Greeting Card Designers and Writers
Overview

Introduction
Greeting card designers and writers either work as freelancers or as staff members of greeting card and gift manufacturers. Designers use artistic skills to create illustrated or photographic images for cards, posters, mugs, and other items generally sold in card shops and on the Internet; writers compose the expressions, poems, and jokes that accompany the images. There are about 787 greeting card and other publishing businesses in the United States, according to the research group IBISWorld.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries vary widely among freelance greeting card writers and designers. Some card designers and writers sell only a few ideas a year. Others make a great deal of money, working exclusively with a company, or by manufacturing and distributing their own lines of cards and products. Card companies typically pay freelancers fees for each idea they buy. Some manufacturers may offer a royalty payme...
Work Environment
Both writers and designers spend most of their time in an office, whether at home or in a companys space. Much of their work is done on a computer, whether they are designing images or writing copy. However, coming up with the initial ideas may involve a more creative routine. Many artists have certain activities that inspire them, such as listening to music, looking at photography and art book...
Outlook
The U.S. greeting card and other publishing industry was valued at $5.7 billion in May 2024, representing a 4 percent annual drop in revenue since 2019, as reported by IBISWorld. Competition from digital alternatives and free social media interactions has contributed to this decline. This could result in more digital outlets for greeting card writers and designers. Advances in Web technology sh...