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Gift Card Images Documentation

Menu Location: Settings > Gift Card Images

Access Level: Administrator and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Gift Card Images page allows you to create, manage, and customize the visual designs for digital gift cards that customers see when they purchase or receive gift certificates. Professional, branded gift card images enhance the perceived value and gifting experience.

Primary Functions:

  • Upload and manage gift card design images
  • Create multiple designs for different occasions or seasons
  • Set default gift card image for standard certificates
  • Assign specific designs to promotional campaigns
  • Preview gift card appearance before publishing
  • Track which designs are most popular with customers

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Upload New Image Button: Add new gift card design
  • Preview Toggle: View designs in email context
  • Active/Inactive Filter: Show only active or archived designs

Main Content Area

Gallery grid displaying all gift card images:

  • Image thumbnail (preview)
  • Design name
  • Dimensions and file size
  • Usage count (how many times used)
  • Status (Active/Default/Inactive)
  • Edit and Delete actions
  • Preview button

Design Details Panel

When clicking on a design:

  • Full-size image preview
  • Technical specifications
  • Associated promotions
  • Usage statistics
  • Edit controls

Image Requirements

Technical Specifications

Recommended Dimensions:

  • Width: 600-800 pixels
  • Height: 400-500 pixels
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3 or 16:9
  • Resolution: 72-150 DPI (web optimized)

File Requirements:

  • Format: PNG (preferred), JPG, or GIF
  • Max File Size: 2MB
  • Color Mode: RGB
  • Background: Can be transparent (PNG only)

Why These Specs:

  • Email-safe dimensions
  • Fast loading in all email clients
  • High quality on retina displays
  • Reasonable file size for email delivery

Creating Gift Card Designs

Uploading New Image

Steps:

  1. Click "Upload New Image" button
  2. Enter design name (e.g., "Holiday 2026", "Thank You", "Birthday")
  3. Add description (internal note about design usage)
  4. Click "Choose File" to select image
  5. Preview image shows immediately
  6. Verify image looks correct
  7. Set as "Active" to make available
  8. Optional: Check "Set as Default" for standard certificates
  9. Click "Save Image"

Requirements:

  • Unique design name
  • Valid image file format
  • File size under 2MB
  • Appropriate content (family-friendly)

Design Categories

Seasonal Designs:

  • Holiday/Christmas
  • Valentine's Day
  • Mother's/Father's Day
  • Summer themes
  • Fall/Harvest
  • Back to School

Occasion-Based:

  • Birthday
  • Thank You
  • Congratulations
  • Sympathy/Apology
  • Generic/All-Purpose

Promotional:

  • Brand-specific campaigns
  • Limited-time offers
  • Corporate partnerships
  • Event-specific designs

Managing Gift Card Images

Editing Existing Design

Steps:

  1. Click design name or Edit icon
  2. Update design name or description
  3. Replace image if needed (click "Choose File")
  4. Change status (Active/Inactive)
  5. Toggle default setting
  6. Click "Save Changes"

Note: Changing image doesn't affect previously sent certificates - they retain original design

Setting Default Image

Purpose: Default image appears on all gift certificates unless specific design is chosen

Steps:

  1. Find desired design
  2. Click "Set as Default" button
  3. Confirm action
  4. Previous default becomes regular active image
  5. New default marked with "Default" badge

Best Practice: Choose versatile, timeless design as default (not seasonal)

Deactivating Images

When to Deactivate:

  • Seasonal design is out of season
  • Design being replaced with updated version
  • Promotion ended
  • Image doesn't meet brand standards

Steps:

  1. Find image to deactivate
  2. Click "Edit"
  3. Change status to "Inactive"
  4. Click "Save"
  5. Image no longer available for new certificates

Note: Deactivated images can be reactivated anytime

Deleting Images

Warning: Permanent action - use carefully

When to Delete:

  • Image uploaded by mistake
  • Duplicate image
  • Completely outdated design
  • Never been used

Steps:

  1. Click "Delete" icon on image
  2. System shows usage count
  3. If used, consider deactivating instead
  4. Confirm deletion
  5. Image removed permanently

Cannot Delete:

  • Images currently set as default
  • Images assigned to active promotions
  • Images with pending gift certificate sends

Design Best Practices

Visual Design

Effective Gift Card Elements:

  1. Clear focal point - Eye catches main message immediately
  2. Readable text - If text included, ensure high contrast
  3. Brand consistency - Use company colors and style
  4. Quality imagery - Professional photos or illustrations
  5. Whitespace - Don't overcrowd the design
  6. Email-safe colors - Avoid pure white backgrounds

Technical Optimization

  1. Optimize file size - Compress images without losing quality
  2. Test in email - Preview in multiple email clients
  3. Mobile-friendly - Ensure legibility on small screens
  4. Alt text ready - Simple designs work better when images blocked
  5. Fast loading - Keep under 500KB for best email delivery

Content Guidelines

Do Include:

