Design your own sympathy card: what should you pay attention to?
Anyone wanting to design their own condolence card chooses a card that truly fits the person instead of a standard template from the funeral director. Focus on three things in particular: the text must be accurate and personal, the design must remain calm and legible, and the format must fit the envelope and the printer you ultimately use.
A condolence card doesn't have to be complicated. Most people choose a single front and back page with a photo, a name with birth and death date, a short text or poem, and the details of the farewell ceremony. The pitfall usually isn't in the design, but in the timing: many people want to do this beforehand, so that loved ones don't have to think about it during an emotional period.
Why designing ahead brings peace of mind
Making a condolence card while you've just lost someone is difficult for many people. You have to write a text in a few days that does justice to an entire life, while also deciding on color, font and photo. More and more people are therefore choosing to make these kinds of decisions while they're still living, together with other funeral wishes such as music, an address list or the choice of a funeral director. Those who want to record this clearly can do so via record your funeral wishes in advance, so everything is in one place when it's needed.
The advantage of designing ahead is that you can set the tone yourself. Do you want a subdued card in black and white, or a colorful design that fits how someone lived? By doing this now, loved ones only need to fill in the date and address of the ceremony.
Text: short, personal and concrete
The text on a condolence card doesn't have to be long. A single sentence that says something about who someone was, followed by the practical details, often works better than a long poem that no one really reads in the rush of those days. Think of a saying the deceased often used, a small anecdote in one sentence, or simply a warm, simple closing. Avoid clichés if they don't fit the person; a card feels most genuine when the text matches how someone actually spoke.
Design: calm over clutter
Choose a font that is easy to read, even for older eyes, and don't use more than two fonts on one card. A photo in the middle or to the side often works better than a collage of multiple photos, because a single photo gives more calm. Keep the colors limited: one main color and possibly one accent color is usually enough. Always test the design in print, because colors and contrast look different on screen than on paper.
Prepare your design for later
Once you've designed your own condolence card, you don't want the file to be lost years later or only sitting on an old laptop. By uploading the design to a place where it's kept encrypted, you can be sure it will be findable when it's needed. This could be via keep your documents encrypted, where you can store not only the condolence card design but also other important files, such as an address list or a policy.
It's wise to keep not only the final design, but also the source document, so that a text or photo can be adjusted later if circumstances require. Also add a brief note about where the file should be printed and in what format, so that a loved one or trusted buddy doesn't have to search.
Combine with a personal message
Some people choose to leave a short message alongside the condolence card for whoever will send the card out, explaining the choices made in it. This could be via a message that is delivered at the right time, so the intention behind the design is not lost. This way, the person sending the card not only knows what needs to be printed, but also why it's set up this way.
To learn more about how these kinds of preparations work exactly, you can take a look at how the platform works in steps. There you'll find an explanation of how messages, documents and designs are saved and when they're released.
Start planning for free
You don't have to complete everything at once. Start for free with Bruidswarenhuis, design your funeral card at your own pace and keep it safely ready alongside your other funeral wishes, so your loved ones later only need to send what you've already prepared.