The Office Admin's Checklist for Ordering Greeting Cards, Frames, and Supplies (Without the Hidden Surprises)

Office administrator for a 200-person company here. I manage all printed materials and supply ordering—roughly $18,000 annually across 8 vendors. I report to both operations and finance, which means every purchase gets scrutinized twice.

This checklist is for admins who handle the "miscellaneous but critical" category: greeting cards for client appreciation, frames for office displays, envelopes that actually fit what you're mailing. The stuff that seems simple until it isn't.

Seven steps total. I built this after three years of learning what questions to ask before placing orders.

Step 1: Audit What You Actually Need (Not What You Think You Need)

Before opening any browser tab, pull your order history from the past 12 months. I know—boring. Do it anyway.

Look for:

• Seasonal spikes (we order 3x the greeting cards in November-December)
• Recurring "emergency" orders (if you've rush-ordered sympathy cards twice in six months, that's not emergency—that's inventory failure)
• Items that sat unused (I found 200 holiday cards from 2022 in a storage closet last month)

For Hallmark greeting cards, I break it down by category: sympathy cards, thank-you cards, holiday cards, general appreciation. Our split runs about 15% sympathy, 25% thank-you, 40% holiday, 20% everything else. Yours will differ.

This approach worked for us, but we're a mid-size B2B company with predictable client relationships. If you're in an industry with high client turnover or seasonal business, the calculus might be different.

Step 2: Verify Specifications Before You Fall in Love with a Product

This is the step most people skip. Don't.

For Greeting Cards

Hallmark greeting cards online come in several formats. Hallmark printable cards require you to check:

• Paper weight compatibility with your office printer (most inkjets handle up to 80 lb cover / 216 gsm; laser printers vary)
• Finished dimensions after folding
• Whether envelopes are included or sold separately

Hallmark boxed Christmas cards typically include envelopes, but verify the envelope size. We ordered 50 boxes one year only to discover the envelopes were A2 (4.375 × 5.75 inches) when we needed A7 (5.25 × 7.25 inches) to fit our custom inserts.

For Manila Envelopes

Here's something that trips people up: how to spell manila envelope. It's "manila" (one 'l'), not "manilla." Named after Manila hemp fiber, originally from the Philippines. Search engines will usually correct you, but if you're filling out internal requisition forms, the wrong spelling might not match your vendor catalog codes.

Standard manila envelope sizes for reference:

• #10: 4.125 × 9.5 inches (standard business)
• 6 × 9: fits half-folded letter paper
• 9 × 12: fits unfolded letter paper
• 10 × 13: fits letter paper with slight margin

For Concert Poster Frames

Concert poster frame size is where people assume there's a "standard." There isn't. Common concert poster sizes include:

• 11 × 17 inches (small/promotional)
• 18 × 24 inches (common retail)
• 24 × 36 inches (standard large format)
• 27 × 40 inches (movie poster size, sometimes used for concerts)

Measure the actual poster before ordering frames. I've learned this the expensive way. (Note to self: label the storage closet frames by size.)

Print resolution matters if you're producing posters internally. Industry standard is 300 DPI at final size for commercial print quality. For large format posters viewed from a distance, 150 DPI is often acceptable.

Step 3: Ask "What's NOT Included" Before "What's the Price"

I've learned to ask "what's NOT included" before "what's the price."

The vendor who lists all fees upfront—even if the total looks higher—usually costs less in the end. From the outside, a $2.50-per-card quote looks better than $3.25. What you don't see is that the $2.50 quote excludes envelopes ($0.40 each), has a $15 "small order" fee for quantities under 100, and charges $8 for "standard" shipping that takes 10 business days.

Get written confirmation on:

• Envelope inclusion (yes/no, what size)
• Minimum order quantities and fees for ordering below them
• Shipping costs and timeframes
• Return policy for damaged or incorrect items

For Hallmark cards specifically, their direct retail pricing is straightforward, but if you're ordering through a distributor or corporate account, terms vary.

Step 4: Test Before Bulk Ordering (Especially Printables)

If you're using Hallmark printable cards or any print-your-own option, order a small quantity first. Print one.

Check:

• Color accuracy (your monitor lies—print a test)
• Alignment after folding
• How your printer handles the card stock (curling, jamming, ink smearing)
• Whether your handwriting or printed text looks professional on the inside

People assume the lowest quote means the vendor is more efficient. What they don't see is which costs are being hidden or deferred—like the hours you'll spend troubleshooting print quality issues on cheap card stock.

