DENVER, CO – October 20, 2026 –The 38th Louie Awards Call for Entries is officially open, and we’re excited to share some updates to this year’s competition!
Each year, the Louie Awards Committee reviews feedback from entrants and judges, looks closely at category participation, and considers how the competition can continue to evolve alongside the greeting card industry.
This year, we’ve made several updates to better recognize different creative approaches, clarify where certain cards belong, and make the entry and judging experience better.
Here’s what’s new for the 38th Louie Awards.
New: $6 Price Threshold
We’ve updated the price-point split from $5.50 to $6, reflecting a review of how greeting cards are priced and categorized. Where price divisions apply, cards are now separated into:
- $6 and below
- Above $6
New: Pet Cards
Our pets are family, and greeting cards have become an increasingly thoughtful way to celebrate the relationships we share with them.
The new Pet Cards category recognizes cards created specifically around pets and companion animals. This includes everything from welcoming a new pet and celebrating pet birthdays to offering comfort after a loss.
One important distinction: simply featuring an animal illustration doesn’t automatically make something a Pet Card. The message itself should relate to pets or the relationship between pets and people.
This also means that cards specifically addressing pet loss now belong in Pet Cards rather than the general Sympathy/Grief category.
New: Specialty Print Techniques
We’re expanding the former Letterpress category into Specialty Print Techniques, creating more opportunities to recognize the artistry and craftsmanship behind traditional and alternative printmaking processes.
In addition to letterpress, this category now welcomes techniques such as risograph, silkscreen, block printing, linocut, and woodcut.
The emphasis is on how the printing technique contributes to the finished card. The primary design must be produced using the qualifying process, rather than being a digital reproduction of an original print.
We’ve also changed the submission format for this category. Instead of submitting three representative cards, entrants now submit one individual card.
Entries will be reviewed by a specialized panel of judges with experience in printmaking and specialty printing.
Updated: Paper Engineering & Interactive Design
Previously called Print, Production, & Paper Engineering, this category has been refocused to recognize cards where engineering, dimension, movement, or interactivity are integral to the design.
Think pop-ups, intricate folds, moving mechanisms, quilling, dimensional construction, and other inventive ways of transforming paper into an experience.
By clarifying the distinction between Specialty Print Techniques and Paper Engineering & Interactive Design, we hope to give each creative discipline a more clearly defined place to shine.
Combined: Boxed Card Sets
We’ve simplified the boxed-set categories. Previously, Christmas/Seasonal Boxed Sets and Everyday Boxed Sets were separate categories. This year, they’re combined into one Boxed Card Sets category.
This category includes any greeting cards sold together as a packaged set, whether they’re Christmas cards, thank-you notes, blank stationery, or assorted designs.
Entrants should submit the complete set exactly as it’s sold. And remember to cover your logo on every card in the set for anonymity!
Clearer Category Guidelines
Beyond the larger changes, we’ve also refined several descriptions to help entrants choose the most appropriate category.
Get Well/Encouragement now includes more explicit examples of the kinds of support these cards can offer, from illness and recovery to mental health, difficult life transitions, and other situations where encouragement is needed.
Sympathy/Grief more clearly focuses on loss, mourning, and bereavement, helping distinguish it from the broader support offered through Get Well/Encouragement.
We’ve also clarified the distinction between Superbly Stated, which recognizes exceptional writing on one individual card, and Writer of the Year, which evaluates a writer’s body of work across five cards.
Judging Update: Written Feedback
For the 38th Louies, judges will continue to evaluate every entry using the scoring rubric, but entrants will no longer receive individual written feedback.
In previous years, judges had the option to leave written feedback on entries. While many comments were thoughtful and constructive, the level of detail and usefulness varied.
This change is intended to help judges focus their time and attention on thoughtfully evaluating each card.
A Competition That Continues to Evolve
The Louie Awards celebrate the many ways greeting cards bring people together through creativity, humor, sentiment, and thoughtful design. Not every card looks, sounds, or feels the same, and that’s part of what makes this industry so exciting.
As the industry evolves, we want the Louies to evolve with it. These updates are part of our ongoing commitment to keeping the competition meaningful, approachable, and reflective of the incredible range of work being created.
Whether you’re a longtime entrant or considering the Louies for the first time, we hope you’ll join us by submitting to the 38th Annual Louie Awards!
View the complete 38th Louie Awards Category List
Call for Entries: Ready to showcase your cards? Enter the Louie Awards here and join the celebration of creativity, craftsmanship, and connection in the greeting card industry!