The Greeting Card Business: 101

Card Design Tips

Learn about the fundamentals of card design.

Greeting Card Sales Stats

Greeting Card Design Tips

Things to avoid in Card Design

Greeting Card Association Artist Guidelines

You know you are a greeting card designer when…

Starting a Card Business

Learn how to manufacture and sell your cards to retail stores.

How to Present Your Card Line

Test Marketing Your Card Line

Getting Your First Greeting Card Account

Getting Professional Feedback on Your Card Line

Pricing Your Cards

Pricing and Profits: The Tale of 2 Greeting Card Businesses

Good News for Indie Card Artists: New Sales Trends

Online Class: Design and Sell Your Own Cards

Starting a Card Line on Your Own

Backcopy:What to print on the back of your cards

List of Books on the Greeting Card Business

Book Review: How to Run a Greeting Card Business

Book Review: Pushing the Envelope

Setting up Card Ordering Codes

All About Envelopes

Greeting Card Quiz: How much do you know about the industry?

Ginger McCleskey, Greeting Card Rep, Talks about Trends

Greeting Card Buying Statistics 
 

Marketing Cards

Learn how to market cards.

12 Unusual Ways To Market Your Greeting Cards

List of Trade Shows for Greeting Card & Gift Designers

How to Sell Art Through Social Media

List of Trade Magazines for Card and Gift Industry

How to Use Email to Sell Art & Get Leads

How to Sell Designs Online: Jude Maceren

Venues for Selling Greeting Cards Online

How to Find Greeting Card Sales Reps

The Handmade Card Business
Learn how to run a thriving handmade card business.

How to make a living in the Handmade Card Business

How to Set Up a Handmade Card Factory

Making Cards: Questions to Ask

Simplify Card Making for a Profit

Paying People to Make Your Cards

3 Parts of a Greeting Card

8 Advantages of the Handmade Card Business

Interview with Former Greetings etc. Editor, Kathy Krassner

Handmade Greeting Card Business Directory

Card Writing
Learn How to Write Greeting Card Sentiments.

Meet the Master of Greeting Card Writing

Audio Interview: Getting into the Greeting Card Writing Market

How Poets Can Write Greeting Card Verse

Interview with Hallmark Card Writer

Artist & Writer Submission Guidelines for Card Companies

Breaking into the Greeting Card Writing Market

How to Write Greeting Card Verse (VIDEO)

7 Mistakes Card Writers Make

 Licensing Your Designs to Companies
Learn how to license your designs to publishers.

Submission Guidelines for Card Companies

How to Mail Promos of Your Designs to Card Companies

How to Organize Greeting Card Submissions

How to get Started in Art Licensing

How to Make a Good "Art Licensing Website."

How to Deal With Rejection: Tips for Card Designers

Resources on Greeting Cards and Licensing

Greeting Card Licensing Information from the UK 

List of Licensing Agents in the US

Support
Learn how artists manage their time and set goals.

How to Make Time for Art

How to Start a Buddy Meeting System

How to Start an Art Licensing Support Group

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Books - The Greeting Card Business

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Get Your Greeting Cards Into Stores: How to Find and Work With Sales Reps (Updated 2017 paperback) If you like to make greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them nationwide.  Learn about changing trends in the indie card market and niche opportunities available for artists. Book includes detailed guidelines on pricing cards for a profit, getting professional feedback on your designs, finding sales representatives, pitching your card line to them, approaching stores, and the industry standards you should follow. Information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals and calendars.

Start and Run a Greeting Card Business From a British author, whose country has a long history of greeting card design, she takes you step-by-step through the process of starting and running your business with lots of useful practical advice to help you, including: - Deciding what type of cards to produce - Finding your market - Dealing with printers - Copyright and licensing - Pricing and profit. Kate's note: Some specs are different (card sizes) since it is UK standards.