  • ✅ Company logo (subtle placement)
  • ✅ Seasonal or occasion imagery
  • ✅ Warm, inviting colors
  • ✅ Professional photography
  • ✅ Gift-appropriate themes

Avoid:

  • ❌ Too much text (email shows details separately)
  • ❌ Price or amount (varies per certificate)
  • ❌ Expiration dates (may change)
  • ❌ Promotional copy (goes in email)
  • ❌ Low-resolution images

Using Gift Card Images

Assigning to Certificates

Automatic Assignment:

  • Default image applied to all standard certificates
  • Promotional campaigns use assigned promotional image
  • Seasonal images auto-applied based on date (if configured)

Manual Selection: When creating certificate manually:

  1. Create gift certificate form includes image selector
  2. Choose from active images
  3. Preview shows how certificate will look
  4. Select and proceed with creation

Testing Designs

Preview Process:

  1. Click "Preview" on any design
  2. View mockup of certificate email
  3. See design in context with typical text
  4. Test on mobile view
  5. Send test email to yourself

Recommended Testing:

  • Desktop email client (Outlook, Mail)
  • Web email (Gmail, Yahoo)
  • Mobile email app (iOS Mail, Gmail app)
  • Dark mode vs. light mode

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Create Holiday Gift Card Design

Goal: Design special image for December holiday season

Steps:

  1. Hire designer or create image (600x400px)
  2. Save as PNG with holiday theme
  3. Click "Upload New Image"
  4. Name: "Holiday 2026"
  5. Description: "Winter holiday design for December certificates"
  6. Upload image file
  7. Set as "Active"
  8. Do NOT set as default (seasonal only)
  9. Click "Save"
  10. Assign to holiday promotion campaign

Result: Holiday certificates automatically use festive design

Use Case 2: Replace Outdated Default Image

Goal: Update default gift card with refreshed brand design

Steps:

  1. Create new image matching current branding
  2. Upload new image with name "Default 2026"
  3. Set as "Active"
  4. Click "Set as Default"
  5. Confirm replacement
  6. Previous default becomes regular active image
  7. Rename old default "Default 2025 - Archived"
  8. Deactivate old default

Tip: Keep old default active for a week in case rollback needed

Use Case 3: Seasonal Image Rotation

Goal: Schedule different images for each season

Steps:

  1. Create 4 seasonal designs (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)
  2. Upload all four with descriptive names
  3. Set current season as default
  4. Keep others active but not default
  5. At season change, switch default to next season
  6. Deactivate previous season's image

Automation Option: Some systems support scheduled default switching

Use Case 4: Test New Design Before Launch

Goal: Preview new design in email before making available

Steps:

  1. Upload new design
  2. Set status to "Inactive" (not yet available)
  3. Click "Preview"
  4. Review in preview window
  5. Send test certificate to yourself using override
  6. Check email on multiple devices
  7. If approved, change status to "Active"
  8. If issues found, edit or delete and re-upload

Goal: Identify which designs customers prefer

Steps:

  1. Review usage statistics on each image
  2. Sort by "Times Used"
  3. Note most popular designs
  4. Create similar designs for future
  5. Deactivate low-performing designs
  6. Focus on styles customers prefer

Insight: Higher usage often correlates with gift certificate sales

Troubleshooting

Image Appears Distorted in Email

Symptoms:

  • Image stretched or squished
  • Wrong aspect ratio
  • Pixelated or blurry

Solutions:

  1. Check original image dimensions (should be 600-800px wide)
  2. Verify aspect ratio is 4:3 or 16:9
  3. Re-save image at correct dimensions
  4. Upload replacement
  5. Clear browser cache and test again

Common Causes:

  • Original image wrong dimensions
  • Email client auto-resizing
  • Aspect ratio mismatch

Image Not Appearing in Certificate Email

Symptoms:

  • Broken image icon in email
  • Alt text shows instead of image
  • Email looks plain without design

Check:

  1. Verify image status is "Active"
  2. Check file size (under 2MB)
  3. Confirm image format is PNG or JPG
  4. Test email client image settings
  5. Check if images blocked in recipient's email

Solutions:

  1. Resend test email to different email account
  2. Check spam folder (some filters block images)
  3. Verify image URL is accessible (if externally hosted)
  4. Re-upload image if file corrupted

If Problem Persists: Contact technical support - may be server configuration issue

Cannot Upload New Image

Symptoms:

  • Upload button doesn't work
  • Error message on file selection
  • Upload times out

Common Issues:

  1. File size exceeds 2MB limit
  2. File format not supported (use PNG or JPG)
  3. File name has special characters
  4. Browser permission issue
  5. Server storage full (rare)

Solutions:

  1. Compress image to reduce file size
  2. Convert to PNG or JPG format
  3. Rename file to simple name (no spaces or special chars)
  4. Try different browser
  5. Contact administrator if persistent

Image Looks Good Locally But Wrong in Email

Symptoms:

