How to Print a 5 × 7 Christmas Card at the Correct Size

Start with the exported file

A card can look right on screen and still print too small. The usual culprit is a print setting that scales the artwork to the paper. Start with the downloaded file, choose the intended dimensions, and make one plain-paper proof before using your card stock.

AI Christmas Card Maker currently lets you edit greetings on labeled sample illustrations and download watermarked sample PNG and PDF files. Public AI generation, photo uploads, accounts and purchases are closed. These instructions apply to the available sample exports; the site does not print or ship physical cards.

Understand the two export sizes

The portrait PNG is exactly 1500 × 2100 pixels and carries a 300-DPI resolution tag. At a print size of 5 × 7 inches, that gives 300 image pixels per inch: 1500 ÷ 5 = 300 and 2100 ÷ 7 = 300. Image resolution is more precisely described as PPI; a printer's ink-dot resolution is a separate setting.

The PDF page is exactly 360 × 504 points, equivalent to 5 × 7 inches. It contains the composed card as a raster image. Saving it as PDF establishes the page size; it does not turn the artwork into infinitely scalable vector graphics.

Choose PDF for an actual-size print check. Choose PNG when another layout application needs an image, then explicitly set its placed size to 5 × 7 inches with proportions locked. Changing a resolution label alone does not add image detail. Adobe explains the relationship between pixels, resolution and physical size.

Print the PDF at actual size, or 100%

Open the downloaded PDF in a viewer with explicit scaling controls. Select your printer and the paper actually loaded in its tray. In Acrobat, use Size under Page Sizing & Handling, then Actual size. A viewer that provides a percentage should use 100%. Check the printer-driver settings too, so another scaling option does not override your choice.

Leave Fit, Fit to page and Shrink oversized pages off for this size check. Adobe specifies that Actual size preserves scale but can crop content that falls outside the printable area. A correct scale therefore still needs a paper size and printable area large enough for the card. Adobe's page-sizing guide describes these options.

• Use portrait orientation and one page per sheet for the first proof.
• Print on a larger sheet, such as Letter or A4, if your printer cannot print a full 5 × 7 area on 5 × 7 stock.
• Check the preview for clipping and disable any automatic borderless enlargement when measuring exact dimensions.

Treat the export as a no-bleed card

The sample PDF ends at the finished 5 × 7 boundary. It contains no extra bleed area or crop marks. Bleed is artwork extending beyond the cut edge so a slight trimming variation does not expose unprinted paper. It is different from the safe area inside the card that protects lettering and important details.

If a print shop requests 0.125-inch bleed on every side, a 5 × 7 design would need artwork covering 5.25 × 7.25 inches. Do not simply stretch this export to those dimensions: that changes the composition and may sacrifice its border. Ask the shop whether it accepts an exact-size, no-bleed file or needs a separately prepared layout. Adobe's bleed setup guide explains this distinction.

Leave room for trimming and readable text

For a layout you control, use 0.25 inch inside each finished edge as a practical starting safe margin for names and greetings. At this export resolution, that is 75 pixels. It is a design allowance, not a guarantee that every printer or cutting service accepts the same margin; follow the service's specifications.

The sample editor has a fixed composition, so inspect its decorative border and shorten any crowded greeting. When printing on larger paper, measure the intended 5 × 7 rectangle before cutting. Use a straightedge or paper trimmer, and check one finished card before trimming the rest. A thin border makes small cutting errors especially visible.

Read the proof before printing a batch

Measure the finished area with a ruler: it should be 5 inches wide and 7 inches tall, or 127 × 177.8 mm. Read the greeting at ordinary card-reading distance. Check Chinese characters, punctuation, names and the sign-off in the downloaded file as well as on paper.

If the card measures smaller, revisit scaling. If its edges disappear, inspect the printable area or borderless expansion setting. If letters are difficult to read, shorten the wording or choose another greeting palette and export again. Select a paper type supported by your printer, check its stock-thickness limits, and let the first print dry before judging color or handling it.