Greeting Card Design This volume features a vast array of fun, elegant, simple and imaginative greeting cards designed by internationally-known artists, illustrators and calligraphers. With over 300 full-color photographs of creative, popular, and inspiring greeting card designs, this invaluable sourcebook showcases the very best of what is happening in the industry today. Accompanying text explores the history of the greeting card industry and examines the major contributions from the leading innovative companies.

Dealing With Rejection: Tips for Card Designers

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Dealing With Rejection (Part 1 of 5)

You've decided to start a card business and you've been working on designs for six weeks. Your friends love them. Your mom loves them. Your coworkers love them. You think they'll be hot sellers.

In your car, on the way to the printer, you decide to stop by the local card store to show them to Sally, the owner.

With a smile, you pull out your cards and wait for Sally's reaction….but slowly, like a candle melting in Death Valley, you can see it in her face... she doesn't like them.

Your heart hits the ground as she tells you what all the problems are, but you don’t hear anything because your stomach hurts, even though she continues to give you great advice for the next 10 minutes.

Rejection hurts. You slowly wrap up the cards, put them back in your bag, and decide on the spot you want to go back to school and become a radiology technician.

WAIT....STOP! REWIND this story. What happened here?
This isn't a story about rejection. This is a story about an artist who doesn’t know what to do when their designs are rejected.

Book on strategies.

Remember, rejection is not a bad thing. It's a great opportunity to learn from an expert!

Most professionals in the card industry are happy to help artists who are willing to adjust and try new things. Ask Sally what your next step should be. Just like envelopes and paper are part of the card business, so is rejection.

Your goal in card design, is to get emotionally close to your customer. Rejection by a store can help you steer your art towards knowing your customer. Just make sure you never leave a meeting without a notebook full of advice. Find out WHY you were rejected. Otherwise, rejection will only be experienced as something negative.

In the story above, imagine what would've happened if the artist just drove to the printer first, and not the card store? Not only would she experience rejection, but she also would have lost money by printing a poor design! This artist was really smart to seek out professional advice, and not just limit it to family and friends.

I experienced similar feelings when I started my business. My first two card lines were rejected, but I went on to try a third, a forth and a fifth, a sixth, most of which were successful. Store buyers were even willing to meet with me after hours and help me. The more I tried, the better things got.

If you are ready to give up and go to radiology school, first stop and ask yourself these ten questions below, so you can learn how to deal with rejection in a more rational way.

10 Questions to ask when you're Rejected
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Part 1
Introduction

Part 2
Tip 1: Are you approaching the right market?
Tip 2: Are you trying to sell handmade cards to a drugstore chain, or in a rural area?
Tip 3: Did you get feedback on "why not"?

Part 3
Tip 4: Is this just one person's opinion?
Tip 5: Are you taking rejection personally?
Tip 6: Are you willing to make adjustments?

Part 4
Tip 7: Have you thought about luck and timing?
Tip 8: Are you making weekly goals?
Tip 9: Are you in the waiting phase?

Part 5
Tip 10: Who in your life really wants you to succeed?

~

Venues for Selling Greeting Cards Online

As the greeting card industry changes, I've noticed a dramatic expansion of cards being sold online in a variety of ways: through apps, crowdsourcing, Print-on-demand, and eStores.

These are venuse for card designers to sell cards, and others seek out submissions from designers. This list is a result of recommendations by people who have used them.

*Please note:  Website links can often change. If a link does not work, do a simple search on Google for the Venue

eStores: Artist to Consumer Venues

These companies usually allow an artist to post their cards on their site and then when a customer orders, the artist makes and ships the cards.

Etsy
http://www.etsy.com/
 Artist sets price and ships product. Artist pays fees for website usage and sales commission.

Lilyshop
http://www.lilyshop.com/
Artist sets price and ships product. Artist pays site a sales commission.

Bonanza
http://www.bonanza.com/
Artist sets price and ships product. Artist pays site a sales commission.

Written Cards
www.WrittenCards.com
Submission Guidelines: http://www.writtencards.com/how-it-works.html

LOL Cards
http://www.lolcard.co.uk/index.php
Submissions: http://www.lolcard.co.uk/submit-card_design.php 
10% Commission.

