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.
Celebrations
Birthday eCards
A birthday card is the one card almost everyone gets — and the one most people put the least thought into. The Birthday section of CardWave is built to fix that, with digital eCards you can send by email, text, or DM in under a minute and that still feel like you actually thought about the person.
Every Birthday card on this page is a shareable digital eCard — built to be sent by text, email, WhatsApp, or DM and to look right on a phone screen the moment the recipient opens the link. Pick by visual style if you already know the mood you want, or by the person you are sending to if you are clearer on the relationship than the design.
The CardWave Birthday set covers 72 templates across 6 design styles and 6 recipient voices. Each card page includes a long, medium, and short version of the message, plus practical guidance on how to send the card digitally — through SMS, email, group chat, or as a social share. For deeper background on how to write a birthday message, our wording guide walks through openers, closers, and what to do when you are stuck.
Animated Birthday eCards
12 designs in this style.
Animated
Birthday
F
Animated Birthday eCard for Friend
Animated · For Friend
Animated Birthday eCard for Friend
Animated
Birthday
F
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Animated · For Friend
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Animated
Birthday
C
Animated Birthday eCard for Coworker
Animated · For Coworker
Animated Birthday eCard for Coworker
Animated
Birthday
C
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Animated · For Coworker
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Animated
Birthday
P
Animated Birthday eCard for Parent
Animated · For Parent
Animated Birthday eCard for Parent
Animated
Birthday
P
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Animated · For Parent
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Animated
Birthday
C
Animated Birthday eCard for Child
Animated · For Child
Animated Birthday eCard for Child
Animated
Birthday
C
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Animated · For Child
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Animated
Birthday
P
Animated Birthday eCard for Partner
Animated · For Partner
Animated Birthday eCard for Partner
Animated
Birthday
P
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Animated · For Partner
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Animated
Birthday
T
Animated Birthday eCard for Teacher
Animated · For Teacher
Animated Birthday eCard for Teacher
Animated
Birthday
T
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Animated · For Teacher
Animated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Watercolor Birthday eCards
12 designs in this style.
Watercolor
Birthday
F
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Friend
Watercolor · For Friend
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Friend
Watercolor
Birthday
F
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Watercolor · For Friend
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Watercolor
Birthday
C
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Coworker
Watercolor · For Coworker
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Coworker
Watercolor
Birthday
C
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Watercolor · For Coworker
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Watercolor
Birthday
P
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Parent
Watercolor · For Parent
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Parent
Watercolor
Birthday
P
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Watercolor · For Parent
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Watercolor
Birthday
C
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Child
Watercolor · For Child
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Child
Watercolor
Birthday
C
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Watercolor · For Child
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Watercolor
Birthday
P
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Partner
Watercolor · For Partner
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Partner
Watercolor
Birthday
P
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Watercolor · For Partner
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Watercolor
Birthday
T
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Teacher
Watercolor · For Teacher
Watercolor Birthday eCard for Teacher
Watercolor
Birthday
T
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Watercolor · For Teacher
Watercolor Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Minimalist Birthday eCards
12 designs in this style.
Minimalist
Birthday
F
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Friend
Minimalist · For Friend
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Friend
Minimalist
Birthday
F
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Minimalist · For Friend
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Minimalist
Birthday
C
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Coworker
Minimalist · For Coworker
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Coworker
Minimalist
Birthday
C
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Minimalist · For Coworker
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Minimalist
Birthday
P
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Parent
Minimalist · For Parent
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Parent
Minimalist
Birthday
P
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Minimalist · For Parent
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Minimalist
Birthday
C
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Child
Minimalist · For Child
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Child
Minimalist
Birthday
C
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Minimalist · For Child
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Minimalist
Birthday
P
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Partner
Minimalist · For Partner
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Partner
Minimalist
Birthday
P
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Minimalist · For Partner
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Minimalist
Birthday
T
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Teacher
Minimalist · For Teacher
Minimalist Birthday eCard for Teacher
Minimalist
Birthday
T
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Minimalist · For Teacher
Minimalist Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Illustrated Birthday eCards
12 designs in this style.
