Sharing the Aloha Spirit with Custom Engraved Hawaiian Christmas Cards

The holiday season is a time to share warmth, love, and joy with all your family and friends. Why not send your loved ones a taste of the tropical islands with custom engraved Hawaiian Christmas cards? At Hyegraph Invitations & Calligraphy, our experienced designers can help you create a truly one-of-a-kind design to perfectly suit your personality and taste. A memorable experience can be shared with both the sender and recipient when you juxtapose the elegance of fine engraving with the vibrant and laid-back charm of Hawaii.

What is engraving?

Engraving is one of the oldest and most luxurious types of print methods that we offer. It creates finely detailed lettering and designs, and leaves a slight bruising on the reverse side of the paper – a telltale sign that the piece was engraved. After creating a custom design, the reverse image is reproduced onto a film negative, and then placed on a copper plate. Light passes through the film and exposes the image to the surface of the plate. Then, the plate is stamped into your paper of choice, resulting in a beautifully saturated and delicately raised imprint. You can read more about how Crane approaches their engraving process here.

Why choose engraving by Crane at Hyegraph Invitations?

Engraving creates a raised and crisp impression, giving any design a sense of prestige. Utilizing Crane’s storied history of experience with engraving, the finished product leaves a lasting impression of timeless elegance. K & F are past wedding invitation clients of ours, and we were so thrilled when they reached out to create special Hawaiian-themed Christmas cards to mail out to their closest friends and family. We created a one-of-a-kind tropical garland design, featuring palm leaves, monstera, sand dollars, sea shells, and hibiscus flowers. With a gold-trimmed red ribbon bow intertwined through all the Hawaiian elements, the result was a stunning frame to surround their Christmas message and family photograph. Our well-established partnership with Crane allowed us to have their custom design engraved in Scarlet Red, Hunter Green, and Medium Gold. Finally, one last run of Blind Embossing was added to the garland and their message “Mele Kalikimaka” to make it stand out even more on the thick card.

“Mele Kalikimaka” – Merry Christmas in Hawaiian

K & F made a free appointment to visit with us, and brought in a beautiful family photo that they took together during one of their many vacations to Hawaii. Choosing to make the photo the focal point, we collaborated together to choose their tropical island motifs to create a custom holiday garland frame. Their wallet sized photos were adhered to the card, surrounded by a simple and elegant gold engraved border with a sea shell at the bottom center. For the messaging, they knew from the start that they wanted it to say “Mele Kalikimaka”, both for the Hawaiian touch and also in reference to the classic Christmas song. Drawing inspiration from one of Crane’s existing boxed holiday cards, we chose an elegant red cursive font and hand drew in some gold shading for an extra dimension to the lettering.

Tips for Ordering Engraved Christmas Cards

• Choose a Reputable Printer: Since 1987, we have been working with clients in the San Francisco Bay Area for all kinds of custom stationery. Our experienced designers understand the different papers and printing methods, and have developed amazing partnerships with print houses such as Crane. We also offer free design consultations to ensure that your vision is brought to life the way you intend.
• Timing: Order early! Engraving is one of the oldest printing techniques, and it takes highly-skilled artisans to create the dies and operate the printing presses. On average, it can take anywhere from 4-12 weeks for an order to be completed. This process is not one that can be easily rushed, so definitely start early so that you can give the special project the time and attention it deserves.
• Add Personal Touches: From custom messages, family names or photos, and even a personal handwritten note – don’t forget to make it truly yours. We have semi-custom engraved Christmas designs by Crane, but as you can see, we can also create truly custom and one-of-a-kind designs, just for you.
• Presentation: While the card is the focal point, the envelopes are not something that are to be overlooked. Add an envelope liner to pull in the entire design, and have your return address engraved on the back flap to save time and achieve a cohesive aesthetic. Hyegraph offers Digital Calligraphy (machine-printed) Envelope Addressing that is both fast and affordable. K & F knew that they wanted custom hand calligraphy, and hired the very talented Michele Papineau for their Christmas card addressing. They worked with her previously on their wedding invitations, and had a great experience!

Engraved Hawaiian Christmas Cards Photo Gallery

It was such an incredible experience working with both K & F for their very special engraved Hawaiian Christmas cards! The result was absolutely stunning, featuring: scarlet red, hunter green, and gold engraving; blind embossing; gold foil gilded beveled edges; gold micro stripe envelope liner; all on premium weight Crane’s 100% cotton ecru kid finish. We are so excited for their loved ones to begin receiving these works of art. You can visit us at Three Embarcadero Center in the Financial District of San Francisco for your own personalized stationery, too!