About a decade ago, there were many large and small websites offering eCards that could be emailed to your family and friends. Actually, only the link to the eCard website was emailed and the recipient used the link to view the eCard in their web browser. Many sites used this eCard feature to bring more traffic to the site. However, many of the smaller eCard websites have disappeared over the years.

I used to be an animator for one of those small websites from 2010 to 2012, Pamela Gladding Ecards. Pamela had many artists contributing artwork for her ecards and I really enjoyed bringing that artwork to life with animation. I also had my own artwork featured in a few ecards. I used many of those ecards as examples for my animation tutorials on BellaOnline. Sadly, the ecard website closed its doors. But eCards are still one of my favorite animation projects.

Now, greeting card companies offer eCards as part of their services, allowing their customers to send eCards or order a paper greeting card from their website or mobile app. Also, you now have more features such as uploading your own photos, adding a custom text message, recording a voice message or adding a digital signature. Another addition is the ability to send your eCard to a friend(s) or group(s) on Facebook via a private message. Some sites even offer Amazon gift cards as part of their service. Most of these sites offer a small selection of eCards for free and a paid membership, which will add many more eCard designs from which to choose.

Besides greeting card companies, newer companies with web based graphic design tools are adding what they call an online eCard maker, including Adobe Spark Post, Smilebox and Canva. Starting from a pre-designed template, these sites offer free photos, illustrations, graphics and more, which you can incorporate into your own eCard designs. The online system also includes downloading, printing, sharing and sending your eCard.

As the holiday season has started with this Thanksgiving weekend, here are a few of my favorite eCard sites for 2018. Some have been around since the beginning and some are relatively new.

Hallmark - https://www.hallmarkecards.com/
American Greetings - https://www.americangreetings.com/cards/ecards/_/N-1x91zju
justWink - https://www.justwink.com
Paperless Post - https://www.paperlesspost.com/
Someecards - https://www.someecards.com/
Punchbowl - https://www.punchbowl.com/
Blue Mountain - https://www.bluemountain.com/
Jacquie Lawson - https://www.jacquielawson.com
123Cards - https://www.123cards.com
Adobe Spark - https://spark.adobe.com/make/card-maker/ecards/
Canva - https://www.canva.com/create/ecards/
Smilebox - https://www.smilebox.com/maker/card-maker/ecard/
Animatron - https://www.animatron.com/studio/online-card-maker

If you have family or friends that live far away, eCards remain a quick and easy way to send a personal holiday greeting.