  • Preview looks perfect
  • Email shows different colors, sizing, or quality

Explanations:

  • Email clients render images differently than browsers
  • Some clients block images by default
  • Mobile apps may resize images
  • Dark mode inverts some colors

Solutions:

  1. Test in multiple email clients before finalizing
  2. Avoid pure white/black backgrounds (use off-white/dark gray)
  3. Ensure key elements visible even if resized
  4. Use web-safe colors
  5. Keep text large and high-contrast
  • Gift Certificates (gift-certificates.php) - Create and manage certificates using these images
  • Gift Card Promotions (gift-card-promotions.php) - Assign designs to promotional campaigns
  • Email Templates - Configure email layout around gift card images
  • Settings > Branding - Company logo and color settings

Typical Workflow:

  1. Gift Card Images → Upload design
  2. Gift Card Promotions → Assign design to campaign
  3. Gift Certificates → Create certificate
  4. Customer receives → Email with beautiful design

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Administrator or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Administrator: Upload, edit, delete images; set default; view statistics
  • Kiva Admin: All Administrator features + system configuration, bulk operations

Restricted Features:

  • Upload Images: Requires Administrator
  • Set Default: Requires Administrator
  • Delete Images: Requires Administrator

View-Only Access:

  • Managers can view images but cannot modify
  • Customer Service can see which image is used on certificates

Best Practices

Design Strategy

  1. Maintain brand consistency across all designs
  2. Create seasonal designs in advance - don't wait until season starts
  3. Test thoroughly before setting as default
  4. Keep design library organized - clear naming and descriptions
  5. Update annually - refresh designs to stay current

File Management

  1. Optimize images before upload - use compression tools
  2. Use descriptive file names - easier to track
  3. Back up design files - keep originals in case need to re-upload
  4. Version control - name updates clearly (e.g., "Holiday 2026 v2")
  5. Delete unused duplicates - keep library clean

Quality Control

  1. Always preview before activating
  2. Send test emails to multiple email clients
  3. Check mobile rendering - most people view on phones
  4. Get second opinion before setting as default
  5. Monitor customer feedback - note reactions to designs

Seasonal Planning

  1. Upload seasonal designs 2-4 weeks early
  2. Set reminders to switch defaults at season change
  3. Deactivate off-season designs - keeps selection manageable
  4. Plan annual design calendar - know what's needed when
  5. Reuse successful designs - don't reinvent every year

Things to Avoid

  • ❌ Uploading images without testing in email first
  • ❌ Using images with embedded text (hard to read when resized)
  • ❌ Setting seasonal design as default year-round
  • ❌ Deleting images that have been used (breaks old certificate records)
  • ❌ Uploading huge files (slows email delivery)

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Upload new design Click "Upload New Image" button
Set default image Find image > Click "Set as Default"
Preview design Click image > "Preview" button
Edit design name Click image name > Edit
Deactivate seasonal image Edit image > Change status to "Inactive"
Test in email Preview > "Send Test Email"
Check usage stats Click image > View details
Delete unused image Click delete icon > Confirm
Replace image Edit image > Choose new file
Activate for season Edit image > Status "Active"

FAQs

How many gift card designs should I have?

Start with 3-5 designs:

  • 1 default (all-purpose, timeless)
  • 2-3 seasonal (holiday, summer, etc.)
  • 1-2 occasion-specific (birthday, thank you)

Expand as needed based on usage and customer feedback.

Can I use the same image as default and seasonal?

Yes, but not recommended. Default should be versatile and timeless, while seasonal can be specific. Using the same limits flexibility.

What if I don't have professional design skills?

Options:

  • Hire freelance designer (Fiverr, Upwork)
  • Use Canva templates for gift cards
  • Purchase stock gift card templates
  • Use company logo on elegant background
  • Contact Kiva Logic for design recommendations

Do I need different images for different certificate amounts?

No - images are amount-agnostic. The email displays the amount separately. One image works for all values.

Can customers choose which design they receive?

Depends on system configuration. Some setups allow purchaser to select design at purchase; others use automatic assignment. Check with administrator.

How often should I update gift card images?

  • Default image: Every 1-2 years or when brand refreshes
  • Seasonal images: Annually or when design feels stale
  • Promotional images: Per campaign
  • Review all images: Quarterly to deactivate outdated designs

What's the difference between inactive and deleted?

  • Inactive: Image hidden from selection but preserved; can reactivate anytime; old certificates still show it
  • Deleted: Permanently removed; cannot recover; may break old certificate display

Can I schedule automatic default changes?

This depends on your system version. Some configurations support scheduled switching; others require manual change. Contact administrator for your specific capability.

Will changing the image affect old gift certificates?

No - certificates sent with an image retain that design forever. Changing or deleting an image only affects new certificates going forward.

What image format is best - PNG or JPG?

  • PNG: Better for graphics with text, logos, or transparent backgrounds
  • JPG: Better for photographs, smaller file size Both work well - choose based on your design content.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.