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Things to remember when planning
a the design of a card:
1) A card is a product that
is used for communication between two people.
2) The message is always "I care
for you" whatever the circumstance.
3) Most people prefer a card
with some writing on it because they don't know what to say.
4) Most cards are bought by women
and are given to women.
5) A successful card has a broad
appeal and is right for a high number of people, therefore achieves the highest
number of sales.
6) The look of a successful card
follows or anticipates the current fashion trends and is in some what different
from all the other cards already on the market.
7) The concept and the illustration
of a good card represent something that is preferable to the thousands or
so other cards on the rack.
8) If you wouldn't buy your
card, nobody else will.
9) A successful illustrator
has developed an individual and recognisable style.
10) Before illustrating a card,
think of the use of the product.
11) Whatever the message is,
it should be communicated clearly.
12) Your card has to fit with
the other things that your publisher sells.
13) When planning the design
of the card, remember that only the top third is visible in a rack and therefore
concentrate the message there.
Basic design techniques.
A card can have a full bleed
image, so it fills the entire space. It can have borders (whole or broken)
to contain the feelings; it can be a spot design -typical of humourous cards-
this means that is vignetted or is floating in the space around, it's simple
and delicate. It can be fun or exciting with patterns use to fill the areas
or in borders. It could have the editorial being predominant, when type, calligraphy
or lettering are the focal point of the design.
Writing verses.
As most cards contain verses
it is useful to compose your own. To find inspiration, use a rhyming dictionary,
collect nice verses, poetry and quotes, use magazines, and overall think about
the person who is going to read the card.
Designing with words. Serif
letters have got score lines (as in A). They have a classic look, a warm feel,
but cooler than the script's. They are easy to read. Sans serif letters do
not have serifs; they represent a newer style, cooler, easy to read. Scripts
include lettering styles that are or imitate hand written text. Letters are
connected to each other. It's a traditional, more feminine, soft, warmer and
not so easy to read way of writing verses.
You can write with your own handwriting
and retrace a word using thick lines to create a script. Only lots of experience
though will give a very nice result. Cards categories. Friendship. It is the
widest and more popular category. People who buy from this group want to stay
in touch and have no time to do it, so they buy cards to say "I am thinking
of you".
Birthdays.
The second more popular category;
usually represents flowers, animals, or things that the receiver loves. Children's
birthdays. Fun cards, fantastic world, animals, clowns, animated objects all
work well. Use large lettering and drawings, easy to read onts, simple lettering.
The younger the child on the receiving end, the sweeter the look and feel
of the card. Think of the receiver: is he a boy or a girl?
Religious.
Uplifting cards, that often
use light, rainbows, nice verses to portrait feelings. Love. Love cards show
people and animals interacting romantically; they often have elements like
hearts, red roses, flowers, and the animals are definitely male and female
(one smaller than the other).
Wedding.
They illustrate the wedding
cerimony, and can include cakes, flowers, bells, hearts, birds, doves, glasses
of champagne etc.
Congratulations.
They are used for diplomas, new
jobs etc. and are positive, encouraging, enthusiatic and celebratory.
New baby.
They show baby related objects,
like high chairs, toys, bottles, soft colours, humour, cute and cuddly beings,
and show the baby's gender (blu/pink); in case of doubt use yellow. They often
show mother and child using animals (big mother, small child). Often they
describe the new mother's hectic life with humour!
Anniversary. If it is a wedding
anniversary, illustrate two of anything (people, flowers, animals) in a quite
traditional style.
Get well/Cheer.
Must be bright and uplifting
cards. Illustrate positive and encouraging images. If you are painting flowers
realistically, avoid dead flowers! Sympathy. Tranquil, not depressing, images
with simple borders understated flowers, conservative and delicate, peaceful.
Thank you. Non specific cards,
can have just about any subject; usually flowers work well. Blank. They can
represent anything, with an atmosphere, a feeling to it.
Styles.
Realistic. A card that makes
you feel good, avoiding rotten and dying vegetables. If you design nice realistic
florals you can't go wrong. Think of what you can do to add to the poetry
and delight of each design. A very effective tool to use is the wise use of
light. Sweetly charming. Very popular especially among women. They have mostly
animals, sometimes people, but always very very cute and cuddly. Choose animals
that are already cute, such as kittens, poppies, teddies. These
cards are an escape in a small fantasy world. They depict fluffy animals,
tiny eyes, pink noses, soft glances, sweet and innocent looks, a childish
feeling to it.
