Category Archives: Marketing

Photo mount bags put business cards in their place

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photo mount sleeves

The business card-sized photo mount sleeve displays a business card or any other removable message. A card slides in easily and can be removed for safe keeping.

I’m always looking for inventive ways to attach and include a business card in business marketing and correspondence materials. As the designer for a local fitness training and dance studio, I was, once again, confronted with a problem.  I needed to design and print a door hanger on a limited budget. The specifications were precise: full color both sides, printed on 16 pt. card stock, include business card—no budget for a plastic bag, die cuts or perforated tear-off.

Peel the strips to reveal adhesive. Mount to door hangers, flyers, posters and more to include business card sized message.

Problem solved. This Business Card Crystal Clear Photo Mount stays securely mounted to paper and other surfaces. The sleeves are sealed on 3 sides and have an adhesive mounting strip on two ends. This is an inexpensive alternative to adding a custom die cut to the door hanger, folder, poster or flyer.

These tiny business card plastic bags turned out to be an elegant, yet inexpensive solution to another design problem.

Call for photographers & digital artists

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2011 WIDE OPEN Photography & Digital Open Juried Art Show

Open to all photographers and artists who create works derived from photographic processes, the third annual Conejo Valley WIDE OPEN Photography & Digital Art Show will be held during the month of June at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, 2331-A Borchard Road, Newbury Park, CA 91320.

Entry forms are available at www.wideopenphotoshow.com and at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery. Entry fees are dependent upon entry date. Applications postmarked by February 28 will enjoy the lowest entry fees. Postmark deadline for entry is April 15, 2011 with acceptance notifications announced on or before May 1, 2011. Take-in of accepted works will be June 1, 2011.

As a juried show, only the strongest entries, as determined by the jury based upon digital images submitted, will be invited to hang at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery in June 2011. At that time, the Show will be judged and the Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 12, 2011.

This Show is made possible by the cooperative efforts of representatives from the Ventura County Camera Club, the TOPCC – Photo SIG, and the Westlake Village Art Guild. For more information, visit the Show’s website www.wideopenphotoshow.com or contact Craig Morton, Show Coordinator, at (818) 991-6158 or E-Mail to craignmorton@sbcglobal.net.

Display greeting cards on 3-tier rack

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A7 card rackMore card and print displays are arriving here at Oak Creek Printworks weekly. We recently added a 3-tier clear acrylic card rack to our existing displays in order to provide an alternative to the larger, more expensive greeting card spinners. The 3-tier rack provides pockets that measure 5-5/8″ wide, and are 1-1/2″ deep.

If you want to display standard A7 greeting cards and an A7 envelope packaged in a clear plastic sleeve, each pocket comfortably holds 18 individually packaged cards, for a total of 54 cards in the entire rack. With an outside dimension of only 10-3/4″ high, 6-5/8″ deep and 5-3/4″ wide, the card display occupies only a small area of counter or table space. Its modular shape invites a companion rack. Place two, three or more racks side by side for more display space. Because of its versatile sizing, the display works equally well for 5″ x 7″ or 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ postcards, booklet, books, brochures, DVDs and more.

During this holiday season, artists and crafters are preparing greeting cards, note cards and a wide range of stationery items for boutiques, craft fairs and art shows.  Selling small prints, greeting cards and bookmarks gives artists and crafters a way to market their work and provide visibility to a select audience of people, and a lightweight, compact display is a great way to show your cards.

Juried Competitions: An Exciting Venue for Showcasing Your Creations

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by David Heyman

Did you ever stop to think how artists get their work up on gallery walls? As much as we might like to think that we will be “discovered” and have customers lining up to purchase our work, the reality of getting your creations in front of the public is often less glamorous. Hard work, a dedication to your craft, and marketing yourself as an in-demand “brand” at galleries are all ways to work your way up the artistic ladder.

One way to get your foot in the door is through juried competitions. Many galleries are looking for quality work to display, and are holding open competitions for artists to submit their work. These range from small regional dealers to national venues that elicit work from all over the country. You can have your work shown Continue reading →

Photo Contestants Beware: Read Contest Guidelines Carefully

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by Nancy Haberman

Some time last spring, knowing that I was fond of hiking and photographing in the hills of Simi, a friend suggested I enter some of my images in a postcard contest sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce. I’m not usually lured by contests, but due to the particular subject matter of this contest, I have to admit, I was intrigued.

