Great Card & Illustration Tips

Card Design Tips, by Heather Castles

Green Design Tips, by Heather Castles

Tips & Resources for Illustrators, by Heather Castles

Contest for Free Greeting Card book!

Submit your favorite Card Design Tip to be posted on this blog. Whoever sends the most unusual tip will receive a copy of the Greeting Card Book By the Batch by Judi Kauffman. Afterward, tips will be posted here. Deadline June 10th. Submit a many as you want.

Book "By the Batch" Great for Card Manufacturers

Book Review: By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More

Having spent over a decade running a handmade greeting card business, and teaching about it, I've yet to see a book that addresses how to "manufacture" handmade greeting cards, so you can actually make a living doing it.

The book "By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes and More" by Judi Kauffman is oriented towards the hobbyist who wants to make batches of cards for invitations, trading, or holidays, but it's also useful as a beginner's guide to producing cards in quantities, and how to create a set of cards with unifying themes.

For anyone who is seriously considering starting a handmade card business, I would recommend using this book as a workbook of lessons to learn about different methods you might use to mass produce your cards. It's possible you might find one media easier to manufacture, than the one you're currently using.

The book discusses how to set up a work table, make supplies last, buy in bulk, and has suggestions on how to work in small spaces. A variety of media are explored such as collage, velvet, polymer, embossing, stamping and several others. There are professional color photos of people actually "making" the cards step by step, along with samples of finished product.

I thought one of the most helpful and interesting parts of the book was the 13 pages of layout diagrams that show how to work with the challenging limitations of the standard greeting card dimension (see samples).

I contacted the author, Judi Kauffman, and asked her what her goals were when she wrote the book. She said she wanted to prove that when making cards, "easy isn't cheating", and that making one-of-a-kind cards in series can be fast, efficient, and fun. Her aim was to offer theory and technique, and at the same time share her tips, and describe how to use foolproof layouts. Then card designers can use the book as a starting point, and head in their own direction.

More info on Amazon: By the Batch: Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes & More

Great Card Submission Tips

I ran across this site Illustration Castle, by Heather Castles, and it has great advice for submitting designs to companies.

How to Mail Promos of Your Designs to Card Companies

If a card publisher does not accept design submissions digitally, here are some tips for sending your designs the the U.S. mail.

A simple, inexpensive way to reach out to different card publishers, is by compiling a a folder of your designs. Make a practice of doing research, selecting your ideal companies, and then mailing out a packet periodically. Try to Include the following items, and remember to put your contact information on every item in the folder.


1. Any articles or ads about you and your art.

2. It's nice to show a photo of your cards in a group on a shelf. If you don't have a card rack, visit a local store and see if they will give you permission to do a quick photo of your cards on 'their' shelf. Give them your samples to keep as a thank you gift before you leave.

3. Glossy pages with photos of your card line. Include 3 or 4 of these sheets if possible. You could put a different "family" of designs, with the same look, on each sheet. (Christmas, Spring, Pastels, etc). You can also include an artist statement or short resume in this section.

4. Real card samples.

5. Glue on business card (versus sticking it in tabs). They won't fall out and it looks more attractive.

6. Instead of typing up a formal introduction, paper clip a handwritten note on card stock. People are more likely to read a quick personal note rather than a long intro letter.

7. If possible, include a CD of your card images. Label with name, contact information, business name and card line theme (floral, humor, birthday, etc). Put these in jpeg or low resolution formats, so they don't get accidentally forwarded by email and then printed by someone you don't know.

It's easy to make a sticker, or glue on a piece of paper onto the front of your folder to make it look attractive. You don't have to pay to have them printed. Print a dozen from your computer.

Use a glossy folder, and avoid flimsy thin paper folders. Also avoid folders with spine clips, unless you plan on converting your folder into a book style portfolio.

If you have a lot of design ideas, and don't want to flood your folder with too much paperwork, you can scatter cards on the table, photograph it, reduce the size and print it out on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of glossy photo paper.

~

Greeting Card Business ebooks.

