We have discussed the importance of research and messages in ecards, now to make it visually appealing we need to make the best use of visual elements such as:-

Colors

Colors have a deep psychological effect on our minds. Hence it’s important to use the right color effects for better impact.

Eg- The colors for Christmas are – Red, Green and Gold.

• Red is the color of Holly berries, which is said to represent the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. Also the color of Santa’s dress can’t be overruled.
• Gold is the color of the Sun and light – both are very important in the dark winter.
• Green is the color of “The Christmas tree”, the most important element of Christmas.

Design

It is important to include the symbolic holiday elements. Hence it is important to understand the ethos and essence of the holiday.

Eg- Design elements for Christmas: Christmas tree, Santa, Christmas presents. Use can use cultural specific elements such as Mistletoes, Christmas bells, etc.
Winter: You can explore the concept of Winter Wonderland and use visual elements such as winter carnivals, snow, snowman, etc.
Season’s Greetings: You could paint a picture of a cheerful winter and can include decorated Christmas trees.
New Year: Fireworks are important celebratory elements and can be used in cards. The clock is also significant to show the countdown to the New Year.

Realistic Animation Vs Non-realistic Animation

You can either use a photographic Christmas tree image or create a vector image. Both visuals will have different impact and hence should be used based on the concept and core theme of the ecard. If the card is meant to be funny and cute and have a cartoon feel to it then it is preferred to use a vector image. On the other hand if the card is meant to give a realistic feel you should use a photographic image.

There are certain cards in which the theme revolves around character animation and hence vector images are ideal to use. For example if the card is meant to show a teddy couple walking across the grass then the grass should be a vector image and not a photographic image.

Fonts

Fonts need to be selected based on the theme and feel of the card. If a card is meant for a religious section such as Christmas blessings, the text needs to be prominent as it is usually a spiritual quote or extracts from the Bible, hence hand-written or cursive fonts should be avoided. The letters in these fonts are more decorative rather than prominent and hence does not serve the purpose of the card. On the contrary if a card is meant for New Year love section then a decorative or cursive font can be used. If you choose to make a cartoonish Merry Christmas card then a funky font can be used. Presentation of fonts is also important so alignment, legibility, font effects must be checked and modified to suit the card.

Another important point to note is that images should never be blurred or pixilated. It kills the look of the card and hence good and clear quality visuals are always preferred.