Holiday Cards

Learn More in NewsCenter

HubbleSite's NewsCenter is the place to find the story behind the images used in this card:

• Cone Nebula (NGC 2264): Star-Forming Pillar of Gas and Dust — from the release Hubble's New Camera Delivers Breathtaking Views of the Universe
• Mars at 43 Million Miles From Earth — from the release Hubble Captures Best View of Mars Ever Obtained From Earth
• Crucible of Creation: Panoramic Image of Center of the Orion Nebula — from the release Panoramic Hubble Picture Surveys Star Birth, Proto-Planetary Systems in the Great Orion Nebula
• The Retina Nebula: Dying Star IC 4406 — from the release Beauty in the Eye of Hubble
• The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392) — from the release Hubble Reopens Its Eye on the Universe
• The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) — from the release An Expanding Bubble in Space
• Bow Shock Near Young Star LL Ori — from the release A Bow Shock Near a Young Star
• Combined X-Ray and Optical Images of the Crab Nebula — from the release Space Movie Reveals Shocking Secrets of the Crab Pulsar
• The Heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy — from the release Hubble Reveals the Heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy

Select the Right File for your Card

• 

  4x8 Single-Sided Photo Cards: Use the 4x6 file. We suggest choosing a plain, single-photo style card without a border or any additional decoration.

• 

  Folded Greeting and Note Cards: In most cases it is best to use the 5x7 file. We suggest choosing a plain, single-photo style card without a border or any additional decoration.

• Home Printer: We recommend using 8.5" x 11" card stock paper and the PDF file. You will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer.

Once you click on the size you prefer, a dialog box will appear, asking where you want to save the image. Pick a spot on your computer (desktop, my documents, etc.) and click "Save." Remember where you put the image, because you will have to find it later. You then have three options for printing the cards:

Printing from an Online Photolab

Many online photolabs can print cards for you using these files, and send you the printed copies for a fee. We can't recommend any company over another, so if you're at a loss, use an Internet search engine to find one.

Browse through the card styles offered by the photolab of your choice. Once you have decided on a card, follow the photolab's directions to upload the image you chose above. Once you have selected the style you want, follow their instructions for applying the image and, in some cases, your message to the card. We recommend using a plain, single-photo card style without a border. The photolab's Web site will guide you through your final purchase and mail your order to you.

Printing From the Local Photo Store

Many local photo stores offer cards that can be made from digital photographic files you provide. To print your cards at a photo store, find the file you saved above and copy it onto a writeable CD-ROM or memory card (SD Compact Flash, MMC, USB Flash Drive, etc.) If you're not sure how to do this, call the photo store and see if an employee can walk you through it.

Now you can bring your file to the photo store. Once you are there, select the appropriate card style. We recommend using a plain, single-photo card style without a border. Many card styles also allow you to add your own message. Ask a store employee to assist you if you have any questions.

Printing from Your Own Printer

Use the PDF file. In most cases, you'll get the best result for your cards if you print them out at a photo store or online photolab. But you can also print the file from your home on 8.5" x 11" card stock paper. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer.

Keep the following things in mind as you do this:

1. To get the best output from a home printer, use the PDF file listed above. In order to use the file, you will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer (available free from Adobe).
2. The PDF file is formatted to fit on 8.5" x 11" paper. We recommend using a heavier card stock if your printer can handle thick paper. Many office supply stores sell Half-Fold Greeting Card paper. This paper is scored for easy folding and is made from heaver paper stock for a true greeting card feel. Usually the package includes appropriately sized envelopes to accompany the cards.
3. In order to get the image to print out correctly centered on the card stock you may need to make a minor adjustment to the Acrobat printer settings. You will need to turn off Acrobat's scaling function. Click the print button in Acrobat to reach the printer dialog screen. Depending which version of Acrobat you have, you'll need to make these changes:
   • If you're using Adobe Reader 6 or higher, set "Page Scaling" to "None."
   • If you're using Acrobat 5, de-select both "Shrink Oversized Pages to Paper Size" and "Expand Small Pages to Paper."
   • If you're using Acrobat 4, deselect "Fit to Page."
4. This should produce an evenly centered image on your page. Lastly, you'll need to fold the 8.5" x 11" paper in half. And now you have your own Hubble holiday card!