Illustrated
Birthday
F
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Friend
Illustrated · For Friend
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Friend
Illustrated
Birthday
F
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Illustrated · For Friend
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Illustrated
Birthday
C
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Coworker
Illustrated · For Coworker
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Coworker
Illustrated
Birthday
C
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Illustrated · For Coworker
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Illustrated
Birthday
P
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Parent
Illustrated · For Parent
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Parent
Illustrated
Birthday
P
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Illustrated · For Parent
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Illustrated
Birthday
C
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Child
Illustrated · For Child
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Child
Illustrated
Birthday
C
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Illustrated · For Child
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Illustrated
Birthday
P
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Partner
Illustrated · For Partner
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Partner
Illustrated
Birthday
P
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Illustrated · For Partner
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Illustrated
Birthday
T
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Teacher
Illustrated · For Teacher
Illustrated Birthday eCard for Teacher
Illustrated
Birthday
T
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Illustrated · For Teacher
Illustrated Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Funny Birthday eCards
12 designs in this style.
Funny
Birthday
F
Funny Birthday eCard for Friend
Funny · For Friend
Funny Birthday eCard for Friend
Funny
Birthday
F
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Funny · For Friend
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Funny
Birthday
C
Funny Birthday eCard for Coworker
Funny · For Coworker
Funny Birthday eCard for Coworker
Funny
Birthday
C
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Funny · For Coworker
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Funny
Birthday
P
Funny Birthday eCard for Parent
Funny · For Parent
Funny Birthday eCard for Parent
Funny
Birthday
P
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Funny · For Parent
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Funny
Birthday
C
Funny Birthday eCard for Child
Funny · For Child
Funny Birthday eCard for Child
Funny
Birthday
C
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Funny · For Child
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Funny
Birthday
P
Funny Birthday eCard for Partner
Funny · For Partner
Funny Birthday eCard for Partner
Funny
Birthday
P
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Funny · For Partner
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Funny
Birthday
T
Funny Birthday eCard for Teacher
Funny · For Teacher
Funny Birthday eCard for Teacher
Funny
Birthday
T
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Funny · For Teacher
Funny Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Elegant Birthday eCards
12 designs in this style.
Elegant
Birthday
F
Elegant Birthday eCard for Friend
Elegant · For Friend
Elegant Birthday eCard for Friend
Elegant
Birthday
F
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Elegant · For Friend
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Friend
Elegant
Birthday
C
Elegant Birthday eCard for Coworker
Elegant · For Coworker
Elegant Birthday eCard for Coworker
Elegant
Birthday
C
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Elegant · For Coworker
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Coworker
Elegant
Birthday
P
Elegant Birthday eCard for Parent
Elegant · For Parent
Elegant Birthday eCard for Parent
Elegant
Birthday
P
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Elegant · For Parent
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Parent
Elegant
Birthday
C
Elegant Birthday eCard for Child
Elegant · For Child
Elegant Birthday eCard for Child
Elegant
Birthday
C
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Elegant · For Child
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Child
Elegant
Birthday
P
Elegant Birthday eCard for Partner
Elegant · For Partner
Elegant Birthday eCard for Partner
Elegant
Birthday
P
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Elegant · For Partner
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Partner
Elegant
Birthday
T
Elegant Birthday eCard for Teacher
Elegant · For Teacher
Elegant Birthday eCard for Teacher
Elegant
Birthday
T
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Elegant · For Teacher
Elegant Digital Birthday Card to Send a Teacher
Writing a Birthday message
A good birthday message names the person, names a specific reason, and stops before it gets long. The card design carries the mood — the words just have to be true. If you are not sure how to start, our wording guide walks through openers, closers, and what to do when you are stuck.
For sending, paste the card URL into the same channel where you usually message this person. The link unfurls into a clean preview in iMessage, Android Messages, WhatsApp, Slack, and most email clients. For social sharing, every CardWave card thumbnail is sized for both Instagram Stories (1080×1920) and feed posts (1080×1080).