PROS / Mixbook designs earned our highest score for design quality.
CONS / There are no color options available for envelopes.
VERDICT / Mixbook lacks the option for ornament-shaped cards and a few other extras, but the designs and the finished product are high quality.
Mixbook designs are truly delightful, especially the photo Christmas cards. This photo card maker does not offer all of the features and frills that some in our comparison do, but it is still a strong contender for best photo cards.
While competitors are now offering another dimension to some cards with embossing and laser cutting, Mixbook's cards still are two-dimensional, but very attractive. Lots of them are good enough that you won't miss the texture options or ornament-shaped cards offered by others. In fact, our panelists gave Mixbook the highest score in terms of design. The templates are gorgeous. They can help you send out a memorable card for lots of different occasions. The graphics come together in a range of styles, so you'll likely find one that goes with your photos. Mixbook also is a multitasker. It can help you with photo cards, photo books and personalized calendars as well. All of the keepsake designs are good quality.
A few more options for envelopes would be nice, especially since some competitors now offer different colors and coordinating envelope liners for a unified look. Since the envelope is usually torn apart and immediately thrown in the recycling bin, it may not be a huge problem to have just the plain white one that comes with a Mixbook card. We prefer more options, though.
One of the nicest things about this service is the one-card minimum. You don’t have to order 25 cards or even 10. Mixbook does not provide free paper proofs. Instead, you can purchase one card as a proof and then buy your design in bulk later. However, this may be an issue if you're on a tight budget or schedule. You may not want to pay for shipping twice or take the time to wait first for a sample and then for the actual order.
With Mixbook you cannot pre-order your envelopes, so you can't get a head start on addressing the cards to all of your friends and family. However, we got our Mixbook cards quickly, so it's not a major problem.
This site lets you import photos from online storage and your hard drive, which is ideal. If a photo is too small for the area designated on your photo card, you receive a warning icon alerting you that you need a photo with higher resolution. This is usually a simple fix, requiring you to resize the image.
Mixbook met our full expectations with the extensive selection of holiday photo cards and templates. You can choose from dozens of party invites, birth announcements, graduation announcements, wedding invites and more. You can also start out with just a blank template and create a card that is entirely your own. In addition, we were pleased to see this picture card service offers response card templates, ideal for preparing a guest list.
If you have trouble while designing your photo card or during the ordering process, Mixbook offers many support resources to help you along the way. You can reach a support representative through email and live chat. There are extensive FAQs on the website that provide additional assistance for any complications that may arise. Additionally, if you are not completely satisfied with your order, company offers a refund through its satisfaction guarantee.
Summary
Our panelists gave this service the highest score for design quality for a reason. With so many different styles and themes, you are sure to find templates for Christmas cards, birthday cards, baby shower invitations, graduation invitations or other greetings from Mixbook that fit the statement you want. A few more options for envelopes would be an added advantage, but Mixbook is still one of the best options for photo holiday cards we reviewed.
