News

The Greeting Card Association (GCA) named finalists from the industry’s 34th Annual Louie Awards competition.

This year’s contest saw 1,016 greeting cards entered from 163 companies in 51 categories; overall, entries were up 62% over 2022. The cards were judged by a panel of 52 card publishers, retailers, sales representatives and stationery industry leaders at five regional hubs across the country.

“This year’s growth in Louie Awards entries is a testament to the industry’s vibrancy,” says Nora Weiser, executive director of GCA. “It’s exciting to see the quality of cards, makers’ creativity, and the number of new companies being recognized with Louie honors.”

Launched in 1988, the “Louies” honor Louis Prang, the German-born Boston lithographer and publisher known as the “Father of the American Christmas Card.” Seventy-nine companies had at least one card design selected by the industry judging panel as a finalist. The Louie Awards are open to all publishers in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Three finalists were selected in each category, with the winners to be announced at the Louie Awards Celebration on April 26 at the General’s Residence in San Francisco. Tickets for the evening event can be purchased through the GCA website.

The celebration precedes the two-day *Noted: The Greeting Card Expo co-located with SF Now to be held April 27-28 at Fort Mason Center for Art & Culture.

All of the greeting cards selected as finalists can be viewed in the online Louie Awards Finalist Gallery. The 79 companies represented among the finalists are:

• 2021 Co.
• 417 Press
• Add Pink and Stir
• Age-Friendly Vibes
• Alljoy Design distributed by Notes & Queries, Inc.
• American Greetings
• Amicreative
• Ampersand M Studio
• Amy Zhang
• Artige distributed by Notes & Queries, Inc.
• Artists To Watch
• Avanti Press, Inc.
• Bella Figura
• Calypso Cards
• CheerNotes
• Ciarra Claire
• Color Box Design & Letterpress LLC
• Dear Beni
• E. Frances Paper
• Elum Designs
• Erica Alfaro Designs LLC
• Fine Moments
• Five Dot Post
• GCI, an InComm Company
• Ginger P. Designs
• Girl w/ Knife
• Good Juju Ink
• Grey Street Paper
• Hallmark Cards
• Hello Suds
• Inklings Paperie
• Ivory Tower Studios
• Johnny Cupcakes
• Jones Street Press
• Just Follow Your Art
• Karen Adams Designs
• Keller Design Co
• Kwohtations
• Laura Damiano Designs
• Leanin’ Tree
• Little Lovelies Studio
• Louise Mulgrew
• Maginating
• Maylay Co.
• Mossy Blue Paper Studio
• Near Modern Disaster
• Next Chapter Studio
• NIQUEA.D
• Noteworthy Paper & Press
• Novel Paper
• Oatmeal Studios
• Odd Daughter Paper Co
• Paper Baristas
• Paper D’Art distributed by Notes & Queries
• Paper Farm Press
• Paper Salad distributed by Notes & Queries, Inc.
• Papyrus
• Quick Brown Fox Letterpress
• Quilling Card
• Redback Cards
• Rhino Parade
• Rust Belt Love
• Seedlings
• Shannon Cohen Inc.
• Shorthand Press
• Sixtyeightcolors
• Spacepig Press
• Tache distributed by Notes & Queries, Inc.
• That’s SO Andrew
• The Art File distributed by Notes & Queries, Inc.
• The Card Bureau
• The Noble Paperie
• Tiny and Snail
• Twentysome Design
• Two Pooch Paperie
• Unblushing
• Up With Paper
• UWP Luxe
• Wolf & Wren Press