Smugmug card design utility

torags · January 12, 2009

I tried to design a card and I found the utility instructions confusing.

The graphic after design does not match the design template.

Has anyone had the same problem?

AnneMcBean · January 13, 2009

torags wrote:

I tried to design a card and I found the utility instructions confusing.

The graphic after design does not match the design template.

Has anyone had the same problem?

Hi

Sorry for the trouble! Which instructions did you find confusing? These: http://smugmug.com/help/photo-greeting-cards ?

Can you point me to the design template you used? Or just describe it?

One thing you might run into is that the 5x7 folded cards are shown in 3D but the card maker actually generates a single image that shows all four sides of the card. We send that image to our lab and slice it up before printing. (Does that make sense?)

So the image you see in your gallery will look a bit funny (with parts upside down) but should print just fine.

-Anne Bean
SmugMug Support Hero & Printcess

torags · January 14, 2009

Hi Ann

The card when in the gallery doesn't look like what the design page shows. It's 25% of the page, in an aspect ratio, unlike the design page.

That shouldn't be. I'm confused & potential customers would be confused and not bother to order.

I cropped the card in my gallery to make it look like the design page. So the printer would print something unlike whats shown?

http://ragspix.smugmug.com/gallery/6953761_zMEQK#445000321_27Pzw

AnneMcBean · January 14, 2009

torags wrote:

Hi Ann

The card when in the gallery doesn't look like what the design page shows. It's 25% of the page, in an aspect ratio, unlike the design page.

That shouldn't be. I'm confused & potential customers would be confused and not bother to order.

I cropped the card in my gallery to make it look like the design page. So the printer would print something unlike whats shown?

http://ragspix.smugmug.com/gallery/6953761_zMEQK#445000321_27Pzw

Hi,

Thanks for the additional details. As I mentioned, the image generated by the card maker is exactly what we need to send to the lab to make a proper 5x7 folded card. Once it's been sliced and printed, it'll look just like the one on the design page.

Please don't crop it!

A 5x7 folded card is actually 2 printed areas, the inside and outside of the card. The card maker uses our template and creates an image that incorporates both the inside and outside of the card. It looks a little funny to have both sides of a three dimensional card included, and displayed flat, but that's exactly what the printer needs.

Holler if you have further questions or concerns. I'm happy to help any way I can.

-Anne Bean

Ann McRae · January 14, 2009

Maybe a visual will help.

This is a 5 x 7 landscape orientation card, custom layout. Blue Jay is front, "all the best.." is inside, bottom and the logo is outside back.

and this one is portrait orientation:

These both printed beautifully.

ann

torags · January 14, 2009

thanks for the response.

That's how my original design looked in the gallery.

How many folds in the portrait card? 1 or 2

Is the card one up with the white pages stripped off?

Thanks

Ann McRae · January 14, 2009

torags wrote:

thanks for the response.

That's how my original design looked in the gallery.

How many folds in the portrait card? 1 or 2

Is the card one up with the white pages stripped off?

Thanks

One fold, along the midline horizontally.

Check this post - he provides links for templates that are very useful.

Basically, on the portrait card, think of one half of it being 'front/back' (in my example, the jay and the logo) and the other as the two inside surfaces (the message and the blank page).

I actually found it helpful to take an 81/2 x 11" paper and fold it into four, and then write 'inside top', 'outside front' etc, and relate that to my files.

Is that helpful?

ann

torags · January 15, 2009

Yup. I get it

Unfortunately, I don't like the structure.. too much paper. The representative graphic will be confusing to potential purchaser thereby reducing the will to buy. One score doesn't help, the other fold is uneven especially if across the grain.

I sure appreciate your time and effort.

Thanks

Ann McRae · January 15, 2009

Hi Rags

First, customers wouldn't be able to make/order cards from your site at this time. So, what you would do is follow Andy's example where you photograph the finished product and put that for display. So you wouldn't need to worry about confusing customers.

I don't understand what you mean about structure and too much paper? The cards are not multiple layers - perhaps my explanation of folding a piece of paper into 4 is what is confusing. You can actually visualize this by folding a sheet in half and writing on both sides of the paper "front" "back" "inside top" "inside bottom". The finished card has exactly the same structure as a 5x7 greeting card from the store, photo on front (and anywhere else you want), greeting on the inside.

Hope that helps.

ann

torags wrote:

Yup. I get it

Unfortunately, I don't like the structure.. too much paper. The representative graphic will be confusing to potential purchaser thereby reducing the will to buy. One score doesn't help, the other fold is uneven especially if across the grain.

I sure appreciate your time and effort.

Thanks

torags · January 15, 2009

Hi Ann..

"First, customers wouldn't be able to make/order cards from your site at this time. So, what you would do is follow Andy's example where you photograph the finished product and put that for display. So you wouldn't need to worry about confusing customers."

Ohhh... I see. I'm new to the pro account and thought that memo cards might have sale value. I'll remove their mention in my keywords when I refine them.

Yup, the folding twice confused me.

I'm familiar with printing and the gallery representation threw me off.

Thanks again for your help.

Ann McRae · January 15, 2009

torags wrote:

Hi Ann..

Yup, the folding twice confused me.

Thanks again for your help.

Sorry about that!

Smugmug card design utility

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