Print on Demand Card Venues (POD)

These companies allow artists to post card designs on their website.  When a customer orders, the POD company makes and ships the cards.

Greeting Card Universe
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/
Submit: http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/about/questions.asp
Artist is paid percentage of units sold.

Cafe Press
http://www.cafepress.com/
Submit: http://www.cafepress.com/uploaddesign
Artist receives profit after manufacturing cost.  Some fees apply for premium memberships.

Zazzle
http://www.zazzle.com/ 
Submit: http://www.zazzle.com/sell
Artist receives royalty from sales. POD that sells everything you could think of. Free to set up and sell, Set your own pricing, and return policy. Had good results with very little work.

Zoggin
http://www.zoggin.com/index.php

Society6
www.society6.com
iPhone cases, tshirts, art prints, notecards, tote bags

Fine art America
www.fineartamerica.com
Allows one to sell originals or prints. You can also use their marketing services and POD.

Moo
http://us.moo.com/
Allows you to print different greeting cards on every card in the run (starts at 25)

Red Bubble
http://www.redbubble.com/

App Makers

These companies usually sell cards through apps on mobile devices. Designs are usually curated and selected by the app makers. Many companies allow the customer to write card text and pay to have it mailed, stamped and sent to the recipient. Many of the app makers also have a companion website for ordering.


Felt
http://www.feltapp.com/
Send an email to design@feltapp.com
Your email should include: 6 card designs and a short statement about why your creative genius and why Felt app is a good fit for you.

Thankster
http://www.thankster.com/
submit: http://www.thankster.com/contents/view/submit_yours

Just Wink
https://www.justwink.com/app
Submit to American Greetings http://corporate.americangreetings.com/contact.html

FStop
http://www.fstopimages.com/
License: http://www.fstopimages.com/pages/license-images/
Submit: http://www.fstopimages.com/pages/submit/



Additional Card App Companies  (Guidelines Not Available At This Time):

Sincerely http://sincerely.com/contact
Red Stamp https://www.redstamp.com/
Artogram http://www.artogramapp.com/  
Ecard Express http://www.ecardexpress.ca/
Bucketlabs http://www.bucketlabs.net/  
Cartolina http://www.cartolinaapps.com/
fStop http://www.fstopimages.com/fcardsinfo/

Call-Outs

These companies post projects by clients who are looking for a designer. Theses companies have greeting card and stationery categories.

* Design Crowd
http://www.designcrowd.com/
Submissions: http://designers.designcrowd.com/stationery
Has a stationery category.

99 Designs
How to submit your designs.
Connecting designers to freelance work.

Crowdsourcing

These companies usually curate what designs they promote.  They often have design challenges for artists and will feature, print and sell a design based on what their website fans vote for.

Minted
http://www.minted.com/
Submissions: http://www.minted.com/contest
Cash award plus 6% royalty.

ModCloth
Type in "cards" in the search bar.
http://www.modcloth.com/
Submissions:http://blog.modcloth.com/category/news-contests/

Threadless
https://www.threadless.com/

~

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Greeting Card Books

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Get Your Greeting Cards Into Stores: How to Find and Work With Sales Reps (Updated 2017 paperback) If you like to make greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them nationwide.  Learn about changing trends in the indie card market and niche opportunities available for artists. Book includes detailed guidelines on pricing cards for a profit, getting professional feedback on your designs, finding sales representatives, pitching your card line to them, approaching stores, and the industry standards you should follow. Information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals and calendars.

Start and Run a Greeting Card Business From a British author, whose country has a long history of greeting card design, she takes you step-by-step through the process of starting and running your business with lots of useful practical advice to help you, including: - Deciding what type of cards to produce - Finding your market - Dealing with printers - Copyright and licensing - Pricing and profit. Kate's note: Some specs are different (card sizes) since it is UK standards.

