GCU Forum - Front of Card Text

Junior Member
artist

Posts: 59

Front of Card Text
Feb 11^th, 2011, 5:38pm

I'm a photographer and I use photos for almost all of my cards. I'm looking for opinions: If I have a beautiful image, should I leave it as is or do cards with text on the front sell better? Sometimes text, no matter where it's placed, detracts from the beauty of the photo.

Also, if the card is meant for a specific category (like Happy Mother's Day to my Daughter), am I REQUIRED to put text on the front in order to put it in that category?

Thanks so much for your consideration!

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cindy_139896 Senior Member artist Posts: 327	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #1 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:07pm Hi Emily- I know what you mean, but it is a personal choice.As far as the text goes as long as it is in the inside (the category) it will be fine. Hope this helps. As far as one selling better than the other, I don't know. I have sold both. Good luck! cat
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Lj_135293 Gold Member artist Posts: 1178	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #2 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:10pm I removed my reply since it seems I miss read the question. Oopsss . Sorry.. Looks like your good now too..
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Emily_138045 Junior Member artist Posts: 59	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #3 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:11pm Thanks, Cat! Your cards are really cool. I use photos because I STINK at drawing!! I envy your talent.
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Emily_138045 Junior Member artist Posts: 59	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #4 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:14pm Thanks for the link, Lj. I'll definitely check it out. Wow, I should post questions more often, just to see other card stores! Not only are your cards beautiful, but your store header is cool AND you have sound! I'm impressed!
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Doreen_137017

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Posts: 5273

Re: Front of Card Text
Reply #5 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:19pm

You have a beautiful store Emily and a great eye for design, so I'm sure whatever you choose to do will be a hit. I too am a photographer (though I paint too) and what I do sometimes when a photograph is worthy of standing alone is I create one with no text and place it in the Collections >> Blank Card categories, then another with text associated with a specific category.

Food for thought! Would love to see the photograph when it's up!

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Eve_138255

Ex Member

Re: Front of Card Text
Reply #6 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:20pm

Quote from cindy_139896 on Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:07pm:

Hi Emily-

I know what you mean, but it is a personal choice.As far as the text goes as long as it is in the inside (the category) it will be fine. Hope this helps. As far as one selling better than the other, I don't know. I have sold both. Good luck! cat

But, am I correct in thinking that a card with no text on the front, could only be used three times, even if the wording of the inside text is different.

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Lj_135293

Gold Member
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Posts: 1178

Re: Front of Card Text
Reply #7 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:20pm

Awww. Thanks. Very nice of you to comment that way. I appreciate it.

Here is that link I removed too>> http://wiki.greetingcarduniverse.com/index.php/GCU_University

I can see from your exp and amount of cards here that you have probably already watched them..

Your store looks so fresh and Springtime. I love that time of year. Soon to be too!

so.. your all set with your question then>?

3 X Max = No Category Specific text

Front specific text added = many more category choices if the image and text fit it~

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Emily_138045

Junior Member
artist

Posts: 59

Re: Front of Card Text
Reply #8 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:25pm

Thanks for the kind words, Doreen. I've been to your card store before -- you have such complex, professional looking cards! I like your idea about different versions of the same card.

Eve, your photos are beautiful! I see that you leave some of them without text and others have a natural area within the photo where text fits naturally. Perhaps that's the answer -- let the photo decide! I do believe it's true that you can only use an image 3 times unless you actually put specific text on the front.

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Emily_138045 Junior Member artist Posts: 59	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #9 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:27pm Thanks, Lj. I did check out several of the videos in the past, but I forgot about the 3 times rule until you mentioned it.
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Eve_138255

Ex Member

Re: Front of Card Text
Reply #10 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 7:05pm

Quote from Emily_138045 on Feb 11^th, 2011, 6:11pm:

Thanks, Cat! Your cards are really cool. I use photos because I STINK at drawing!! I envy your talent.

I rather like how you put other art work over a photo. For example the frog dancing in the garden and the stork flying with a baby in front of a sky photo. I would never have thought of doing that.

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cindy_139896 Senior Member artist Posts: 327	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #11 - Feb 11^th, 2011, 8:23pm Took a break to watch the kati kim story-so, so sad. was bawling my eyes out and came back and read your nice comments on my cards. Thank you- I really appreciate your kind words. I bet if you really wanted to draw you could!
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Karen_131257

Senior Member
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Posts: 332

Re: Front of Card Text
Reply #12 - Feb 12^th, 2011, 1:26am

Hi Emily, I also use mostly photography for my cards, occasionally digital art.
You have some beautiful cards and photography!

What I do is add text to all my card fronts for any occasion/s the image will work for, plus I also upload the image as it is without text into the blank & collections categories, both sell well!

Unlike most artists with several cards of the same image (but different text), I upload in occasion batches, not design batches, that way there should not be two or more of the same card front showing side by side in the store or new cards/recent sales etc.

I hope that helps, good luck!

Karen

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Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2169	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #13 - Feb 12^th, 2011, 2:30am By watching the recently sold cards "movie" on the GCU home page, you can get a good sense of the ratio of photograph-based cards that sell with text on the front and those without text on the front. It is also a quick way to see the techniques various artists use to incorporate both the photo and the text. Have fun!
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Willaim_132003 Senior Member artist Posts: 433	Re: Front of Card Text Reply #14 - Feb 12^th, 2011, 3:59am There is a catagory for "Blank Note Cards" so you could do both... a design with text and one without... that is what I do with many card designs.
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