Etiquette
A short history of the digital greeting card, and where it goes next
A long-form piece on how the eCard moved from a kitschy 1990s curiosity to the default way most adults send a birthday wish today.
Free shareable digital eCards
Send a card
Send a card
that actually feels
like you wrote it.
CardWave is a catalog of 1,008 digital greeting cards built for the way people send wishes now — by text, email, WhatsApp, or DM. Pick an occasion, pick the person, and send something good in under a minute.
14 occasions
6 design styles
6 recipient voices
Watercolor
Mother's Day
M
For Mom, on the morning of
Illustrated
Christmas
F
A merry one, sent ahead
Funny
Birthday
F
Yet another year of you
Elegant
Sympathy
P
Holding you close this week
Browse the catalog
All occasions →
Every occasion, color-coded.
From the morning-of birthday text to the late-night sympathy note — pick the moment, get a card built for it.
B
Celebrations
Birthday
72 cards →
T
Gratitude & Care
Thank You
72 cards →
S
Gratitude & Care
Sympathy
72 cards →
G
Gratitude & Care
Get Well
72 cards →
A
Romance & Family
Anniversary
72 cards →
B
Celebrations
Baby Shower
72 cards →
G
Celebrations
Graduation
72 cards →
C
Holidays
Christmas
72 cards →
H
Holidays
Hanukkah
72 cards →
T
Holidays
Thanksgiving
72 cards →
E
Holidays
Eid
72 cards →
V
Romance & Family
Valentine's Day
72 cards →
M
Romance & Family
Mother's Day
72 cards →
F
Romance & Family
Father's Day
72 cards →
This week
All cards →
Editor's picks
A handful of designs we keep sending ourselves.
Animated
Birthday
F
Animated Birthday eCard for Friend
Animated · For Friend
Animated Birthday eCard for Friend
Funny
Thank You
C
Funny Thank You eCard for Child
Funny · For Child
Funny Thank You eCard for Child
Illustrated
Get Well
F
Illustrated Get Well eCard for Friend
Illustrated · For Friend
Illustrated Get Well eCard for Friend
Watercolor
Baby Shower
C
Watercolor Baby Shower eCard for Child
Watercolor · For Child
Watercolor Baby Shower eCard for Child
Animated
Christmas
F
Animated Christmas eCard for Friend
Animated · For Friend
Animated Christmas eCard for Friend
Funny
Hanukkah
C
Funny Hanukkah eCard for Child
Funny · For Child
Funny Hanukkah eCard for Child
Illustrated
Eid
F
Illustrated Eid eCard for Friend
Illustrated · For Friend
Illustrated Eid eCard for Friend
Watercolor
Mother's Day
C
Watercolor Mother's Day eCard for Child
Watercolor · For Child
Watercolor Mother's Day eCard for Child
Built for sending
An eCard for the way people actually send wishes.
CardWave's catalog is built for the channels real life happens on — the group chat, the email thread, the morning-of-the-holiday text, the WhatsApp message across time zones. Every card has a clean shareable link, a screenshot-friendly thumbnail, and sample wording shaped to the recipient.
- → Send by SMS or iMessage — links unfurl with the card preview.
- → Email it as a link or attach the screenshot inline.
- → Paste into WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram — works the same.
- → Share to Instagram Stories, X/Twitter, or Facebook with the card thumbnail.
- → Save as PDF if the recipient wants to print or keep it.
Browse by style
- Animated
Subtle motion, looping animations and gentle transitions. Designed to play in email previews and as autoplay v... - Watercolor
Soft painted washes, hand-mixed pigments, brushstroke edges. Works for tender moments — sympathy, anniversar... - Minimalist
A lot of empty space, one strong typographic statement, and a single accent color. Ideal for thank-you and pro... - Illustrated
Custom hand-drawn illustration — characters, scenes, ornament. Designed to feel personal, specific, and a li... - Funny
Humor-forward designs and wording. Big visual jokes, single-line punchlines, and templates written for people ... - Elegant
Refined, restrained, formal-leaning. Serif typography, jewel-tone accents, gold-foil-style highlights. For wed...
Browse by recipient
- Friend
warm and a little bit teasing - Coworker
professional, sincere, no inside jokes - Parent
heartfelt and respectful, with room to be specific - Child
sweet, encouraging, and easy to read aloud - Partner
intimate, romantic, and specific without being grand - Teacher
appreciative and slightly formal, easy to read in front of a class