Greeting Card Design This volume features a vast array of fun, elegant, simple and imaginative greeting cards designed by internationally-known artists, illustrators and calligraphers. With over 300 full-color photographs of creative, popular, and inspiring greeting card designs, this invaluable sourcebook showcases the very best of what is happening in the industry today. Accompanying text explores the history of the greeting card industry and examines the major contributions from the leading innovative companies.

~

Getting into the Greeting Card Business: New Online Class

I have collaborated with skillshare.com to create an online course on Getting into the Greeting Card Business.  The content is based on my experience of working in the industry for over 20 years, and from publishing over 1,000 cards.


When: 
Anytime. Class is self-paced with student/teacher feedback on your final project in the skillshare gallery.

How to Register: 

Register here. 

Cost:  $20

In this class you will learn:

• The fundamentals of professional card design.
• Transforming art into a greeting card.
• Writing sentiments.
• Making designs "market-ready" according to industry standards.
• Top selling occasions.
• How to turn one card into a larger "collection".
• How to make a card out of any image.
• Handmade cards.
• Where and how to sell cards (including online).
• Licensing art on cards.
• Manufacturing and distributing nationally.

The class includes:

• 8 Units
• 14 videos
• 39 steps
• Final project
• Feedback

Meeting with an Artist by Video!

I had a nice video meeting with artist Carol Grace Anderson yesterday. We spent time evaluating her card line and looking at ways to expand it.

Here is one of my favorite cards of hers.  It follows important greeting card guidelines: Bright Colors, text on the top third, and clear message.  I also like her texture and color blending.  It makes your eye move around the card.

You can see more of her work at www.HipGreetingCards.com

Learn more about Online Greeting Card Video Meetings for artists.

Inside Text:  With God, all things are possible. 

~ 

35 Free Photoshop Tutorials

Here are some interesting photoshop tutorials on dzineblog.
Check out the list at http://www.dzineblog360.com/2013/06/35-newly-released-free-photoshop-tutorials-of-2013/

Here are some examples:

Making Poster Mockups

Matte Paintings

Texturing Text

Exchanging Greeting Card Advice for Yoga!

Because I write a blog about the greeting card business, artists often write to me and ask if they can pay me to consult with them on their card business.

I often volunteer my time helping people through quick emails -- but I really can't afford the time to talk to someone.  Otherwise, I'd be volunteering full-time.

In general, I feel a bit uncomfortable asking people to pay for my advice.  I'm not really an industry expert, I'm more of a learn-by-trial and error hacker designer.  I started out running a handmade card business for fifteen years and then transitioned into licensing.  Nowhere in my college were either of these courses offered (joke), so I had to learn on my own.

Awhile back, someone made me a funny offer.  They said they'd give me an Amazon gift card, if I would just chat with them on the phone for 30 minutes.

This request made me laugh out loud (since I'm a big Amazon fan), so I agreed just for the heck of it, and with that gift card I bought art books. This experience felt like a gift exchange, and I found it refreshing.

A week later, another artist contacted me, wanting to pay for a consultation. Normally I would have referred her to a professional gift industry consultant, but since her greeting card business obstacles seemed easy to resolve in a conversation, I suggested we try another "Amazon Barter".

I didn't put a fee on my time.  I let her decide what my advice was worth to her, and then she could apply it to an Amazon gift card. With her generous gift, I was able to buy $100 worth of yoga equipment, books and a DVD.

Now every time I do yoga, I think of Sara at Paper Loop http://www.paper-loop.com/

Both of these experiences were a fulfilling exchange, especially since I don't feel any pressure to perform as an "industry expert".  I can just say what I think, based on my own business experience in the card industry.

If giving greeting card advice helps me do more yoga and art, well... HEY, I'm all for that!

Graduation Card for Techies

Here is a sample from Leanin' Tree of my new graduation card.

My New Check Designs

Just received proofs today of my check designs today.  They are now live at CheckAdvantage.

How to Send Large Files Digitally

Here's an important article by Joan Beiriger on sending large art files:

Art Licensing: How to Transfer Multiple & Large Hi-Res Files

[article excerpt] "...If three or more images are requested, they usually cannot be sent in one e-mail because it will most likely be rejected by the e-mail carrier. And, if a large Hi-Res layered Adobe Photoshop image needs to be sent it may be at least 250MB in size that is impossible to transfer via e-mail... " continue reading.

