For Print! The holidays are a busy time for those in the printing industry. Paper is used to wrap gifts, send cards and package and ship presents. So, in celebration of the season, this article is going to focus on the holiday tradition of Christmas greeting cards.
Until the 1840’s, it was already a tradition among families to write Christmas letters or to send a handmade Christmas card. The post office became so overwhelmed with the practice, the U.S. Superintendent of Mails asked Congress to abolish or limit the practice in 1822. Instead, mass production of holiday cards began in England in the mid 1840’s when Sir Henry Cole commissioned artist John Calcott Horsely to create the first printed Christmas card which could easily be sent to numerous family and friends. Each panel on the outside of the card depicted people helping the poor and needy, and the inner panel showed a family enjoying a festive Christmas. It contained the simple message, “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year To You”. Christmas greeting cards began being printed in the US in the 1870’s by a German immigrant named Louis Prang in Boston. Today, the American Christmas card is still a popular tradition, with more than 2 billion cards being sent each year.
MSL is happy to play a small role in this holiday tradition, providing print equipment and service to Michigan based card manufacturers. Offset presses such as the Sakurai Oliver 96 SD Series Fully Automated Offset Press are used to create quality products for consumers to enjoy, hang on the back of doors, in the hallway or on the fridge, sending a little Christmas cheer to someone else.
Happy Holidays, from MSL!
Sources: How Products are Made– www.madehow.com, Volume 5 http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Greeting-Card.html The Great Idea Finder– www.ideafinder.com http://www.ideafinder.com/features/everwonder/won-christcard.htm