed the text into an image and then upload the image. However, bear in mind that when the text is embedded into an image, the text cannot be changed in the card editor. This may be important to prospective buyers of your card if you are going to sell your card in the Card Store.

A: Pictures must be in the form .jpg or .png for use with the Envicards website.

A: Major image types are accepted (.jpg or .png). If you need to convert an image, you can always use a third party program such as Photoshop and ‘Save Image As’ an acceptable format.

A: The maximum size of image permitted is 5 MB. We will down-sample large images to minimize the electronic footprint of your file. There is no limit on the number of images per card.

A: When you add an image, the card editor creates a ‘canvas’. This canvas allows you to upload an image on the canvas, and also to draw on top of that image. When you add an image, you will see a Brush option in the Properties tab. You can use this tool to draw on your card. You don’t even need to upload an image if you don’t want to.

A: There is an ‘advanced’ menu in the Card Editor that can handle advanced features and effects. If you need help, with any aspect of making a card, we recommend you visit our Support page or click on ‘Help’ in the Card Editor.

A: You cannot remove our logo. You can add your own logo and designer name anywhere on your card, but remember to consider flexibility if you are putting your card up for sale in the Card Store.

A: There is a preview button in the card editor that allows you to preview your card. You can still return to the Card Editor after previewing. The preview shows the card exactly as it will appear, but at a smaller size, and with the word ‘Preview’ added to the background. The word ‘Preview’ will not appear on your Envicard after it has been purchased.

A: No. Our business aims to help the Environment.

A: Yes. Once your card is paid for, and has been sent, there is a ‘Print’ option in the top right corner of the card viewer. You can then print your card. To minimize your impact on the Environment, we recommend mixed sources cardstock approved by the Forest Stewardship Council. Of course, it’s even better if you don’t print your card at all, and we encourage sustainable practices that avoid printed copies.

A: We recommend avoiding printing your card wherever possible. If you absolutely must print, please consider using paper approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

A: To print your card, click on the ‘Print’ icon in the top right hand of your sent card. The print layout is actually in jpg format, so you can download it and modify it however you see fit. Note that the print option is not available until the card is sent. If you desire a different layout and format of the printed card than what is displayed, you will need to download the card image, and resize and rotate the image in a third party software program, such as Photoshop, or possibly even Microsoft Word. When performing two-sided printing, it is important to properly align your image with the correct rotation. Please refer to your printer manual regarding printing on card stock. When printing, Envicards recommends paper approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

A: When your card is sent, you will recieve a confirmation email with a link to your card. Simply forward that e-mail to the proper recipient’s e-mail address when the card is sent. You can also access all your sent cards from the My Account tab.

A: No. Unlike our Card Store, we do not actively review cards that are ‘sent’. In fact, since the card designer manages his or her own card content, Envicards does not regulate and control copyright infringement. Cards that are ‘sent’ to a single recipient are unscreened, and passed directly to the participant. Envicards will only become involved if there is a complaint. Note that in posting cards on Facebook, the card and its contents may be viewed in the public domain.

A: Limiting recipients prevents spamming cards. If you would like to send a card to more than 10 people, you can send it to yourself, and forward the e-mail link.

A: If you would like to send a card to more than 10 people, you can send it to yourself, and forward the e-mail link.

A: Envicards uses Paypal for all transactions, and requests that all card designers selling Envicards maintain an up-to-date Paypal e-mail address for processing payments. Paypal accounts are free. Envicards pays commission every quarter. The exact dates for payment processing are listed on our ‘Pricing & Payments’ section under the ‘About Us’ tab.

A: We work with you on a fair partnership basis. We will take care of all of the hard work: marketing, sales, processing, overheads, and delivery of your card. You just design a card, sit back and wait for the sales to roll in. Thousands of people use our card site, and you have an opportunity to sell a great product with very little effort. A 20% commission is much higher than most royalties / commissions, and still enables us to fund the costs required in running our business.

A: We ask that as a “shareholder” in our business that you make a very minor contribution to remain an active part of our business, and support our ongoing business costs. This contribution ensures that you believe your card is worth selling, and reflects your ‘share’ in our business. Besides, if selling a card was free, everyone would put their card in our Card Store, and our Card Store would become a Junk Store! Requesting a small contribution from the card designer helps regulate higher card quality.

A: We believe that the value of a card is the thought invested in having the right card, not an excessive price tag on the back of the card. If your card is the right card, you can expect to make money on selling many copies. We offer ALL of our cards at $1.00 USD to keep pricing competitive, and pricing between cards fair. Good cards sell many times, and can make you some serious money.

A: Our Card Store is a natural market – all prices are regulated at the same level to eliminate price bias, and by default, cards are sorted as a function of sales. This helps prospective buyers find high quality cards quickly.

A: By default, cards are sorted as a function of sales. Cards with more sales will appear near the top of the list by default. This allows potential buyers to find good cards quickly. Cards can also be sorted by Date Created, Card Name.

A: The best way to give a card exposure is to use common ‘keywords’ that people will search for and relate to your card. In addition, our marketing team selects feature ‘top sellers’ every week that are not necessarily based on the number of sales. It is possible that your card will be featured on the main page if it is selected. Many users like to view new card designs, and will arrange cards by the most recently submitted. On this basis, your card will still receive good exposure. You can always purchase your card, or ask your family and friends to purchase your card to bring it forward in the card store default sales rating.

A: No. Our business operates on fair principles. There are no guarantees that the top selling cards will be selected to feature on our front page. Our marketing team chooses cards that they believe will attract sales on behalf of the entire Envicards community.

A: You are welcome to advertise your own card independently of Envicards. In fact, our Share a Card program provides an easy way to share your cards through your website. You might also consider telling your friends and family about your cards.