I’d always wanted to make postcards from my “Simi Rocks” images, a series of landscape note cards I created between 2000-2004, so I immediately I began a rough edit of my archived photos. Many of the note cards depict the Simi and the adjacent Conejo hillsides, which are dotted with gnarled and mangled oaks. The environment became inspiration for Oak Creek Printworks. The hiking trails that surround our little valley run through a rocky landscape that was home to the Chumash Indians, and later to early western film stars and crews. The few areas that remain open space tell tales of movie land cowboys and real life Indians. I swear there are commercials running on television Continue reading →

Greeting Cards Reign Supreme in 21st Century

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by Nancy Haberman

"Sunrise" by Jennifer Simpson

If you are reading this post, you are living in a world driven by technology. Paradoxically, there has been a trend in art and graphic design towards “things handmade,” or anti-technology. Where once a graphic designer strove to make designs and typography more perfect and mechanical, new designers rebelled by distressing type and creating designs that appeared constructed and hand crafted. If you are a reader of any of the Stampington publications, particularly Stamper’s Sampler and Take Ten, you’ll find examples of some of the finest rubber stamped and hand crafted greeting cards that I’ve seen by crafters in the western hemisphere. Complex designs using mixed media have found a home in the greeting card, even if they do use basic elements created by others.

Twenty-first century creative individuals have growing access to Continue reading →

Co-op Galleries: Pros and Cons

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by Georgia Lange

The most important part of being an artist is showing your work to the public; otherwise, you are just wasted talent. Having said that, how does one go about showing his or her work? Of course, there is the online option; social networking sites like flickr, artslant, and facebook are great ways to get your work seen by others who you might never have met otherwise. However, there is a big difference between seeing a work of art on a computer screen and seeing the real thing in person. This brings me to the subject of galleries; galleries are the primary way that artists get their work shown to the public and build up their reputations. There are several different kinds of galleries, and finding the right one can be a challenge. Traditional galleries provide a client base, all or most of the expenses including the advertising, and take the highest percentage of your sales (usually about 50% of the sale price). Traditional galleries are also the most picky when it comes to taking on new talent.

There is an alternative to the traditional gallery, and that is the cooperative gallery. Co-op galleries are usually run by a group of artists working together to show their work. There is usually a membership fee, and the additional expenses often are shared by the   gallery members. Co-op galleries are a great way to Continue reading →

School fundraisers feature student artwork

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OLMCS - Student art cards for sale in 2010 fundraiser

Our clients have great ideas. The mom’s at Our Lady of Malibu Catholic School decided to sell the children’s artwork as card sets for this year’s fundraiser. They printed up the cards, but were not sure how to package them. Following a little internet research, one of the moms visited us, wanting to see our clear plastic boxes. After trying a few different sizes to fit both the envelopes and cards in the same package, the result was a professional product for sale, worthy of any store or boutique. And economic too! In addition, the clear packaging allowed them to print a page to insert in the bottom of the box, profiling the artist and showing the prints enclosed.

Congratulations to all the budding artists at OLMCS, who now have the distinction of having sold their artwork. They are off to a great start.

Past clients include public and private schools, and Sister Cities International, which features artwork from children around the world. Take a look at some of their artwork. Perhaps it will inspire you. To check out packaging options, see recent blog article “Greeting card sets – a great marketing idea!” by David Heyman.

"Great Harvest" - ©2008, Sister Cities

"Quilt" - Weathersfield School

"Lions" - Montgomery High School

Marketing your art with your business card

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One of the most important items for all artists to have is a business card. It is the best way to market yourself to clients, friends, and new acquaintances. Another crucial item for the working artist is the hard-copy portfolio or “look-book”.  Wouldn’t it be nice to include your business card in your look-book in an elegant and professional way without the concern of having it fall out and get lost or damaged? This is why we are now offering a clear plastic protective sleeve designed especially for the business card! It has a double adhesive the back making it easy to attach to any surface and a single opening allowing the option to remove the business card while keeping the sleeve perfectly in place. This little sleeve is a must-have for any professional artist!

Get your business card noticed

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By David Heyman

Business cards are such a common marketing tool that many times they lose impact, are easily lost or put in a drawer and the design of many of them is quite forgettable.

Take this under-utilized advertisement of your business to the next level with some simple tips to make sure that no one ever tosses away your business card again:

  • Put your cards into a clear business card sleeve. When sealed, this will protect your card from dirt and fingerprints, and ensure that your smooth, plastic coated card stands out in a pile of business cards.

Unsealed and sealed bags with business card

  • To make an even bigger impact, use a piece of foam core to back your business card inside a sleeve. This adds depth, and such an inherent value to your card, that no one will think of throwing it away! Continue reading →