~ 

Publish Your Own Children's "E-Book"

If you have designed a children's book and can't get the attention of a publisher, consider publishing it yourself and selling it in an eBookstore (Amazon, Apple iBookstore, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, etc). 

If you want to see what an ebook looks like on an eReader, download some free children's books and see what others are doing. 

If you don't have a Kindle, all you need to do is download a free app so you can read them on almost any other device (tablets, cellphones, desktop computers). 

These are the top free children's books today on Amazon.  Since they are free, it is a good way to preview how other people have designed and published children's ebooks. To see a list of the top 100 free Children's books on Animals, make sure you look at the list on the RIGHT that says "Top 100 Free." Then download them.

Note: Free book listings change daily.  

 How to Download a free children's ebook:

1. Go to the page with free listings on the right side.. 

2. Click on a book you like, and then select where you want it to be delivered.  In this sample, I can choose where I want to read it (on a variety of multiple devices and on my computer).  In this example below, I'm selecting my Kindle.

4. If you don't have a kindle or any of these listing available, then download a free app to read on multiple devices.

Learn more about self publishing ebooks

1.check out this free guide:

2. Read article about Patti Gay publishing her first children's ebook:

Artist Publishes Children's book for E-Readers (Kindle and Nook)

Please Steal This Art #3

Instead of a "bad hair" day, have you ever have a "bad art" day? Here's a little inspiration when things feel frustrating.  Feel free to  print out, pass on, edit, or put on your website or blog.
: ) -Kate

Have you filed your copyright?

Have you filed your copyrights for all the art you've created this year? For only $35 you can file your images digitally online at http://www.copyright.gov/eco/




Kate's tips:

• Have the Tutorial open on your screen while you go through the application process, otherwise it's easy to get sidetracked and go down the wrong road, especially when a lot of their examples are oriented towards musicians & video producers.

• There is a hour time limit for downloading, so it's best to have your art ready before you get on the site. Make copies of your art files, reduce their file sizes and put them all in one folder on the desktop. That way, they are ready to download and easy to find. I reduced each image down to 100-500K range.

Have any tips of your own? Leave them in the comments below or write to me directly and I'll add them on this post.

Before using the service, read

eCO Acceptable File Types,

eCO Tips,

eCO FAQs, or eCO Tutorial (PowerPoint) eCO Tutorial (PDF).

For recently added features, see eCO Updates

Articles on Copyrights

Fear of Getting Your Art Stolen? Look at the Numbers

How to Register You Copyrights Digitally

Artist Protects Copyright Through Twitter

The 10 Key Points That Must Be In Every Licensing Agreement

Protecting Your Designs with Watermark Tools

Photoshop Tip: How to create a customized signature brush

Protecting Your Art: Interview with Alyson B. Stanfield

How to protect your assets in a licensing agreement

Free Booklets from the Copyright Office

PDF Copyright BasicsPDF Registering a Copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office
PDF Make Sure Your Application Will Be Acceptable
PDF Cartoons and Comic Strips
PDF Have a Question About Copyright Registration?
PDF Make Sure Your Application Will Be Acceptable
PDF Publications on Copyright
PDF Copyright Notice

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Copyright Books for Artists

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The Copyright Zone: A Legal Guide For Photographers and Artists In The Digital Age If you license or publish images, this guide is as indispensable as your camera. It provides specific information on the legal rights of photographers, illustrators, artists, covering intellectual property, copyright, and business concerns in an easy-to-read, accessible manner. The Copyright Zone, Second Edition covers: what is and isn’t copyrightable, copyright registration, fair use, model releases, contracts and invoices, pricing and negotiation, and much more. 






