Introduction

At a time when it seems like most relationships are managed through our electronic devices, a small gesture as such as an ecard can be enough to encourage happiness, hope and warmth into people’s lives. E-cards or Electronic greeting cards are a special and wonderful way to let somebody know that you are thinking of them, especially in a special occasion or any casual freeway. Electronic greeting cards do not have the environmental drawbacks of conventional paper ones and can be delivered immediately most of the time; the feature lists are usually extensive as well. This article provides an insight to free ecards starting with the history and features and move to features of a good ecard and basic ideas on the best ecard to create.

When, Why and How were Ecards Created?

The practice of using greetings is as old as human history, with the earliest known greeting card being authored in 1415. But the social revolution which was fueled by the digital age has led to concerning shifts in the ways we interact. Ecards were first produced in the mid-1990s; this provided a new form of creating greetings. Older ecards are comparatively uncomplicated with basic animations incorporated into a few of them and being mostly linear with small interactivity. When the use of technology improved, the kind and quality of ecards started to change, became more diverse and unique since it included rich media items like videos, music and builds-in-options among others.

Benefits of Sending Ecards

Environmental Impact: As for the case of traditional paper cards, they…lead to destruction of trees, cutting down the forests and being an added source of waste. Ecards are handy in the sense that they don’t need paper and ink that is usually used in producing physical cards.

Instant Delivery: Another advantage of ecards is that they can be sent and received within a short time, this makes them suitable for timely events like birthday, ANZAC day,etc.

Cost-Effective: Some sites provide many free options and others can customize an ecard for only $5, so they can be sent as a valentine’s day card without breaking the bank.

Customization: Ecards are acceptable to be customized with names, messages, photos, and, more which helps the message to have an appealed feel for the receiver.

Convenience: Sending ecards from ones computer or even a mobile device, will allow one to send greetings to their friends and loved ones at any time.

Ideas for Designing New and Different Free Ecards

Interactive Ecards: Include toys such as games, simple questions and answer sessions, or small ‘story’ like activities the recipient can follow. This gives a fun and humorous appeal to the ecard but still keeps it professional enough for delivery to business clients.

Video Ecards: Share memories in form of a recorded ordinary video, a love letter in which memories have been articulated or a montage of captivating clips. Some ecards sites can create custom videos for you or you can record your own, others offer the option of the ready-made themes.

Animated Ecards: There are many things you should always remember when appearing before your audience, and one of them is to use animations. If you want to incorporate a dancing character, a blossoming flower, or anything more lively than a simple virtual scene, an animation is an excellent option.

Music and Sound: Include Mp3 files such as background music or sound clips to set the tone of your ecard. There are many varieties of pizzas to choose from to ensure that the pizza selected is appropriate for the occasion or to the individual’s preference.

Photo Ecards: Add friends’ photos of the particular event to your ecard design. This could be a small picture or physically a large poster containing various moments that one holds dear in their lifetime.

DIY Ecards: While services like Canva are rated for their simplicity, they also enable you to create the ecards from the ground up. Take advantage of the ever-growing stock of graphic designs, logos, and templates to develop an utterly distinct piece.

Themed Ecards: When sending an ecard, always ensure that the content of the ecard suits the particular interest of the recipient or the event. For instance, design a season-specific greeting card, a birthday card, or a greeting card for job well done.

Humorous Ecards: Sometimes it is good to cheer someone up and a good joke sent by ecard can be fun. This can be in the form of a joke, a pun or an animation that will at least make their lips blossom with a smile.

Inspirational Ecards: Say something good to the face book friend such as; good morning, have a pleasant day, or congratulation for the achievement made. This includes the use of optimum words of encouragement and motivation, gorgeous words and quotes, or even just powerful words to inspire .

Platforms Offering Free Ecards

Sendwishonline. com: Provides free ecards for all occasions and festivities with an excellent choice of animated and vocal greetings. It has a structure where users can choose between using it for birthdays, holidays, and anniversary, and provide a custom design.

Punchbowl: Punchbowl is one of the top pick thanks to its outstanding design of e-cards which can be composed with messages, and photos at nil cost.

Canva: Although Canva’s primary use is for design, it does have a range of free ecard templates that you can use and which can be personalized with your photos, text, and images.

Choose the Desired Category of Ecards

Choose the Right Platform: Choose the right ecard platform that you think has the options that you want for your purposes. It is essential to look at some of the basic features such as options for modifications, usability, and the number of templates to choose from.

Personalize Your Message: Compose any type of message you may deem appropriate, provided the message is emotionally charged according to your given relationship with the recipient. This is because one is able to add genuine touches to the ecard to make it a perfect gift.

Add Multimedia Elements: Add images, videos, music, and even animated cartoons if you would like to make changes in your ecard more lively. These elements qualify your greeting, making it more attractive, interesting and likable.

Use Quality Graphics: The wizards of ecard designing work with high quality images and graphics to give your ecard a professional touch. Do not use small and low image quality that they are poor in resolution and appear to be pixelated.

Consider the Recipient's Interests: The ecard that you sent should be personalised and match the interest of the receiver. Whether it involves a favorite past-time, a pet or a bind memory they are the trinkets that make the ecard more personal.

Experiment with Different Styles: Do not be rigid in your choice of styles or designs that match the dogs. It does not matter if you are particular about a black and white style, a retro style or the loud colours of a technicolour dream – there is always a contemporary style suitable for the occasion and the recipient.

Preview Before Sending: A good practice is always to check through your ecard before sending it out to ensure that virtually everything is as perfect as possible. Scan the page for any spaces or words that appear awkward, or need to be aligned or fixed in some sort of way.

Conclusion

To some people, using an ecard can be as effective as gifting someone with flowers or going to visit them. Today there is an internet abundance of various free ecard, thus it will not be challenging to pick the right and rather a creative one which will deliver the right message. Whether to celebrate a birthday, Christmas, valentines, or any occasion, ecards are a special way of expressing oneself to a friend. Cherish the ease, flexibility, and ingenuity of using ecards and start on the path to lighting up the world today.