GCU Forum - NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text

Mindy

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #45 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:03pm

Quote from Sandra_133229 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 2:31pm:

Mindy, I still need just a bit of clarification with the categories. I thought if a card was in a Christmas category, that it could not be in another Christmas category?

Then, it can also be in a non photo category, is that what you are saying? It could be for example, Christmas photo, and the second one could be Christmas> Snow. (Even though it is a photo card with a snow bkg.)

Sorry for being so dense, but I also just want to make sure...
thanks!

Correct a photo card can be in both a photo card category AND a non photo card category.

Where we do not allow a card in two categories is if it's a specific card (relation, message):
Some examples:
Snowmen Missing you at Christmas would not also go in Christmas >> Snowmen
Sport themed Christmas for Brother would not also go in Christmas >> Sports Specific
Christmas from the Pet would not also go in Christmas >> Humor

Typically where we do allow you to double up is when it's a general card:
Nutcracker Merry Christmas design can go in both >> General and >> Nutcrackers

Clear as mud?

Good to note however that most shoppers looking for photo cards will likely go to a photo card category or search for "photo cards" so doubling up on the photo card category is probably your best bet.

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Mindy

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #46 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:07pm

Quote from Tom_133317 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 2:46pm:

Quote from Mindy on Aug 5^th, 2011, 2:41pm:

You will only be presented with this new field "Card Front" if the image you've uploaded is a PNG file type. Might that have been this issue?

So why not make it automatic "custom" if a png is uploaded, (have no field option)?

Because any card can be uploaded in PNG format, not just designs with custom fronts.

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Mindy

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #47 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:09pm

Quote from Penny_134243 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 12:04am:

Quote from Mindy on Aug 4^th, 2011, 10:08pm:

Quote from Joan_135833 on Aug 4^th, 2011, 4:23pm:

This is a great and grand development! I have several small queries:

I was wondering if a specific Season's Greetings subcategory could be added for the photo cards; as it stands now, they have nowhere to go but in the Christmas category.

Also, I noticed that choosing Custom did not automatically engage the Private classification (to let our tech team know).

And...I am curious if we should be using "Photo Card" in our titles, keywords, etc.

I guess that's all for the moment except to relay huge thanks!

Good questions!

My suggestion is for you to put your card in the following to cover both bases:
Holidays >> Christmas >> Season's Greetings
and
Holidays >> Christmas >> Photo Cards / Your Photo Here

The Private setting gets auto-set after you submit the card. You won't see it while creating.

YES! "photo card" should be in the card title and keywords too. Consider including the occasion in the phrase like "Christmas Photo Card", "Season's Greetings Christmas Photo Card", "Pinecone Wreath Christmas Photo Card", etc.

Hi, again,

After reading Mindy's post, I wanted to make sure that I really did use 'photo card' in my keywords, but when I'm in the Manage Cards section, the keywords aren't showing up for this card, but they are for all of my other cards.

I wanted to clarify, that I can see my keywords when I click on the 'edit' mode.

Thanks!

Penny

Aha, we see the keywords are not displayed in Manage Cards when the card is Private. We'll see if we can change that.

Categories don't show on Private cards either but since this is short lived for new Photo Cards we'll not tinker with that for now and hold out until 9/1 when these cards from to the Public Gallery. Let me know if not seeing the Categories does prove to be an issue.

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Penny_134243

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #48 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:18pm

Quote from Mindy on Aug 5^th, 2011, 2:50pm:

Quote from Penny_134243 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 10:46am:

Greetings!

Is there a way to create a card, so the entire cover is filled with a photo? I tried to do this, but all of the stock images are too small, and when I resized them, there was a white border, top and bottom, that filled in the gap.

To explain:

I made a template that has stars along the bottom, and my 'brilliant' idea was to have the photo full bleed on the card cover with the stars floating toward the bottom of the card. It seemed that no amount of moving or resizing the photo would 'stick' so I just changed my template, and created a frame and border. But for future cards, would it be possible to get photos that are the size of the card covers?

