Custom Gift Card Books

A gift card on its own is easy to give and easy to forget. Put that same card in a printed book, next to a message written for the person receiving it, and it becomes a keepsake that stays long after the balance is spent.

A gift card book, sometimes called a gift card booklet or gift card album, is a small bound book with a die-cut holder on each gift card page. Unlike a folded gift card holder, which carries one card, a book can hold several cards with a message for each one. Two diagonal slits, set at opposite corners of the card, hold a standard gift card securely against the page, and the card slips out with no tearing or cutting. The rest of the page is yours for artwork, a message, and a handwritten note.

You can print one book at a time on demand or print a batch and let us store and ship it for you. These books can be made for any age and any occasion, and they can be a gift you give or a product you sell.

Printed, and Ready for a Pen

Our gift card pages are 12 pt uncoated cover stock. It is heavy enough to hold a card in place, and because it is uncoated, it accepts both printing and handwriting. Print your full-color artwork and message, then leave room for a name, a date, or a personal note.

That is what separates a gift card book from a greeting card with a card tucked inside. The giver can sign each page, write down a memory, or add a line that only the two of them will understand.

Sizes and Binding

Gift card books can be up to 8.5 x 11, and at least 5" wide. We recommend wire-o or spiral binding for nearly every gift card book. The book opens flat, each page turns all the way around, and the binding leaves room for the added thickness of the cards.

We do not recommend perfect binding for these books, because the cards add thickness at the page while the spine stays the same, which holds the book open. It can be done if a square spine matters to your project.

Not every page needs to hold a card. A book can mix gift card pages with pages for stories, photos, or notes, all bound together in the order you choose. For a sturdier gift, wire-o books can also be made with board covers or printed hardcovers, starting at 25 copies.

Print on Demand or in Bulk

Either way, we can warehouse your books and ship each order to your customer under your brand. Orders can reach us from Shopify, WooCommerce, and other carts through our order processing options.

A Gift for Every Age

A gift card book works anywhere a card alone feels too small and a large gift feels like too much. A few ways our customers can use them:

• Children: encouragement from a parent or grandparent, with one card for each milestone or each month of the school year.
• Teens and graduates: advice for the road ahead, paired with coffee, gas, and grocery cards for the first year away from home.
• Friends and family: birthdays, new babies, get-well wishes, and a little sunshine for no reason at all.
• Grandparents and older adults: a book of family notes and photos with cards for a favorite restaurant or a night out.
• Holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's or Father's Day editions, with one design for each occasion.
• Weddings: a date-night book for the couple, or thank-you books for the wedding party.
• Business gifts: client thank-yous, employee recognition, and new-hire welcomes, branded with your logo.
• Real estate and service professionals: a closing gift with cards for the new neighborhood.
• Teachers, churches, and nonprofits: staff and volunteer appreciation, or a fundraising product your group can sell.

The slits fit any card about the size of a standard gift card, so a book can just as easily hold a membership card, a loyalty card, or a business card.

Selling Gift Card Books as a Product

Gift card books also work as a product line. Because books sell without a card inside, you are selling the book and the sentiment, and your buyer chooses the cards. Seasonal editions give past buyers a reason to return, and with print on demand you can add a new theme without holding stock of every title.

We print your book and ship it under your brand, whether you sell through your own store, Etsy, or at live events. You keep your customer relationships and your content.

How to Set Up Your PDF

We print from your print-ready PDF files, and we can refer you to a designer if you need one.

1. Set your document to the finished page size, plus bleed. Pages can be up to 8.5 x 11 and at least 5" wide. Add 1/8" of bleed on all sides, so a 6 x 9 page is a 6.25 x 9.25 document.
2. Place the card area. A gift card measures 3.375 x 2.125. At every page size, center it left to right and place its bottom edge 1.1875" above the bottom of the page.
3. Remove the guide before you export. Use the placement guide as a reference layer only. The slits are die cut into the paper, so do not print a slit line or card outline.
4. Save a CMYK PDF. Supply the interior as one PDF of single pages in reading order, not spreads, with images embedded. Supply the cover as a separate PDF, with 2 pages if only the outside prints or 4 pages if the inside covers also print.

Designing Around the Card

• The slits go through the sheet, so keep important text away from them on both sides.
• Keep your message and any important art outside the card area, since the card covers it.
• Keep 1/2" of margin on the bound edge of wire-o and spiral books.

Color on uncoated paper looks softer than color on coated paper. If your design relies on large solid areas or an exact color, a printed proof is worth ordering. See the fee schedule for proof options and the file upload fee, our print specifications for general file requirements, and what happens next for each step from file to finished book.