Step 5: Create a Supplies Matrix (I Know, I Know)

This sounds bureaucratic. It saves time. Trust me.

A simple spreadsheet with:

Item | Vendor | SKU | Last Price Paid | Last Order Date | Typical Lead Time | Notes

Example entries:

• Hallmark boxed sympathy cards (12-count) | Hallmark.com | HMK-SYMP-12 | $24.99 | 2024-09 | 5-7 business days | Includes envelopes, A7 size
• Manila envelopes 9×12, 100-pack | Staples | STP-MNL-912 | $18.49 | 2024-11 | 2 days (store pickup) | Clasp closure, 28 lb
• Poster frame 24×36 black | Amazon | varies | $22-35 | 2024-08 | 3-5 days | Quality varies by seller, check reviews

I update this quarterly. Takes 20 minutes. Saves hours when someone needs something "by tomorrow" and I already know where to get it fast.

Step 6: The Duct Tape Question (And Other "Quick Fixes" That Aren't)

Someone will ask you: is duct tape waterproof?

Short answer: water-resistant, not waterproof. It'll handle temporary exposure to moisture but degrades with prolonged contact. The adhesive breaks down, edges peel.

Why does this matter for an office admin checklist? Because people use duct tape to "fix" things that need actual solutions—sealing packages that need proper packing tape, securing outdoor signage that needs weatherproof mounting, repairing items that should be replaced.

For actual waterproof adhesive needs:

• Gorilla Waterproof Tape (genuinely waterproof)
• 3M All-Weather Flashing Tape (for outdoor/construction)
• Marine-grade tapes (for anything involving sustained water exposure)

Budget accordingly. The "cheap fix" usually isn't.

Step 7: Document the Weird Stuff

Every organization has quirks. Document yours.

Our weird stuff file includes:

• "CEO prefers cream-colored envelopes for client correspondence, not white"
• "Marketing's poster frames must be black—they rejected silver twice"
• "Sympathy cards should NOT have religious imagery (we're secular org)"
• "Finance requires itemized receipts, not order confirmations"

That last one cost us. In 2021, I found a great price from a new vendor—$340 cheaper than our regular supplier. Ordered 200 boxes of holiday cards. They couldn't provide a proper invoice (order confirmation only, no line-item breakdown). Finance rejected the expense report. I ate $340 out of the department budget. Now I verify invoicing capability before placing any order over $100.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ordering holiday cards too late. Hallmark boxed Christmas cards and most holiday inventory sells out by mid-November. Order in September or early October. I've watched colleagues scramble for "whatever's left" on December 1st.

Assuming frame sizes are standardized. They're not. Measure first.

Forgetting the printable card learning curve. Hallmark printable cards are convenient, but budget time for test prints and troubleshooting. First-time users underestimate setup.

Not reading envelope specifications. "Fits standard letter paper" means different things to different vendors. Get dimensions in inches.

Treating rush orders as normal. People think expensive vendors deliver better quality. Actually, vendors who deliver quality can charge more. The causation runs the other way. But rush orders are genuinely different—they require different workflows and dedicated resources. Expect to pay 30-50% more for legitimate rush service, and verify the vendor can actually deliver, not just promise.

Quick Reference: Where to Find What

As of January 2025:

Hallmark greeting cards online: Hallmark.com, Amazon (authorized reseller), major retailers (Target, Walmart). Direct from Hallmark gives best selection; retailers often have limited styles but faster local availability.

Hallmark printable cards: Hallmark.com/printables offers free options. Quality varies—preview before committing to bulk printing.

Frames: For standard sizes, big-box stores (Michaels, Target) work fine. For non-standard concert poster sizes, custom framing or specialty frame retailers. Expect $30-80 for quality large-format frames; under $25 usually means flimsy construction.

Manila envelopes: Office supply stores, Amazon. Paper weight specification: 28 lb is standard, 32 lb for heavier contents or mailing durability.

Verify current pricing at each source—rates change. These are starting points, not guarantees.

That's it. Seven steps. Print this out, adapt it to your organization's weirdness, and stop reinventing the wheel every time someone needs cards or supplies. The goal isn't perfection—it's having a system that doesn't rely on your memory at 4:47 PM on a Friday when someone "urgently" needs sympathy cards.