REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Dec 12, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY), the leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, today announced the “Holiday Card Hot List,” the top trends rolling off Shutterfly’s digital printing presses at Company-owned manufacturing facilities in Hayward, Calif., and Charlotte, N.C.

“Personalized photo cards are bumping run-of-the-mill greetings out of mailboxes, and the simplest and easiest way to make personalized photo greetings is on the Internet,” said Kathryn Olson, chief marketing officer of Shutterfly. “Shutterfly produces tens of millions of holiday cards each year, giving us a unique vantage point to witness trends in holiday greeting cards styles and the photo content itself.”

Since 2000, Shutterfly has been innovating holiday card styles and now offers 5 different form factors. By allowing customers multiple design options, online customized cards have grown from a novelty item to a holiday staple. According to the United States Postal Service, 20 billion cards, letters and packages are expected to be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas; December 17th is designated the busiest mailing day of the year. Last year, Shutterfly’s busiest order date for holiday cards was December 11th.

Shutterfly’s Holiday Card Hot List for 2007

Top 5 Photo Greeting Design Trends:

— Pimp My Card – From customizing card color to “write your own” greetings to alternative photo color choices like black & white or sepia, consumers overwhelmingly opt to trick out their cards.

— Hold the Green: Red is the “It” Color – Taking a cue from the fashion world, the hot color for this card season is red, which flatters all skin tones. Non-traditional colors such as brown, violet and various shades of blue (ranging from aqua to navy) are also big this season.

— Patterns – Specifically Vintage – are the Most Popular – When it comes to holiday cards, plain is out. Classic subtle patterns like snowflakes, holly and polka dots, as well as cards featuring retro ornaments or other icons, are the top patterns this holiday. Contemporary styles like cards featuring abstract holiday icons are also top sellers.

— More is More – Forget getting the family together for one shot. Nearly half of all Shutterfly cards are collage cards and feature up to nine photos.

— Horizontal Trumps Vertical – Even though all cards come in horizontal and vertical designs, more than two thirds are horizontal (which is also the most popular way to take pictures).

Top 5 Holiday Card Trends:

— The Old Standby: The Staged Photo – The classic staged holiday photo with everyone in matching sweaters – including the family pet – is still consistently used on photo greeting cards. In fact, the most popular location for said photo is either in front of the fireplace, the tree, or outside (in the backyard). A new twist on the family shot? Kids in the bubble bath with red Santa hats and sudsy Santa beards.

— The New Standby: Candids – Gaining popularity are candid photos, often when parents decide to exclusively showcase the kids vs. the whole family.

— Humor is on the Rise – More and more photographers are opting for humorous cards instead of straight-faced greetings; for example a card with a photo of a new baby crying with the caption: “wishing you a silent night this Christmas.”

— Consumers are tapping their Inner Artists – Families are sending cards that look like they were created by Andy Warhol himself: collage cards featuring the same family photo tinted in multiple colors. This pop art style is very popular right now. This can be done easily on Shutterfly.com, so special software is not required. Other customers are opting for the people-less card, showing instead a scanned photo of a child’s drawing.

— When all Else Fails, Get out Old Albums – Some creative cards are from consumers going back to the past, for example, scanning vintage photos of themselves as youngsters on Santa’s lap or dressed as angels for the Christmas pageant.

With just a two-day processing time, it’s not too late for consumers to jump on the photo card bandwagon this holiday season. As always, Shutterfly offers a time-saving direct mail option on greeting cards: customers can upload their address book from Outlook or Palm, and the Company will address, stamp and mail the cards for them.

For more information, visit www.shutterfly.com/cards.

About Shutterfly

Founded in 1999, Shutterfly, Inc. is the leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service. Shutterfly provides high quality products and world class services that make it easy, convenient and fun for consumers to preserve their digital photos in a creative and thoughtful manner. Shutterfly’s flagship product is its award-winning Photo Book line, which helps consumers celebrate memories and tell their stories in professionally bound coffee table books. The Company has more than 1.5 billion images stored in its digital archive. More information about Shutterfly (NASDAQ:SFLY) is available at www.shutterfly.com. Shutterfly and Shutterfly.com are trademarks of Shutterfly, Inc.

SOURCE: Shutterfly, Inc.

Shutterfly, Inc.
Gretchen Sloan, 650-610-5276
gsloan@shutterfly.com

Copyright Business Wire 2007

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