How to Download and Print a Group Card as a PDF Booklet

A group card lives in a link. Everyone signs it online, and the person it's for opens it on their phone or laptop. That's ideal for collecting messages, but sometimes you want something you can hold: a farewell gift for a colleague who's leaving, a milestone birthday, a retirement.

A group card PDF booklet is a print-ready PDF of a group card: a cover page first, then every message in order, laid out page by page.

This guide covers how to download one on Signed Together, what it looks like, which paper size to choose and how to print it well.

How do you download a group card as a PDF booklet?

Open your card's Download page, choose the PDF booklet, pick A4 or US Letter and select Download PDF. The PDF booklet is part of Premium. GIFs appear as still images in the PDF, because a PDF can't play animations.

1. 1

   Finish collecting messages

   Wait until everyone has signed. The booklet includes every message on the card at the moment you download it, so a message added later means downloading again.

2. 2

   Open the Download page

   On your card, select Download. This opens the card's Download page, which offers both the JPG poster and the PDF booklet. The PDF booklet is part of Premium, so on a free card you'll see the option to upgrade first.

3. 3

   Choose A4 or US Letter

   In the PDF booklet panel, pick the paper you'll print on. US Letter is selected for you in the US and Canada, A4 everywhere else.

4. 4

   Select Download PDF

   The booklet is made when you ask for it. Most cards take a few seconds; a big card with lots of photos can take up to a minute. The file saves like any other download.

The person who received the card can download it too. Once a Premium card has been delivered, the booklet and the JPG poster are available from the card itself, using the link they were sent.

What does the PDF booklet look like?

The first page is a cover with the card's title and the recipient's name. After that, every message appears in the order it was signed, each in its own panel with the signer's name and photo, on the card's background.

A real export of a test card, with made-up names.

A few details worth knowing:

• Several short messages share a page. A message too long for one page continues on the next, marked “Continued on the next page”.
• Wide photos sit above the message; square and tall photos sit beside it.
• GIFs show their first frame. Emoji print in black and white.
• Pages are numbered, so loose pages are easy to put back in order.

Should you choose A4 or US Letter?

Choose the paper you'll actually print on. US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) is standard in the US and Canada; A4 (210 × 297 mm) is standard almost everywhere else. Signed Together picks Letter for visitors in the US and Canada and A4 elsewhere, and you can change it.

If you're printing at a copy shop or sending the file to a relative abroad, choose the size they'll print on. The two sizes are close, so a booklet printed on the other size still works if you choose “Fit to page” when printing; it just gains a slightly wider margin.

How do you print the booklet so it looks right?

Print at 100% scale on paper that matches the size you downloaded, in color if you can. A heavier sheet for the cover makes it feel like a keepsake. The narrow white border around each page is expected.

• Use 100% scale. In the print dialog, choose “Actual size” or 100% rather than “Fit to page”, so the text prints at the size it was laid out for. Only use “Fit to page” if your paper is a different size from the PDF.
• Print in color if possible. The card's background and the photos are in color. Black and white works, but it loses the theme.
• Use heavier paper for the cover. Card stock or thick paper (around 160 to 250 gsm, or 60 to 90 lb cover) for page one makes the whole set feel sturdier. Normal printer paper is fine for the inside pages.
• Expect a white margin. Home printers can't print right to the edge of the paper, so you'll see a white border. That's normal: the messages sit well inside the page, so nothing important is cut off.
• Print one side only. Each page is designed to be seen on its own, so single-sided printing works best.

PDF booklet or JPG poster: which should you choose?

Choose the PDF booklet when you want to read through the messages one by one, like a book. Choose the JPG poster when you want the whole card in one picture, to pin up, frame or show on a screen. Premium includes both, so you can download each.

• PDF booklet: easy to read, prints on ordinary paper, and suits cards with lots of messages or long ones.
• JPG poster: the whole card in a single high-resolution image. Good for a noticeboard at a farewell party, a framed print or sharing in a chat. With many messages, the text gets small unless you print it large.

Frequently asked questions

Do GIFs animate in the PDF?

No. A PDF can't play animations, so each GIF appears as a still image: its first frame. GIFs keep playing on the online card, and when a card has GIFs, the booklet's cover says so.

Is the PDF download free?

No. The PDF booklet is part of Premium, which is $2.99 per card as a one-time payment, with no subscription. Premium also includes the high-resolution JPG poster and scheduled delivery. Creating a card, collecting messages and sending it are free.

What paper size should I use?

Use the size of the paper in your printer: US Letter in the US and Canada, A4 almost everywhere else. If you're sending the file to someone else to print, choose the size they use.

Can the person who received the card download it?

Yes. Once a Premium card has been delivered, the recipient can download the JPG poster and the PDF booklet from the card itself, using the same link they received.

Do emoji print in color?

No. Emoji in the PDF print in black and white, so skin tones don't show and a few appear in a more general form. Photos print in full color.

Is it a folded booklet?

No. It's a set of loose pages, printed one side each: a cover, then the messages. Clip or staple them in the corner, or slip them into a folder or display book.

For everything Premium includes, see pricing.

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