A: Yes – you can buy your own cards as many times as you’d like. You will still receive your 20% commission on each sale.

A: Our marketing team selects cards that they believe will be top sellers. This does not necessarily mean that a seasonal card will be selected, nor that the card with the most overall sales will be selected. The decision is up to our Marketing team.

A: This is an idea that we may consider in the future – thank-you.

A: Even if your card is completely different, when you build a card using someone else’s original work from the card-store, then the original designer is entitled to a commission, and you can’t sell any variation of their card, no matter how modified it is. If your card is completely different, and you want to sell it, you have to start from scratch, and make a card.

A: A copyright claim may be made against you, and you may be at risk in your own legal jurisdiction. As the card designer, you claim that you own all of your card content. If Envicards learns of a copyright infringement, we will immediately remove your card from our site, and we will not issue a refund or earnings from that card. We will also comply with any legal jurisdictions that apply in providing your information.

A: When you sell a card, you can add your own personal mark on the card – be it an alias, a logo, or something else. It is up to you. Note that we discourage posting any personal information in your cards for your own personal safety. Alternatively, you can use our ‘Share a Card’ program, and share your cards that way.

A: Every time your card makes a sale, the one year timer restarts. Your card will only be removed if it goes an entire year without making a sale. This may change in the future.

A: Text size should be large enough to read in the thumbnail provided in step 2. Remember, people might not want to see a full sized preview of every card, so if you make your text large enough to be seen in the preview, there is a better chance it will be read. Also, keywords are important for making your card searchable to users. Consider describing your card, the people who might buy it, and what type of card it is. Finally, card content is important. No profane language, nudity, sexual references, or otherwise prohibited content is allowed in the card store.

A: Cards are usually rejected due to inappropriate content, also known as ‘prohibited content’. Prohibited content includes: swearing, cursing, profanities, hatred, racism, nudity, sexual references, and other content that is not inclusive. A full listing of prohibited content is shown in our terms and conditions.

A: Please visit the ‘Pricing & Payments’ page for more information (in the ‘About Us’ tab).

A: ALL Envicards are priced fairly. We protect your privacy, and the quality of our business with this simple model. We also provide a fair trade commission to card designers, and are able to act responsibly to protect our environment with this model.

A: By default, Envicards are sorted by number of sales to help buyers find high quality cards. You can change the way cards are sorted in the card store, and sort cards by name, or date created. You can also search for keywords in the card store.

A: Consider trying other card categories in the Card Store that might be related. For example, if you can’t find the right ‘Get Well’ card, consider searching the ‘Encouragement’ category. Envicards allows you to change ANY content in cards, so you can Personalize any card to change a word or picture, and have the card you are looking for. If you still can’t find the right card, you can always Make a Card from scratch!

A: Click on a card to see a larger preview. Alternatively, you can ‘Personalize’ a card to see its content in the Card Editor.

A: YES! Simply ‘Personalize’ the card! You can change the text and pictures however you like – you can even add your own pictures to the card to suit your needs. Our Card Store is designed to offer a ‘starting point’ for your next card. You can build your design from the work of others! Our Card Editor saves all card objects with modifiable properties, giving you complete freedom to change anything you wish! Sometimes, just adding a few words can make a huge difference in making a card your own.

A: You cannot Sell a Card that originated in the Card Store, no matter how much you modify it. You can only sell a card that is your original work. Even if your card is completely different from the original card in the card store, if you are building your card from someone’s original work in the card-store, then the designer is entitled to a commission, and you can’t sell any variation of their card, no matter how modified it is. If your card is completely different, and you want to sell it, you have to start a new card from scratch!

A: There is a ‘Report Abuse’ button in the Support page, and also in your Card Store cards menu (My Account tab > My Card Store Cards). When your card has been copied, use this selection to tell us. We have a timestamp of all cards in our Card Store, and will remove any stolen concepts on your behalf as we learn of infractions. We will resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

A: All Envicards are time-stamped in our store so we can track content ownership. If there is a theft of card content, please ‘Report Abuse’ via our Support page, and we will rectify the infraction.

A: Yes. Once the postcard is open in the Card Editor, click anywhere on the workspace that is empty, and the Card Layout should appear in the properties window. You can then change the card to a different layout (for example, a portrait card in this case).

A: It is common for our e-mails to be filtered as ‘Spam’. Please check your e-mail settings, and check your spam folder. You can adjust your e-mail settings to ensure that Envicards e-mails are sent to your inbox.

A: We use this information for maintaining your account ONLY. We maintain a strict privacy policy: Envicards will NEVER sell or use your information for anything other than the listed purpose of our website (for more information, see our privacy page). If you use a fake name, people may not recognize the cards you send to them, and not even bother to open them.

A: You can log-in to your account to modify your Paypal e-mail address before the next payment cycle.

A: E-mail allows us to communicate effectively, and with minimal environmental impact.. It is common for people to move homes and physical addresses. However, an e-mail address can stay with you whenever you move. E-mail addresses also allow for prompt responses, instead of relying on less efficient communication media.

A: In the reminder e-mail, there is an ‘unsubscribe’ option at the bottom of the e-mail. Click on it and follow the steps. Alternatively, if you log-into your account, you can see your Reminders, and modify them there.

A: When your card is sent, you will be copied on the e-mail. You can forward that e-mail to the person you intended to receive the card.

A: Envicards uses Paypal for all transactions, and requests that all card designers selling Envicards maintain an up-to-date Paypal e-mail address for processing payments. Paypal accounts are free. Envicards pays commission every quarter. The exact dates for payment processing are listed on our ‘Pricing & Payments’ section under the ‘About Us’ tab.