PsPrint Blog » Graphic design

Are photo cards addictive?

Brian — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:20:33 +0000

Photo cards are a great way to share with family and friends.

Are photo cards addictive? I’m just wondering because I see them everywhere anymore. Every Christmas our mailbox is full of photo cards of family and friends. Every time one of her four children takes a new school photo or joins a sport, my cousin sends us a photo card commemorating the event.

Not that I’m complaining. I love photo cards. They’re so much better than off-the-rack greeting cards, especially since I can tack them on the fridge and build my own wall of family and friend portraits with little effort whatsoever.

My grandma loves receiving them, too, and it’s a cheap way to send out new family photos that can be used in frames and on fridges alike. My mother has a curio cabinet that she sticks received photo cards in; my sister-in-law frames them in a large display on her kitchen wall. My son tacks them to his bulletin board.

Ten years ago, photo cards were virtually non-existent. But today it seems as though we receive a photo card every other week. I’m considering sending one of my own every year – Grandma would probably like to get one of the kids – but I’m a little concerned. With the proliferation of photo cards (they’re obviously extremely popular), I don’t want to get hooked into something I can’t get out of.

I mean, I already have hobbies – like aimlessly surfing through television stations when nothing is on – so I’m a little afraid that if I start sending photo cards I won’t be able to stop. I could get hooked, unable to do anything else until I get my photo. It’s already has a hold on nearly everyone in my family!

So, are photo cards addictive? Either that, or… they’re simply fun.

Image use Creative Commons license via Flickr.

10 cool movie posters

Valerie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:27 +0000

There have been some great movies that have come out during the past few years, and the movie posters aren’t so bad either! In fact, movie posters are a great way to get inspiration for your next poster idea. I find movie posters particularly interesting because of the story that must be told within a single image. Not only must a movie poster encompass the characters and/or surroundings seen in the movie, but they must also encompass the feeling, attitude and mood of the film. In short, the poster is a summary of the movie and its intent to the viewer.

Here are some extremely interesting movie poster designs. Hopefully they will help you with your next poster project.

Mailing Labels on Wedding Invites: Tacky or Totally Fine?

Britt — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:44:04 +0000

Watch your mailbox for those ivory-colored envelopes announcing spring and summer nuptials, because wedding season is fast approaching.

Imagine you’ve received a wedding invite in a large, lovely beige envelope made from thick card stock. What if the name of the host was inscribed in the upper left corner, but your name and address were stuck on a mailing label?

Do you think the mailing label would appear tacky, or would you think it was a respectable way for a bride and groom to save time (no handwritten calligraphy-attempts) and money (no personalized printing) on their invites?

Ultimately any invitation should correspond with the formality of the event. If it’s a black tie affair, than a mailing label might be a faux-pas, but if it’s a casual garden party, then a mailing label will probably go unnoticed by guests completely. (With all due respect to the bride, she’s probably the only one who will pay that much careful attention to the invitation envelope. Most folks will rip the invite open, toss the envelope in the trash and keep the parts with the wedding date and location).

So couples must use their best judgment in choosing to use mailing labels on wedding invites. Check out these tips below for printing wedding invitation mailing labels that work:

Reserve labels for replies
The reply card is where the bride and groom can get away with using a mailing label either for their own return address or personalized for their guests.

Send the replies to the right place
When printing wedding reply card labels, remember to have guests send responses to the host or whoever is planning the event. This could be the couple, the couple’s parents, or an extended family member or wedding planner.

Choose a subdued stock
There are many ways to customize labels so that they work well with the wedding invitation. For example, sheer or matte labels are more versatile and more likely to go with the invite than glossy labels.

Match fonts
It’s also important to match the mailing label fonts with the invitation fonts (an exact match if possible). If you use a script font, then use a larger point size to bring out the first letters of each line of text on the address label, it will make the writing look more elegant.

