Rangefinder Magazine
May 2005

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Inkjet Greeting Cards Generate Money & More by Bob Coates

Let’s start with how the cards can increase your business. According to some surveys, less than five percent of people are thanked for their business. When was the last time you sent a thank you note to someone for spending money with you? Or, to look at it from another angle, when was the last time you were thanked for spending money at someone else’s business? This is a wonderful way to set your business apart. It will help create word-of-mouth advertising because people will talk when they get one of these from you.

How about that revenue source? Using an image that appeals to your client creates this. For example, if you have just completed a family portrait or wedding, use your favorite image from the session. Add a little artwork to the image. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time as you can set up an action in Photoshop that does almost all the work for you. Sending this as a thank you card will spark sales. People buy what they see. A photo from your shoot printed on greeting card stock will generate inquiries about how they can get copies for their own use. If you are working with a commercial client, and their images don’t lend themselves to card art, you can use a scenic image to make your own thank you card. These will also generate interest from those that receive them.

Getting Started
The first step is to find the paper surface and size you would like to print on. There is an amazing selection of materials available. If you haven’t checked lately, a trip to your office supply store or an Internet search for “inkjet greeting cards” will surprise you. Office Max and Staples have a tremendous selection of paper stocks and styles from HP, Avery, Epson, Kodak and more. For high-end watercolor papers, contact Red River Paper (www.redriver catalog.com) for a free sample pack. I use Red River papers and envelopes because they supply profiles for various printer and paper combinations, making it easier to get good color without a lot of experimentation. They also have tutorials to help you on your way.

In Photoshop you can set up a template using layers that will allow you to have a variety of different cards on tap with a few clicks of the mouse. It will also contain the back print that contains your contact information and any advertising message you would like to add. Put any information you might want to leave out on separate layers. By turning the layers on and off, you can control whether you have an ad on the card or not. Some card companies supply software or templates, but I prefer to create my own.

While you are at it, make two of every size you intend to print, one for horizontal image orientation and one for vertical. If you are going to print a message inside, you will need one more template for each size. Five by seven is a good size because it holds a 4x6 image comfortably and seems more impressive than a 4x6 card. Many of the boxed greeting card stocks you get from your office supply store come in a half-fold 81⁄2x11-inch size. I feel this is too large, but pick the size you like.

figure 1	figure 2

Setting Up the Template for 5x7 Horizontal Image Card
(Figures 1 & 2) Choose File > New. Name your file. Set your file to a width of 7 in. and a height of 10 in. Set the resolution for your printing application. Make the mode RGB Color, and make the background white. Click “OK” (Figure 1). Turn on the rulers (Cmd/Ctrl-R), and from the top drag a guide to five inches to indicate where the fold is on the card. Also from the top, add guides at 5⁄8-, 51⁄4-, 91⁄4- and 93⁄4-inch marks. From the left drag guides to 1⁄2-inch and 61⁄2-inch marks. This shows your live area for design and leaves you a 4x6-inch area for your image (Figure 2).

On what will be the back of your card, place your logo or text. Be sure to include your web site, telephone number and other contact information if the cards are being produced for your client to send. Others will see your work, and you want to give them every opportunity to find you. I have everything on separate layers. Toggle the layers on and off for preparing cards for different purposes Save the file as your horizontal card template.

Watercolor Effect Action
Here’s how to create an easy watercolor effect. Open an image. Size and crop the image to 4x6 inches. Flatten image if necessary. In the actions palette highlight the folder where you want the action to reside or create a new folder (Figure 3). Select the button to create a new action. Name the action “watercolor effect horizontal.” Assign an F key if you wish. A Function key will allow the action to be played utilizing one or two keystrokes without having to go to the actions palette. This is only necessary if you are going to apply the effect often. Select Record action. Double-click on the background layer to turn it into Layer O, allowing it to be edited. Select the rectangular marquee tool from your tool bar, and make a selection 3⁄8 inch inside your image. Feather the selection 15 pixels (Select > Feather). From the Select menu choose Inverse. Then from the Edit menu choose Clear. Make a copy of the layer (Cmd/Ctrl-J). Select Filter > Artistic > Dry brush. I use these settings: Brush size—2, Brush detail—8, Texture—1, but you can experiment until you find settings for the look you want. The same setting will give a different look on different types of images. Add a layer mask. Stop recording the action.

This action will give you a better watercolor look than Adobe’s Watercolor setting, which seems to have too much black and tends to muddy the colors. If you don’t want a soft edge for your image, eliminate the steps after applying the Dry brush settings. Make a separate action for use with vertical images.

Once you have this action in place there are some tweaks you can do. If the watercolor effect is too much, you can lower the opacity of the top layer and the bottom layer will begin to show through. If you like the overall effect but just want to bring back some detail to the faces, you can selectively use the brush tool on the mask painting with black at a low opacity and gently brush detail where you would like it. If the effect isn’t strong enough, you can apply more Dry Brush by selecting it from the Filter menu. Make sure you are applying to the layer and not the layer mask.

figure 4	figure 5

When the watercolor image looks the way you like, flatten and drag to your card template. Place it within the guides. Add text, and you are almost home. Add your signature (Figure 4). Make sure it stands out. Turn on all the appropriate layers (Figure 5).

The first time you print, trim a regular sheet of paper to card size for a couple of trial runs. This step is especially important if you are printing a message on the inside. Be sure to allow room for the area that the printer chops off (unless you have the capability of edge-to-edge printing). If you use the heavy watercolor stock, pay special attention to the rollers. They will pick up dust and some of the inkjet coating, and your paper will slip. Keeping your printer blown out and dust free from paper debris and swabbing the rollers from time to time with alcohol swipes will keep your paper feeding automatically.

Some printers will build up ink residue from printing on two sides. If you get streaks on your cards you can clean the interior rollers by taking a blank sheet of plain paper damp with isopropyl alcohol applied with a cotton ball. Run this paper through the rollers three to four times or until the lines disappear. Then run a blank clean sheet through twice after that.

If you take many large orders for cards, you might be better off in sending out the print job to one of the many labs that produce watercolor cards to save time.

Take a little time to thank clients for their business in a special way, and you’ll be surprised how much more business you can generate.

Bob Coates is an award-winning photographer based in Sedona, Arizona. His next book is now at bookstores, Strategies & Techniques for Digital Photographers (Amherst Media). Bob is available for speaking engagements on a number of subjects. View Bob’s work at www.bcweddingphoto.com or www.bcphotography.com/.