business cards....input please

[Asylum Steve]

Steve, I love the design of your zeroes and ones.

I only steal design elements from the best...

[adina]

The one with the photos is very nice. However, granted that the final printed product is like 2x3.5, how small are some of those going to get? If you were doing like a postcard or something, they might stand out more, but I think at business card size, they are going to be pretty tiny.

[Speed]

o.k. so after reading everyone's comments and suggestions i realized not only were you confused...I realized I was confused...decided I really don't want to be known as a designer because I really would hate to that for a living----so I am once a gain a photographer with a flair for art...so enough said...how's this for a take two...

too much not enough...o.k. anymore ideas and input GREATLY appreciated since now I'm back to where I was before...on this my like fifteenth(no joke---I've been trying to pick a card for over a year....) attempt to define myself by a 2x3.5" piece of paper

all comments welcome and appreciated

I love it!!!!

I say go with it!

[natatbeach]

I see what you guys(Brian and Steve) mean about color...makes sense...

before I forget Lavalamp thanks for the advice ;) you made it unanimous

I also see what you mean adina about the images...I've attached a business card size one I think it reads well enough....at the least they'll say "wacko freak---what photographer takes teeny tiny pics---she must have a teeny tiny camera---let me check her out" Actually thanks for the idea of postcards...good way to advertise inexpensively.

Steve---surely you aren't trying to get me to push myself creatively...I refuse to ...i am content in mediocrity and blandness ...so I met you half way and changed it to a blue scale HA! if I get time I'll consider chnaging it around and maybe pushing my creative capabilities ;) being hispanic and all if I could find a way to attch gold lame to it I would...but I feel the need to keep it simple for the great north

Speed---- I love you...you know that.... ;)

here's another go....

[opus]

I think that all the photos work at that small size because each one has only ONE very strong element that you're trying to express ... mainly, people, in poses that show what kinds of events you prefer.

I think it works very well, even at such a small size. You're not looking for critique on each photo from this card, you're trying to convey information as quickly as possible. This card accomplishes that.

About the text on the back though ... when a tint of a color is printed, it becomes a series of very small dots, with white space in between each. Having white text knocking out the tint, and also having the same color value at varying degrees of tint, is very hard to read on a light tint, because the dots don't give the text a straight and crisp edge.

So you're putting an obstacle between the information and the viewer, which causes a very subconscious negative reaction. Could cost you business.

That's JMO. Hope you understood this. I'm better at knowing the concept than I am at expressing it.

[natatbeach]

someone's eyes don't want to have to work so hard to read info...if it's the first connection is negative that stays in the mind much longer than any of the images...right?

I didn't even think about how obnoxious light on light might be to read...hmmm

thanks Kelly

[almo]

o.k. so after reading everyone's comments and suggestions i realized not only were you confused...I realized I was confused...decided I really don't want to be known as a designer because I really would hate to that for a living----so I am once a gain a photographer with a flair for art...so enough said...how's this for a take two...

too much not enough...o.k. anymore ideas and input GREATLY appreciated since now I'm back to where I was before...on this my like fifteenth(no joke---I've been trying to pick a card for over a year....) attempt to define myself by a 2x3.5" piece of paper

all comments welcome and appreciated

OOOOWWW!!! i LOVE THE ONE WITH ALL THE LIL' PICS ON IT. tHAT WITH THE OTHER FOR THE BACK IS PERFECT!


Oopps! Sorry bout the caps, but I am to lazy to change it. I would rather just type this even longer scentence explaining it. Geeze I'm dumb.

GO NAT GO!

[almo]

I see what you guys(Brian and Steve) mean about color...makes sense...

before I forget Lavalamp thanks for the advice ;) you made it unanimous

I also see what you mean adina about the images...I've attached a business card size one I think it reads well enough....at the least they'll say "wacko freak---what photographer takes teeny tiny pics---she must have a teeny tiny camera---let me check her out" Actually thanks for the idea of postcards...good way to advertise inexpensively.

Steve---surely you aren't trying to get me to push myself creatively...I refuse to ...i am content in mediocrity and blandness ...so I met you half way and changed it to a blue scale HA! if I get time I'll consider chnaging it around and maybe pushing my creative capabilities ;) being hispanic and all if I could find a way to attch gold lame to it I would...but I feel the need to keep it simple for the great north

Speed---- I love you...you know that.... ;)

here's another go....

Dood! Thats even better. Love the pastle blue! You go girl!

[opus]

ooh, nat, you could make it work if you chose a Pantone ink color that at 100% was still light blue. Then you'd choose another ink that was darker, and you could make tints of that color if you wanted and overlay it on top (and have knockouts). You'd basically have a two color card, only you'd be using two colors of blue.


'owever, these days more printing is being done digitally on what amount to high-end copy machines, so you can't choose Pantone inks if you're going that route and my point is moot.

Here's my suggestion: create your design as you like it, then take it on disk to Office Max (Copy Max) and have them print one copy on card stock. Take a good objective look at it and see what you think of it then. Show it to an older person and see if they have difficulties reading it.

[mtbbrian]

I see what you guys(Brian and Steve) mean about color...makes sense.......

We wouldn't lead you a stray!
I think you have a winner!
Good Luck with it!
Brian

[walterick]

Hey Natat! Sorry I'm coming in so late on this, but I figured I would endow you with my invaluable opinion to make your decision process even harder ;) LOL

I like your progression here through these designs. I think the last one is a little too soft, IMO. I don't care for the light blue color, it belittles your black and white by contrast. I think bolder, contrastier colors make set the card off and set your black and whites off better.

So I can get this right, are the pictures to be on the back or the front? If they're considered the front, I would say that there needs to be a bigger image in there to really anchor the card. I don't see a focal point here, just a smattering of images. The blue borders are a little thick, IMO. My eye is drawn right to the bright sun in the kissing image and then right over to the belly, due to the color. I think tht tanchor is unfortunate. You want the context of the images too bring the eye around the card and not sit on that left side. If your text side is to be the front, I think you still need an image on it to bring your subject to the fore front of your business. Something small, faint, like the image you did once of your eyes in the sky? I think that was a really cool image, and would put your product right on the front of the card.

Either way, I like what you're doing

[opus]

I disagree ... when I look at the card, I see: the sun ---> bride & groom ---> two kids hugging & smiling ---> group of people on a beach. In my peripheral vision I see a pregnant belly. That's the impression I get immediately. When I look a little harder, I see an infant's hand. When I look even harder, I see more examples of weddings, children, and maternity.

I think the initial view enough to get the impression across immediately. The rest just clinches the deal.