Or, if someone has an idea of how I can make this work, using the existing photos, please let me know.

Thanks!

Penny

I see what you mean. These could be some really nice designs

If you set the transparent zone as the full size of the card then choose a rectangular photo and pull it big enough to cover the entire cover (or even bigger) it should work. Having the placeholder photo spill over the edge of the cover is ok. Squares images work too but require more resizing and moving, which is ok.

Give it another go and let us know how it goes.

Thanks, Mindy!

I will give it another try!

Penny

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Penny_134243

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Posts: 1337

Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #49 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:19pm

Quote from Mindy on Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:09pm:

Quote from Penny_134243 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 12:04am:

Quote from Mindy on Aug 4^th, 2011, 10:08pm:

Quote from Joan_135833 on Aug 4^th, 2011, 4:23pm:

This is a great and grand development! I have several small queries:

I was wondering if a specific Season's Greetings subcategory could be added for the photo cards; as it stands now, they have nowhere to go but in the Christmas category.

Also, I noticed that choosing Custom did not automatically engage the Private classification (to let our tech team know).

And...I am curious if we should be using "Photo Card" in our titles, keywords, etc.

I guess that's all for the moment except to relay huge thanks!

Good questions!

My suggestion is for you to put your card in the following to cover both bases:
Holidays >> Christmas >> Season's Greetings
and
Holidays >> Christmas >> Photo Cards / Your Photo Here

The Private setting gets auto-set after you submit the card. You won't see it while creating.

YES! "photo card" should be in the card title and keywords too. Consider including the occasion in the phrase like "Christmas Photo Card", "Season's Greetings Christmas Photo Card", "Pinecone Wreath Christmas Photo Card", etc.

Hi, again,

After reading Mindy's post, I wanted to make sure that I really did use 'photo card' in my keywords, but when I'm in the Manage Cards section, the keywords aren't showing up for this card, but they are for all of my other cards.

I wanted to clarify, that I can see my keywords when I click on the 'edit' mode.

Thanks!

Penny

Aha, we see the keywords are not displayed in Manage Cards when the card is Private. We'll see if we can change that.

Categories don't show on Private cards either but since this is short lived for new Photo Cards we'll not tinker with that for now and hold out until 9/1 and these cards from to the Public Gallery. Let me know if not seeing the Categories does prove to be an issue.

Thanks, Mindy,

For me, not seeing the categories is not an issue.

Thanks for your help!

Penny

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Doreen_137017 Gold Member artist Posts: 5273	Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text Reply #50 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:26pm Not an issue for me either!
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Mindy

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #51 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:27pm

An update on the stock placeholder photos. If there are areas or subject matter that we have not addressed we are willing to consider additions.

Find what you'd like us to consider on iStockphoto.com and post a link on this thread to the image(s) and please state why. (ie: would like some multicultural families in the spring)

A future feature of the stock placeholder images will be the ability to upload and use your own images.

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Mary_140624

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Posts: 454

Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #52 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 4:22pm

I still cannot get Toms video to work...it did in the begining but none of the GCU university ones will work now...just a white page. I have almost got there, but I dont seem to be able to get the picture to stay in the frame, or be BENEATH the frame. Perhaps I am not preparing the frame properly...
I have done two, erasing the centre portion , one to a transparent layer, and the other just erasing the centre portion on layer one....Help..

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Tom_133317 Gold Member artist Posts: 2169	Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text Reply #53 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 4:32pm Direct link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLEAXmGIEss
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Penny_134243 Gold Member artist Posts: 1337	Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text Reply #54 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 4:36pm Hi, Mindy, I was able to get a photo to display full bleed. I think that I was relying on my vision, rather than looking at the size (2100 by 1500) to make sure that I had assigned all of the space for the photo. I like it. Penny
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Mindy

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Posts: 6566
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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #55 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 5:21pm

Quote from Penny_134243 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 4:36pm:

Hi, Mindy,

I was able to get a photo to display full bleed. I think that I was relying on my vision, rather than looking at the size (2100 by 1500) to make sure that I had assigned all of the space for the photo.

