Quote from Mindy on Aug 5^th, 2011, 3:27pm:

 
Hi Mindy,
 
First may I offer my opinion (when don't I  ) that I think allowing us to upload our own images as placeholders is not a good idea.  Here's why for what its worth:  I think when customers see all the same faces and pet mugs on photo cards it is a much more professional display then having a menagerie of both good and poor quality 'none stock photo style' photo cards to rummage through.  If some of us have photos that we are currently using as placeholders and have the right to offer them, perhaps we could offer them to GCU to add to this nice collection for this purpose, otherwise my vote is we grow the iStock offering into something that suits all needs and keep these cards looking slick and professional.
 
With that said, I had some needs and thoughts so I went to iStock and hunted.  Just food for thought of course:
 
I'd like to see more business for Business/Corporate Holiday cards and a variety of 'professionalism':  #12074329, #12107860,#214466, #11537092
 
I’d like to see a few with a bit of a western flair for ranchers, farmers and general cowpoke that send out annual greetings:
#13602201 , #4579476, #6500099, #914648
 
I would like to see portraits a little more suited to Hanukah and Bar Mitzvahs:
#15013583, #663141
 
We do need a few more pets, I found a couple to use for the occasional bird, fish, hamster photo cards which encompass a variety of pets and then we should have a few with more than one cat or dog. I know I've done a few custom cards here that had more than one pet in the photo.  #8936112, #13749801,   #6612079, #2921053, #16032311
 
I’d love to see more black and white; they can really make a design desirable and entice sales…that’s been my experience anyway.  I found them hard to come by on iStock, any chance we can turn some of what you have into BW for a 2nd option of the same image?  Here are a few I found.
#416223, #863513, #8938350 #691639  #13750297 #5974393
 
Something New Year appropriate for those cards would be nice  #9255440, #14754635,  
 
We need some twins for our baby announcements, christening/baptism and graduation cards:
#17114882, #13731350, #16427716, #13852703, #15293585, #5886693, #10557941, #10557634, #9850564, #7927953
 
Triplets: #14765735, #3160222
 
I’d like to see a couple more Halloween portraits if we have any chance in selling Halloween Photo Cards the image inside has to inspire the buyer by fitting the theme:  #9309944, #14167854, #10682951, #6925762, #11035705
 
There was a call for more multi-cultural and I found these I though were wonderful additions:
#10374949, #16830576,  #6870753
 
Generally my feeling is that more 'theme related' the placeholder is, the better the design looks, the bigger the sales.
 
Probably just made you wince with this list didn't I?  
 
Oh and...we need a square and rectangle logo placeholder!  PLEASE!  Even just something that says Your Logo Here is cool with me.

Both Doreen and Barbara's posts state my feelings exactly.  If I weren't awake, I would think I had posted my thoughts in my dream   Doreen, I didn't check out the actual photos, but thanks for taking the time to research more photos for all of us.

In the process of updating my current photo cards I have come up with the following questions:
 
1. Do we need to delete all previous custom cards from our private gallery?  I often refer to a card there as an example when I am working with a customer on a custom card and have left many in my gallery, especially custom graduation cards.
 
2. Will custom cards still be offered via the custom link ("Request a Custom Card from Artist") after September 1st?
 
3. Should we still make custom photo cards that are relationship specific?  For example:  For Father's Day, I have photo cards for Dad and for Grandfather.  I could put the name in the custom template (if the available fonts are appropriate), but will the customer realize they can change it?  Same question for year specific photo cards.  Possibly we could put "Add Name Here"  or "Add Date Here" on those cards?
 
The new photo cards and text edit process is super and I'm having a great time updating and creating these cards.  Appreciate that you made the professional placeholder images available.  The quality of these images makes the cards pop!  I agree with Doreen that you should grow the iStock offering and not allow use of other images.  
 
Thanks,
Kati

Quote from Christie_131341 on Aug 7^th, 2011, 12:24pm:

 
I have experienced the same issue.  The system during preview seems to do an auto-center of the image and I would also prefer it didn't do that.  Like Christie, I've had to enlarge to fit and then wanted to place the image where it looked best but the system centered it.  Its almost a must that the customer be allowed to position without auto-centering or you'll have very frustrated customers, so I'm with Christie can we all have this little fix?

Well that's interesting, I have been putting the placeholder all over the place and sometimes it extends beyond the edge of the card, but it has never automatically centered or changed after I sized and placed it where I wanted it - even when I preview it.  I don't try to have the placeholder match the defined transparent area.
 
Hope they turn out all right.

Hello everyone, I imagine you were all creating these fun photo front cards this week end.  My question was asked a few days ago about what happens when the customer expects us to insert their photo, and I was assured that this would not happen because the customer will have all the means to insert it themselves.  However now that I have created several Christmas photo front cards, and looking them over today, I notice this link under each card saying: "click here to ask the artist to insert your photo at no extra charge"
so I am wondering again, are we expected to insert their photo, if so how do we do that?
 
It is no doubt an easy process, since no one else seems concerned, however just my luck someone will purchase my card, click that link and I won't know what to do.  
 
Please, is their a video that teaches this somewhere?  Or easy instructions.  I have no problem with the stock photos while creating the cards, while the card is in that creating mode.

How about something appropriate for Halloween too - maybe some kids in costumes.  I made one that I set up with a cat and I know it's just not appropriate.  Thinking for costume parties.