Greeting Card Design Software for Mac Instead of Hallmark Studio
If you use Hallmark Studio, you may have noticed some problems with the software lately. On newer Macs running the latest macOS versions, like Sonoma or Sequoia, and on Macs with Apple Silicon chips (M1 through M4), many users have reported frequent crashes, startup failures, or display glitches.
If you’re in this camp, and need to find a new alternative to handle your greeting card and invitation designs, you’ll be happy to hear that we can suggest options.The alternatives we’ll present in this guide are optimized for Mac and offer better performance. They offer a range of design features and compatibility with the latest macOS versions.
Swift Publisher
Swift Publisher is one of the most popular substitutes for Hallmark Studio. It is a desktop publishing program for Mac, made for designing everything from greeting cards and invitations to announcements and calendars. This software integrates perfectly with Apple Silicon processors and runs without issue on all the latest macOS versions. It has plenty of video tutorials online to get started, and offers full support.
Key Features:
- Templates: there are over 500 professionally designed templates for cards, invitations and layouts
- This software runs perfectly on Mac computers with Apple Silicon processors and works flawlessly on the latest macOS versions
- Advanced text formatting and image editing tools
- Easy integration with Mac’s printing capabilities for high quality printing
- Supports custom paper sizes and professional printing specs
Best For: All skill levels of Mac users who want professional-level design features and reliable performance on all Apple computers.
Canva
Pro: US$12.99/month
For many former Hallmark Studio users, a web-based platform is an easy transition to make. Canva is a web-based design platform that works perfectly in Safari, Chrome and other Mac browsers and functions well with the latest macOS versions. Canva offers thousands of templates and an easy drag-and-drop interface, so even beginners can start designing right away.
Key Features:
- Extensive library of greeting card templates (and other templates) for every occasion
- Web-based platform that works perfectly on any Mac machine
- Supports team collaboration
- High-resolution downloads for printing high quality greeting cards
- Offers a free tier, with premium upgrade options
Best For: Greeting card designers who want a cloud-based design tool, and want a lot of templates to start off with. Also ideal for teams to access design projects from multiple devices.
Adobe Express
Premium: US$9.99/month
Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark) is a well-known professional-quality design tool with a user-friendly interface. It’s a solid alternative for Mac users seeking more advanced features than Hallmark Studio offered but also a lot of new tools and features to get into grips with.
Key Features:
- Professional design tools and templates
- Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem
- Team collaboration capabilities
- Seamless performance on all Mac systems
Best For: Mac users who want professional-grade tools, integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, and more advanced features than traditional greeting card software.
Greetings Island
Premium: US$3.49/month
If you’re looking for simple and free, Greetings Island may hit the mark. Greetings Island is a solution that is compatible with macOS and works in the browser. It's popular with those who want to create cards here and there, and just want a reliable alternative to Hallmark Studio.
Key Features:
- Loads of greeting card templates
- Clear web interface optimized for Mac browsers
- Instant download and printing capabilities
Best For: Hobby or casual users who want a free, simple solution to create greeting cards without downloading any software.
Fotor
Premium: US$10.99/month
Fotor is an online editor that allows users to create designs and combine those with AI design assistance. It has traditional photo editing tools as well, making it a more advanced alternative to Hallmark Studio.
Key Features:
- Offers AI-powered design and auto-enhance features
- Template library for all card types
- Advanced photo editing tools are part of the design process
- Cloud storage
- Compatible with mobile and desktop
Best For: Users who want to take advantage of using professional image editing and AI assistance in their design process.
Orion Print Studio
Orion Print Studio offers a design tool for Mac users to create cards, announcements, and books. It offers a no-frills interface and simple tutorials for each type of project. The more advanced editing tools make it excellent for commercial or high-volume card production, so if you are thinking of starting a card business, this could be a great option. Orion Print Studio is free, with in-app purchases.
Key Features:
- Professional print layout and color management
- Advanced text and image editing tools
- Support for commercial printing specifications
- Batch processing features
Best For: Users who want a free solution, or businesses that need commercial-grade card printing capabilities.
Cardia by Addison Software
Cardia aims to be as simple as 1-2-3, as it’s a drag and drop design tool for Mac users. It also has a 3-D print preview tool and excellent visual guides to ensure your design is printed perfectly. It features mail merge capabilities along with traditional greeting card design.
Cardia is another good choice for users who need to personalize many cards for a large group, like a big company or a larger group of friends and family.
Key Features:
- Advanced mail merge functionality so you can personalize cards
- Professional design templates and tools
- Batch printing and processing capabilities
- Runs natively on Macs with Apple Silicon
Best For: Users who want a drag and drop design tool, or businesses that need to create personalized cards for large mailing lists.
Best Hallmark Studio Alternatives
We hope that our roundup of the 7 best Hallmark Studio alternatives will serve you well, as well as do all of the following:
- Work seamlessly on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) processors
- Support macOS Sonoma, Ventura, and Sequoia
- Provide excellent design tools, high-quality printing, and cloud syncing
- Include free trials and budget-friendly pricing options
- Work well for both hobby users and professional designers
If you’re a small business owner, professional card designer or someone who loves making birthday cards for friends once in a while, these alternatives will meet your needs, plus give you a more reliable, and more modern experience than Hallmark Studio.
Conclusion & Recommendation
As you can see, there is no shortage of excellent tools that can replace Hallmark Studio. For hobby users and beginners, Canva or Greetings Island would both be an easy switch from Hallmark Studio, with their clear design interfaces and tons of template choices.
For all levels of Mac enthusiasts who want a native desktop experience, Swift Publisher offers the best combination of professional features and macOS optimization, along with plenty of templates to start with.
For professional designers and small businesses, Adobe Express or Orion Print Studio give a combination of advanced tools and reliable performance. For those who want to mail to a list of people, Cardia offers the personalization and mail merge features that surpass anything Hallmark Studio ever offered.
All these alternatives solve the new issues that make Hallmark Studio unusable on updated Macs while giving users excellent design features, smooth performance and support for the latest macOS versions. They also are all maintained and supported, so you’re sure not to have to scramble to find another greeting card design substitute anytime soon!