Have fun
Dress labels up using a floral, lace or other decorative pattern as a background image. Another idea would be to use a custom die-cut to shape the label into a heart or a symbol associated with the type of party, such as a sailboat for the seaside or skyline for a city event.

Leave us your thoughts in the comments section. What do you think about mailing labels on wedding invitations harmless or horrible?

Unusual St. Patrick’s Day tributes

Valerie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:00:49 +0000

When you hear the words St. Patrick’s Day, you probably think of emerald green shamrocks, corned beef and leprechauns. All are staples of this popular holiday, but as artists we’re always interested in the unconventional.

Creating a party invitation for a St. Patrick’s Day bash is a good way to let people know you’re celebrating the holiday, but here are some examples of people making a unique statement when paying tribute to St. Patrick.

5 Portfolio Design Options

Jennifer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:31:09 +0000

One of the most important tools in your graphic design arsenal is a good portfolio. This is the best of the best of all the work you’ve done for clients, school and practice. But what’s all that work worth if it’s not nicely displayed? The worst form of marketing for a designer is a poor showing of his or her work. No matter which of the following portfolio styles you use, be sure it’s a stunning showcase of your talent.

Online. This is among the most popular forms of portfolio design. It’s easy to access by anyone with the Internet, and it shows that in addition to creating all the lovely projects in your portfolio, you can also create a user-friendly, attractive website. One tip is to let your work shine through – don’t go too crazy with the bells and whistles on the website at the risk of crowding your portfolio pieces.

Brochure. This is old school. A brochure is something you can physically hand to potential clients. It’s a shiny, classy way to be sure your work detail shows up. A brochure is a good choice – in addition to an online portfolio – for more artsy pieces, as creativity can sometimes get lost when it’s pixilated.

Booklet. A cheaper alternative to a brochure is a booklet. Freelance illustrator Steve Harpster recently ordered a batch of booklet portfolios after marketing attempts with postcards and directory listings. The booklets contain 30 of his images as well as his variety of styles. They’re much less expensive to ship to prospects than brochures.

PDF. Less expensive to produce than a website is a PDF. Despite the grumblings in the past, most potential clients will have a PDF reader on their computer, and they can easily open up your work and see it intact. A layered PDF allows the viewer to flip through multiple pieces of your work, and you can create buttons and links.

Business card. For a bonus way to market yourself, use up that real estate on your business card. Create fold-out business cards and include thumbnails of your best portfolio work. Be sure to include how to get access to the rest of your portfolio.

Weird and wacky baby announcements

Brian — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:23:21 +0000

Proud parents, do you want to share the news of your baby’s birth in a fun and unique way? Are you tired of all those cutesy-wutesy baby announcements? I have just the thing for you – a collection of weird and wacky baby announcements you can use as inspiration for your own designs!

Rock star posters serve as excellent inspiration for unique baby announcement designs.

Let’s start with rock poster baby announcements by Rattle-N-Roll. Based on the premise that some of us are just born cool, you can design similar baby announcements that practically guarantee you’ll have the most popular kid in daycare.

Commemorate your special deliver with baby announcements inspired by magazine covers.

If your baby is destined for stardom, you could design a magazine cover birth announcement to commemorate her birth. Or make it a booklet, with interior pages that offer background on parents, grandparents, siblings and plenty of photos from your baby’s first few days. It will be a keepsake you’ll have forever … as long as the paparazzi don’t steal it!

Design a baby announcement like a B-movie poster.

If you harbor a penchant for B-movies and have a great sense of humor, take a cue from Brandon Buerkle. The artist created this birth announcement when his baby was born, and you can use it as inspiration for your own creative birth announcements.

Make your baby a star with movie poster birth announcements.

Five Star Baby designs custom baby announcements based off of popular movie posters, and you can use these as inspiration for your own theme-based baby announcement design.

Now it’s your turn. Use the inspirational sources listed here, add in a dash of creativity, and you can design some really cool birth announcements. When you do, send me a link!