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  1. #1
    my venus butterfly moschika's Avatar
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    making blank cards

    What are people doing for making blank cards? I've used the cards from Photographer's Edge, where you print a 4x6 then place them in the window. They're nice cards but very time intensive.

    i'm looking for something where I can print a 4x6 image directly to the card, but can't really find anything that will do that for me. I've seen the "cards" that are just an 8x10 sheet folded in half, but that's a really funny shaped card IMO.

  2. #2
    The Polariser fx101's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    Do you mean for getting correct white balance? Usually you're supposed to use grey cards for that. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...IC=KOBGC&Q=&O=
    --The camera's role is not to interfere with the photographer's work--

    --Cibachrome: It's like printing on gold.

    --Edit my photos as part of your commentary if you want to.--

  3. #3
    my venus butterfly moschika's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    i was thinking more like blank greeting cards. guess i shoulda been a bit more specific.

  4. #4
    The Polariser fx101's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    I have some greeting card paper I bought from office-max. I just print on it and cut it to size. If you want any fancy embossing then you'll have to look elsewhere though.
    --The camera's role is not to interfere with the photographer's work--

    --Cibachrome: It's like printing on gold.

    --Edit my photos as part of your commentary if you want to.--

  5. #5
    Learning more with every "click" mjs1973's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    Are you planning on selling your cards, or using them yourself? If you are planning on selling them, how much are you planning on charging for them? I make my own cards, and sell them for $3.

    Here is how I make mine. I buy packs of card stock that is 7x10. Folded, they make a 5x7 card. There are 50 sheets of paper, and 50 envelopes in the pack. I was paying about $6.70/pack of 50 the last time I purchased them. I got these from the craft dept. at Walmart. I run them through a very inexpensive ($50) inkjet printer. I print a border on the front, and my website and "Original Photo by" on the back and leave a place to sign the card. I order a bunch of 4x6 prints from www.mpix.com for 19 cents. I use little squares of double sided tape that I also get from the craft dept at Walmart and stick the photo within the border I printed on the front of the card. I order plastic bags from www.clearbags.com to put the finished product in. I am able to make a card using this method for well under $1 per card. The down side is that it takes time. The upside is, I can make as many or as few cards as I want of any given photo.

    There are companies out there that will print the photo right on the card, but I have found them to be too expensive. I have found that the quantity you have to order of a single print, isn't worth the time savings. I also haven't found a company that can print them as cheaply as I can make them. Mpix will print a pack of 24 5x7 cards for $32.88 plus shipping. That's over $1.50/card, and that is for only 1 print!
    Mike

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    "I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."
    Aldo Leopold

  6. #6
    my venus butterfly moschika's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    i'm planning on selling them. there's a local nursery that has sold my cards in the past.

    i'll have to check this card stock. have you tried printing directly to the card stock? i guess that's what i'm really trying to figure out - how to print directly to the card. but I haven't seen anyone do it, so I wonder if it's possible - seems like it should be a fairly easy thing to do, though i can't seem to figure it out.

  7. #7
    Learning more with every "click" mjs1973's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    I have never tried printing the photo right on the card stock. I'm sure it would work, but I'm not sure if the quality would be that good. If you can find some photo paper in the size you want, I'm sure you would get much better results than printing on card stock. With the price of ink, and photo paper, I'm not sure if it would be cost effective to print them yourself, but something to look into if that's what you want to do.
    Mike

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    "I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view."
    Aldo Leopold

  8. #8
    mod squad gahspidy's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    I had tried the photographers edge stuff too and find that it is not only very time consuming, but they look flimsy and cheap.
    I recently discovered Artist Cards from Crane/Museo http://www.museofineart.com/artistcards.aspx

    I use the large (#9, A9) stock. It comes in a 50 package with 50 envelopes for about 35.00 from Adorama ( www.adorama.com )
    They are elegant, high quailty stock with pre scored center for folding. their website offers printer profiles for the card stock as well as a template for setting up the image on the paper. I have great print results from the cards. I set up an image with a double border, then I set up my text on the back and can then run off as many copies as I want.
    With printing cost, it comes out to about a dollar a card. A really excellent value for a quality custom card.
    please do not edit and repost my photos


    gary


  9. #9
    The Polariser fx101's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    Quote Originally Posted by mjs1973
    I have never tried printing the photo right on the card stock. I'm sure it would work, but I'm not sure if the quality would be that good. If you can find some photo paper in the size you want, I'm sure you would get much better results than printing on card stock. With the price of ink, and photo paper, I'm not sure if it would be cost effective to print them yourself, but something to look into if that's what you want to do.
    My printer works fine on the cardstock. Just make sure to set your ink volume to "low" so it doesn't bleed on the paper.
    --The camera's role is not to interfere with the photographer's work--

    --Cibachrome: It's like printing on gold.

    --Edit my photos as part of your commentary if you want to.--

  10. #10
    my venus butterfly moschika's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    so with these you can print directly to the card without special software? or what software do you need?

  11. #11
    The Polariser fx101's Avatar
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    Re: making blank cards

    Quote Originally Posted by moschika
    so with these you can print directly to the card without special software? or what software do you need?
    Depends on the size. Usually you just make a document in your preferred layout program (word or indesign) and then you print it to the paper (your print driver should allow you to select the correct paper size).
    --The camera's role is not to interfere with the photographer's work--

    --Cibachrome: It's like printing on gold.

    --Edit my photos as part of your commentary if you want to.--

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