Whimsical.
Similar to sweetly charming,
but a bit less traditional, and very slightly funny. It's a very successful
style, simple and slightly childish. Graphic. Clean, flat colours, bright,
bold, active, abstract, with a big editorial. Humourous They really must make
people laugh! If non of your friends laughs when they see your humorous cards,
then nobody else will!
Choosing appealing subject.
To begin with, ask yourself
if the card is for a man or a woman. Feminine cards have soft pastel shades,
fluffy images, things are cute, curly, or round. Masculine cards have rich,
deep and darker colours, lots of brown, heavy images, animals, sports, equipment,
wild nature. Young girls tend to like bold colours, a graphic style, cartoons.
Each country will differ greatly though!
Florals.
These are women's favourites,
always winning above any other card. Just look at those fantastic Simon Elvin
cards! Animals. Very popular too. Avoid predators, hunting scenes, scary views.
Animals can be humanised and be dressed funnily in the humourous range. Remember
the symbols and the seasons: rabbits and ducklings are for Easter, red birds
for Christmas, doves for weddings etc. Animals are often the symbol of the
person who is sending the card or receiving it. The most popular animal is
the cat. Avoid drawing a dog. You will never guess which breed is the buyer's
favourite, and there are lots of them! A cat is a cat whatever shape and race;
a dog is a Labrador, or a Spaniel, or something else! Very hard to sell.
Landscapes and interiors.
The key is to put something to
symbolise the emotional intent of the card. Light helps a lot to create a
"mood" - sunset, sunrise, lamplight, candle, rainbow. Objects found
are houses, flowers, cats and vases. Watercolours are always welcome.
People.
Used in the whimsical and sweetly
charming style. Humorous styles are also good. Be sure you are not offensive.
Objects.
Anything can do, Teddies are
never wrong. Create a fresh and new version of something and you will succeed.
Popular objects are hearts, suns, butterflies, stars, seashells, moons, collage.
Christmas. Must be appropriate
for a wide variety of people. Use red and green, at least in small borders
or decorations. Input a positive feeling, or describe a nostalgic Christmas
in a country Church/village, use snow, winter landscapes,, sheet music, choirs,
trees, religious subjects, angels, gifts, Santa, reindeers, red birds, poinsettia
flowers, holly and pine, snowmen. The editorial is important. The more Christian
the message, the less broad appeal the card has. Choose "Festivities" and
"Holidays" to broaden the possibilities of sale.
Valentine.
Use pink, red, hearts, lace,
ribbons, red roses, romantic looks, teddy bears. Easter. Use bunny, eggs,
chicks, ducklings, pastel colours, yellow and lavender, spring flowers. Try
also humour, it does work!
Mothers day.
Florals do very well, or anything
that a woman will like. Fathers' day. Masculine look and humourous cards.
Traditional as well. Cars, sport, nature.
Humourous. It is never too personal.
It's funny, with its stylised people and animals. Experiment a lot in this
area; if you have to explain the joke ....it doesn't work! Make sure that
there is eye contact between the personage and the buyer. You can use sight
gags, play on words, exaggeration, surprise, leading the reader in one direction
and then surprise them once the card is opened.
Planning the colours for impact.
Dark and strong colours are better
for masculine cards. Soft pastels are more used in feminines designs. Sweetly
charming style works usually in soft pastel colours. Avoid using bright colours
in sympathy cards. For young people choose primary and some secondary colours:
red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange. Soft colours for babies, yellow
when the baby could be either boy or girl.
Think of the situation: for example
a silver wedding could have a silver feeling, Christmas must have red, green
and sometimes a little blue. Holiday cards follow seasonal colours. Easter
is purple, yellow, green, and seasonal flowers. Halloween is orange Thanksgiving
is rust, orange, and brown. Avoid black unless is in only little decorations.
Colours follow very much the fashion, so keep up to date with the latest trends
in textyles, clothes etc.
Researching card trends influences
and ideas.
Get to know what is on sale now,
to avoid duplicating looks and approaches. Collect anything that catches your
eye and file by colours, subject matter etc. your material. A woman is influenced
by everything around her every day. Look at women's magazines, home furnishing
catalogues, fashion, adverts, lettering, verses, children's books, museums,
catalogues with nice children's pictures, gardening catalogues, sport catalogues,
greeting cards. Learn to distinguish between trends and fads.
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