Legal Guide for the Visual Artist This book provides legal guidance for any visual artist involved with creative work. Topics covered: developments in copyright, artists in artist-gallery relationships, First Amendment protections for graffiti art and the sale of art in public spaces, cases dealing with art and privacy, model contract for Web site design. The book also covers copyrights, moral rights, contracts, licensing, sales, special risks and protections for art and artists, book publishing, video and multimedia works, leases, taxation, estate planning, museums, collecting, grants, and how to find the best professional advisers and attorneys. In addition, the book teaches strategies for negotiation, gives information to help with further action, contains many sample legal forms and contracts, and shows how to locate artists' groups and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organizations. 

--

How Customize Keyboard Shortcuts in Photoshop

Check out this great article that explains how to make personalized keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop.  It's a great step-by-step explanation with graphics.

Go to:  http://designmodo.com/customize-keyboard-shortcuts-photoshop/ on the designmodo website.

(sample visual)

How to Resize Multiple Images via Batch Processing

Another great how-to article by Joan Beiriger's Blog on Art Licensing.  Check it out.  Here's an excerpt:

There are times an artist needs to change the file size, file format, add a signature, logo or watermark on multiple images for the following purposes:
• e-mail attachments to manufacturers for licensing consideration
• a manufacturer request for presentation to their client(s)
• low resolution standard size images for websites
• a marketing slide show for youtube.com
• iPhoto library that will be transferred to iPad
• photo/image-sharing websites like drop box
• sent to printing services
• sent to a publication for a press release or an advertisement
• auction/sale websites such as eBay and Etsy

Doing these tasks one file at a time is boring and time consuming. However, using batch processing software that allows multiple steps to be applied to many files at once is fast and easy.

Adobe Photoshop allows a person to do custom batch processing by using the Action and Batch commands to program exactly what is needed. Turnkey software (pre-built software for immediate use) performs certain tasks such as resizing images and reformatting files.  Article continued...

25 Amazing Photoshop Tutorials

Here's a good article on Umagazine.  Check it out: http://urdu-mag.com/blog/2012/11/25-amazing-photoshop-photo-manipulation-tutorials/

Here are 2 of the 25:

How To Design Freestyle Human Portrait Manipulation in Photoshop with Brush Painting and Layer Masking




 How To Design Vintage Artwork with Old Newspaper and Watercolor Brush in Photoshop

 

Follow Me Through the Papergirl Art Show (1 minute)

Follow me through the Papergirl art show at the Incline Gallery in San Francisco (I'm in the green jacket with backpack).

This will give you a sense walking through three stories of art held up with clothespins on inclined walls amidst fans who like to ride bicycles (1 minute).

My Street Art on a Berkeley Utility Box

The City of Berkeley has decorated their utility boxes with art through a program called Street's Alive. The only requirement is the theme had to have something to do with "sustainability."Me and my friend Marie both were awarded grants to do this. (Yes, you've heard Marie before  when we painted fire hydrants). The only requirement is the theme had to have something to do with "sustainability."

 It goes to show you, if you just APPLY to art call-outs, you will get them!

Here are the results:

TITLE: Four Contemplations

~

This art is actually a thin film that was digitally generated from the art. It is then glued onto the box.  

It is easier to clean, the art is protected, and it can be regenerated in case of damage.

 

View of street, intersection of University Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Right across from Trader Joe's  (in the background)! 

ARTIST STATEMENT (We were asked to write one)

If we could see the end result of every small action we take everyday, our entire world would change. This is because our behavior would change. This is why I like to use words in my art: so that we can reflect on our actions, even if it is just for one second.
I put four contemplations in four directions on my box, to greet four types of people at a busy intersection:

• "Be Mindful" is for the pedestrian approaching the intersection, to remind them that even simple tasks are best done with great attention.
• "Be Courageous" is for cyclists and drivers waiting at the stop signal, who might be distracted by challenges they are facing.
• "Be a Steward of the Earth" is for the lingerer who might stop to look at the art, and wants to think more carefully about their actions and why they matter.
• "You Can Make a Difference" is for the pedestrian who just finished crossing the street, who now can leap forward with confidence.

(photos by Peter Mui)