The Correct Way to Put a Greeting Card in an Envelope

Almost everyone loves receiving greeting cards. Some of us even love sending them! Surprisingly, however, many people put greeting cards in the envelope the wrong way.

That means the recipient has to turn the card over or around to read the message on the front of the card. That action can be avoided when cards are put in envelopes correctly.

Yes, there's a right way to put a greeting card in its envelope.

Which way should a card be put in its envelope?

You might think that is a silly question, but for some detail-oriented folks, it's important information! After all, you might have spent a considerable amount of time picking out just the right card for someone for a special occasion. You might have spent even more time composing the perfect message inside the card. After all that effort, shouldn't you see the process through to its conclusion by putting the card in the envelope the right way so that the pretty side with the picture is facing the recipient when the envelope is opened?

Many people don't take the time to put a card in an envelope correctly, even though it takes the same amount of time to put it in the wrong way.

According to greeting card etiquette, there is a right way and a wrong way to put a card in its envelope. The right and wrong ways to put a card in an envelope are covered in detail below.

The right way to put a card in an envelope

To put a folded greeting card into an envelope properly, hold the card with its front side facing up and simply slide it in so that the card's fold is at the bottom of the envelope. This will prevent anything inside the card (such as a business card, gift card, or check) from falling out into the envelope as you slide it in.

More importantly, this will ensure that the front of the card is aligned with the back of the envelope so that when the recipient opens the envelope, the beautiful image on the front of the card will be the first thing seen. The recipient won't have to turn the card around to read the cheery note on the front of the card and the personal message inside.

The wrong way to put a card in an envelope

Now that you know that there's a proper way to put a card in an envelope, you might be wondering what the wrong way is. You can see in the above photo how a greeting card looks when it is placed in the envelope the wrong way.

The wrong way to put a card in its envelope is to align the back of the card with the back of the envelope. The barcode and copyright information are the first things the recipient sees as soon as the envelope is opened. That's not a very festive experience!

Why put a card in its envelope properly?

When the appropriate steps are taken, the recipient will be able to see the image and text on the front of the card without having to twist it around.

Another thing to remember is that putting a card in an envelope with the folded side down ensures that the card will not be sliced in two if the recipient uses a letter opener to open the envelope.

Watch the video

See the demonstration of how to put a greeting card in an envelope according to the above information.