It’s that time of the year again. “Christmas is AGES away!” people grumble as the first signs of fake frosting and snowflake cut-outs begin to appear. But chances are, your office manager and aunt are already knee deep in Christmas symbolism in a heroic effort to pick the perfect greeting card for this season.

With most of us getting a bit of an overdose on screens throughout the year, a neatly printed card, something tangible with a heartfelt message can be a much better vehicle for the festive spirit than yet another bland email in your inbox.

As purveyors of the finest Christmas cards, we are constantly on the lookout for something new to give one of the most routine traditions a spin.

Here are 6 trends we scouted for the upcoming Christmas season:

Animal Christmas Cards, especially cute ones

 “Aww…” themed cards are a staple regardless of season but autumn and winter is when woodland animals truly shine. Foxes, Deer, Squirrels and the obligatory Bears (brown, black and Teddy variants alike) are bound to show up on your desk or mailbox this Christmas.

Contemporary Christmas Cards

Less is more, especially when all you have is a greeting card’s worth of real estate to convey how dear to your heart the recipient is. A few well curved lines, smooth edges and shed-loads of negative space will conjure an apple-cinnamon aura around even the most stringent line manager.

Cityscapes / Landscapes Christmas Cards

 Even if you never make it out of town this season, a watercolour or pencil drawn snowy clearing of a winter forest or alpine village can serve as the best kind of emotional trigger over some leftovers on Boxing Day.

Brushstrokes