Good prices on card blanks

[Sue Charles]

Found a good source for card blanks, envelopes and plastic sleeves
(About $38 for 100 cards, envelopes and sleeves including shipping)
http://www.cardblanks.com/index.php

Print them out, and bring them down to NRAS to sell in our new
revolving card rack.

Anybody else find a source for these?

Sue

[Kelley MacDonald]

WOW! This is a fantastic find, Sue. Thank you!
I've been looking for a way to do this. Any suggestions about
printing them out? I have a new Canon printer, but have been less
than thrilled about how the images print out - they seem less colorful
than IRL or on the computer screen.
Kelley

[Margaret McWethy]

I'd like to hear this too. M

[Sue Charles]

The only way I know how to improve printing is by increasing the
output resolution (dots per inch)
Some printers are better than others, too.
Anybody else have some advice on printing cards from a home printer?
Sue

[Connie Drapeau Kennedy]

Sue --

Thanks for the tip about <CardBlanks.com>. I look forward to trying them out.

I've followed the discussion about printing woes; as a photographer I've experienced plenty. I don't know how much printing people on this list have done with home computers, so I thought I'd offer some guidance.

One of the issues with printing is that you need a "color managed system." This is a huge hurdle for novice and intermediate photographers. 

To control the output of images there are several steps we need to understand and manage.

1)  We need to set our camera's "color space" and understand how it works with our software (often Photoshop) and printers. (sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto are three common color spaces.)  

2)  The computer software then needs information about the paper in order to print it properly. Some photographers use ICC profiles, which relay information about the paper's coating, brightness/whiteness, thickness, ink absorption... to the software. Some photographers get their papers profiled by third parties. 

3)  Your monitor also comes into play. If you've ever changed the brightness or contrast on your monitor chances are great your software and printer haven't compensated for those changes. Even without making any monitor changes it's crucial for photographers -- and probably for you, if you're trying to print from home -- that your monitor be calibrated properly. The best calibrations are not done with internal software but with standalone devices. 

4)  If you're using a scanner, the scanner's settings need to be adjusted for your color managed system.  

5)  If I haven't discourage you too much already - you then need to send the info to the printer, understand another handful of print choices, and select the correct paper choice. You also need to tell your computer that you are in the driver's seat using a "color managed" system.

I use Macs. Early on I would occasionally "get lucky" using the Mac's ColorSync. More often than not, I wasted ink and paper. You might get lucky not understanding or controlling some of these settings. The one I think is most important is monitor calibration. Something may look perfectly pink on your screen and print out Halloween green. I re-calibrate for every major print event and, on average, once every week or two. The older your monitor the more frequently you should calibrate.

Hope this helps!  incidentally, I call CardBlanks and asked if they had paper profiles. The service rep wasn't familiar with them. She said the owner would call me back. I'll let you know what I hear. 

-- Connie

  

Connie Drapeau Kennedy & Alan E. Kennedy
The Welcome Gallery & Boost Enterprises
Celebrating Your Accomplishments and the Spirit of Our Community

PO Box 51
Marshfield Hills, MA 02051
(781) 837.6021

Con...@BoostEnterprises.com

www.TheWelcomeGallery.com

[Margaret Bruno]

If iphoto is too pricey, photoshop elements is a good alternative. It will let you do some tweaking of the photo such as brightness, contrast.  I think it also will let you adjust levels. 
I hate to say this, too, but Epson is an outstanding printer and their papers, also. I had a canon printer in the past and noticed within a year that all the photos I had printed were fading horribly. I did lots of homework and found that Epson's inks have a much better light fastness history. I don't know if that has changed recently and Canon has improved, but beware.
Also, the new higher end imacs have such incredible displays and innards now, that you don't even have to calibrate, although since it is an lcd screen the darks may appear a little darker than they are...
Peggy

 
On Monday, October 26, 2009, at 04:19PM, "Connie Drapeau Kennedy" <con...@thewelcomegallery.com> wrote:
>

[Connie Drapeau Kennedy]

Just heard back from <CardBlanks.com>.  (Good service :-) That was quick.)  The rep relayed the owner's message:  None of the papers are currently profiled. They are working on a major revision of their website. When released they "hope" to have at least one paper profiled. The rep sweetly told me not to hold my breath. The new website is purportedly months away - at least. 

I ordered a sample pack. Will let you know my experience, though outcomes will vary from setup to setup and printer to printer.

One additional note about printers in general. Margaret B mentioned she had a bad experience with a Canon. It can happen with the best of the brands. (I know a few master photogs who exclusively use Canons.) Much depends upon the model, setup and use. A great percentage of photogs use Epsons; I had an Epson lemon once. HP satisfaction is also all over the chart. I love the output of my Z3100; I don't like their customer service at all (and this model is not for card printing).

One factor certainly is the model and its designated market and purpose. A mid range model will limit you to mid-range outcomes. Equally important is the type of paper and ink you use with the model. I think Wilhelm Imaging Research still stands behind its earlier findings:  In order to achieve the greatest "archivability" of prints from a particular manufacturer you need to use that manufacturer's inks AND papers -- especially if you're not using high end papers.

Printing is part science and part art. When it works I am free to hone my art in a way that I couldn't if I were outsourcing my printing. When it doesn't work it's a migraine. If you're not going to print on a on-going basis consider outsourcing your cards and reproductions.  You'll have more time for what's life giving in your art. 

Hope this help.  Would love to hear of others' card printing tips and experiences.

-- Connie

Connie Drapeau Kennedy & Alan E. Kennedy
The Welcome Gallery & Boost Enterprises
Celebrating Your Accomplishments and the Spirit of Our Community

PO Box 51
Marshfield Hills, MA 02051
(781) 837.6021

Con...@BoostEnterprises.com

www.TheWelcomeGallery.com