Your support of your friends and loved ones takes many forms, but it’s good sense to leave behind a calling card, too. Our online cards of encouragement offer a few heartening words during life’s trials, both small and large. (Plus, free online encouragement cards make sending your priceless sentiments easier on your bank account if your words are all you have to give.) In relatively untroubled times, send an early cheer of support with light-hearted illustrated designs. A collection of beets and other earthy garden pals make “rooting” for a friend a group affair, but you can also assemble a backup choir of songbirds and slightly less tuneful forest friends. For those with drier sensibilities, Ashkahn’s humorous doodles let you show your support with a bit of wry silliness. (Under that tough exterior lays a real softie, after all.) Mr. Boddington’s Studio offers a few designs with their signature quirky wit to leaven your cheerful tenor. If you’d prefer to set your sights on the competition, torch ‘em with a funny card featuring a few burnt pieces of toast. Sweet victory awaits, we’re sure, and you can send your friend a design inspired by a victor’s pennant flag.

Should your friends circumstances require a bit more seriousness, you’ll find cards of encouragement for bigger tribulations. There are plenty of illustrated words of support are a balm during the messy, transcendent, and sometimes uncomfortably real moments of your loved ones’ lives. Include a heartfelt note to let them know you are there for whatever they need.

Once you’ve found a design that fits your sentiments, customize your card with the online design tool. You can pick out new fonts and text colors for the message you’ll craft and accompany your card’s online delivery with a matching envelope liner or backdrop. Once your design has been perfected, sending your card is a simple as finding your friend’s email address. If you’re a regular user, it’s likely saved in the online address book, but you can also import their contact info from your own webmail accounts. After your friend makes it over the finish line, send a congratulations card to celebrate their newest achievement. Good follow-through is key, after all.