You can support this blog by ordering Kate's eBooks starting at only .99 cents! 

They can be read on your kindle, ipad, ipod, cellphone, or your computer.  

Unusual Ways to Market Your Greeting Cards and 22 Places to Get Your Designs Featured A booklet on how to get your cards noticed in non-traditional ways. Everything from why you should send cards to your dentist, to how to get special features in national publications. Great tips for designers who are starting out and want to get their cards into the hands of people beyond friends and family. Special Section: Submissions guidelines and contacts for 22 Gift Industry publications and professional gift industry blogs that seek out new greeting card designs to feature for free.

7 Mistakes Greeting Card Writers Make Booklet on common mistakes greeting card writers make and what to avoid when submitting greeting card verse to publishers. Today, greeting card publishers are shying away from traditional stereotypes, and may even include pets as family members. This article talks about how to create a trendy card that reflects the contemporary world we live in, and how to use our own personal experiences to create great card verse. Topics include: how to avoid limiting the market of who could buy your card, when to use adjectives, how not to creating card for enemies, how to write like people talk and a list of why card sentiment submissions are often rejected. The good news is you can increase your odds of success by 60% by doing a few simple things. 

20 Steps to Art Licensing: How to Sell Your Designs to Card and Gift Companies A booklet on how to license your art to companies that publish greeting cards, and manufacture coffee mugs, magnets, wall hangings, kitchen items, and dozens of other gift items. This booklet covers 20 basic steps from how to prepare your art, to what companies to contact. It includes topics on: How to find agents, classes and what trade shows to attend. There are extensive resources on social media, licensing community groups, copyrights, and lists of interviews with professional designers.

Get Your Greeting Cards Into Stores: How to Find and Work With Sales Reps If you already make your own greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores and sell them sell nationwide. Included are guidelines on: how to price your cards for a profit, how to get professional feedback, where to find a sales representative and and what industry standards you should follow. All the information is also applicable to gift items, such as magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc. Chapter topics: Getting Professional Feedback, Getting Your First Account, Pricing and Profits, Sales Reps 101, Where to Find Reps, Rep Readiness Checklist, Pitching Your Line to a Rep and Working With Reps. 

Greeting Card Class

You can also sign up for the class called 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.

Register here. 

~

Cards: What to Write About

So what is the best way to create greeting card verse? Imagine yourself sitting at the kitchen table across from you best. Ask: What kinds of things do we care about? What is crazy but funny about the world we live in today? Grocery store lines, day care, politics or jobs can all be strong topics to write about.

Research as shown that the text on a card is the most important factor customers consider when purchasing a card, the price and art are secondary.

Just like reaching across your kitchen table to hold a friend's hand, writing greeting card verse is the same. The only difference is that you are reaching across the world and touching complete strangers with your words.

Inspiration, love, hope, sympathy and gratitude expressed on cards, come from the heartfelt words of a writer, an important person in the greeting card business.
(photo credit: salvagenation)

Also see:

CARD WRITING

Booklet on 7 Mistakes Greeting Card Writers Make A list of 7 things to avoid when submitting greeting card verse to publishers.

Includes a list of card publishers and their guidelines, links to writer interviews, articles, card samples and other current resources. 20-page booklet and 2,300 words and 8 Pages of Card Samples.


Thanks for helping to support this Blog

~

Mistakes Greeting Card Writers Make Part 7

7. Haven't Read Guidelines

Most greeting card submissions are rejected for a very simple,
avoidable reason: The writer did not read the guidelines. For
example, some guidelines state that all card verse must be submitted
on index cards and be under twenty words. If you submit a lengthy
poem on a sheet of paper, this shows the publisher you have not taken
the time to request and read the guidelines.

Also see:

CARD WRITING

Booklet on 7 Mistakes Greeting Card Writers Make A list of 7 things to avoid when submitting greeting card verse to publishers.

Includes a list of card publishers and their guidelines, links to writer interviews, articles, card samples and other current resources. 20-page booklet and 2,300 words and 8 Pages of Card Samples.


Thanks for helping to support this Blog

~