I like it.

Penny

Oh, I do too!

a real star!

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Penny_134243

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #56 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 5:34pm

Quote from Mindy on Aug 5^th, 2011, 5:21pm:

Quote from Penny_134243 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 4:36pm:

Hi, Mindy,

I was able to get a photo to display full bleed. I think that I was relying on my vision, rather than looking at the size (2100 by 1500) to make sure that I had assigned all of the space for the photo.

I like it.

Penny

Oh, I do too!

a real star!

Thanks, Mindy! Good pun! I meant the custom photo card tool, but the card is okay, too. Wink

Another question: This card PID #849227 looks like the bottom of the cropped dog photo is showing. I'm using the same template that I always use, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Looking at the print/margin preview, I guess that the very bottom will be cut away, but, just in case it doesn't, I don't want a weird dark line at the very bottom.

Perhaps the reviewers will be able to judge and let me know if I should re-do it.

Thanks for you help!

Penny

UPDATE 8/6: I tried to create this card again, using the dog photo with the aqua background (love that photo!) and using a whole new card cover that I made from scratch, but the dog photo was still sticking out at the bottom, just the tiniest bit, just enough to bother me. I didn't delete that card, but I did make another one using a different dog photo, this time a square-ish photo that doesn't stick out at the bottom. I think that the aqua dog photo is just too long, and it's not showing as cropping to the size of my transparent image area. So I have two cards the same in my shop right now. I'll happily delete one, but perhaps when the reviewers look at the aqua dog photo PID# 849227 and be sure that it will print nicely, then I'd like to keep that one. If not, then I'll delete it and keep PID# 849523, the card with the Retriever photo.

Sorry, so convoluted!

Thanks!

Penny

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« Last Edit: Aug 6^th, 2011, 8:16am by Penny_134243 »

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Rosalie_136698 Gold Member artist Posts: 981	Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text Reply #57 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 7:47pm I tried this new system, but I am not sure if I did it right. Are the sample photos supposed to show on the card? Card #849264 I put the printing on the card before uploading, should I have done that? Rosie Cards Sometimes I am not that great on the computer either!!!
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Penny_134243

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Posts: 1337

Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #58 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 8:02pm

Quote from Rosalie_136698 on Aug 5^th, 2011, 7:47pm:

I tried this new system, but I am not sure if I did it right. Are the sample photos supposed to show on the card? Card #849264 I put the printing on the card before uploading, should I have done that? Rosie Cards Sometimes I am not that great on the computer either!!!

Hi, Rosie,

I just took a look at the card, and it's not showing any photos, just white ovals. A couple of things to check on:

Do you have a transparent layer for the photos to fit on? (In Photoshop, it's the gray and white checkerboard) When you uploaded your file, did the image show as pink in the places where the photos were to be placed? That's a pretty good indication of whether or not there was a transparent layer.

Once you're creating a card, the 'pink' will turn into a red and white checkerboard.

Did you upload a PNG file? Jpegs won't work for these custom photo cards. Sad

Did you select the area for the photo to fit into? The photo area(s) have to be defined for this to work. Please see Tom's great video; there's a link in this discussion.

As for adding text and uploading an image with the text on it. You can do that, and you can add another field or two, for the customer to add text, too.

I hope that this helps!

Penny

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Rosalie_136698

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Re: NEW - Custom Front Cards / Photo Cards & Text
Reply #59 - Aug 5^th, 2011, 8:11pm

Hi Penny, thanks for your help. When I first did the image I used PNG and I also had the transparent areas in the ovals, (the checkered area) however, after I added the print the checkered turned to white. When I uploaded the image there was an area to add the transparent boxes and I did that and also added the sample photos, however, I think something went wrong along the way. Do you have any idea why the transparent area turned white after I added the text? I have always had problems with transparent areas for some reason???

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