Wanted: New Cards – Holidays, Passover, Across the Miles
Every Friday from now on, we’ll be showcasing a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock). You can also choose to create a design using your own graphics, but the stock cards are easy and readily available.
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with only 1 card is:
Holidays = Passover/Pesach – Across the Miles/Far Away
*Passover is a Jewish holiday. When you’re searching for images in the stock cards, avoid inappropriate designs like Easter eggs, Christian Bible of Jesus, bunnies, etc.
Share this:
Throwback Thursday – Nuts and Bolts: Keywords
KEYWORDS ARE THE KEY (TO SUCCESS)
How do people find your greeting cards at Greeting Card Universe? Usually either by doing an on-site search, or using a search engine, which is why your keywords are important.
When a user does a search, they enter words or phrases as their search terms, refining the terms as necessary to refine the results. Here’s an example: a shopper wants to buy a 59th birthday card for their aunt, who is a butterfly collector. They might search for “birthday card for aunt” or “59 birthday card for aunt.” Once they get the results for this search, they may want to refine the results further, such as “butterfly birthday card for 59 year old aunt.”
Are you starting to understand the importance of keywords? If you don’t use the right specific and relevant keywords when submitting your greeting cards to GCU, your cards won’t come up in search results, and you won’t make many sales.
Don’t use fraudulent keywords, though. Not only is it naughty, but I promise you won’t make many sales of misleading cards. GCU reviewers frown on the practice, too. You should be choosing keywords that are relevant to the card.
Do try to find unique keywords to help you stand out from the crowd.
If you’re stuck for keyword ideas, there are other free tools that may help point you in the right direction.
For example, let’s take this card of mine:
The title is very important to search engines, so I’ve titled this card Christmas Tree – Believe – Customizable Photo Card. That should hit some of the right buttons. Next, I need keywords. Obvious choices are snow, Christmas ornament, personalized photo card. Notice I used “customizable” in the title and “personalized” in the keywords? That’s because different people will search for photo cards using different terms. I’m covering my bases.
Now I’ll check to see how I did. Opening a new tab in my browser, I go to Google AdWords: Keyword Tool.
When I plug words and phrases into this tool, it will tell me how many people are searching Google for these terms on a monthly basis, and it may give me ideas on other keywords I can include on my card. For demonstration purposes, I’ll start with just “greeting cards.”
“Christmas photo greeting cards” is on the list of terms people are looking for, so good thing I’ve got that covered in my title. Going further to look at “Christmas cards,” I see “personalized Christmas cards” and “customized Christmas cards” rank high with thousands of monthly searches, so I was right to include both terms in my title and keywords.
I also see “modern Christmas card” and “contemporary Christmas card” are being searched, so I’ll include “modern” and “contemporary” in my keywords, as well as “fashionable” and “trendy.” Not misleading, since the design is everything I say it is. A thesaurus is sometimes an artist’s best friend! To conclude, in my Artist’s Notes section, I’ll write a little blurb and use words like “stylish” and “up to date” to increase the possibility of shoppers finding my card. I could take my searches even further, but for now I’m done.
While valuable, this free service has its limitations. It’s intended to help advertisers placing AdSense ads with Google, but it can be used to assist you in targeting sellers who are looking to buy the kind of greeting card you’re selling.
Another way to get a general idea of keywords other artists are using on cards in the same vein as yours is to enter this into the Google search box:
site:http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com yourkeyword
Your search results will contain every card on GCU containing that keyword. By seeing what terms other artists have used in their keywords, you may get a better sense of what you need to include when uploading your own cards.
Suppose you want to confine your search to just Christmas cards, for example. Your Google search terms will look like this:
site:http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/Holidays-Christmas yourkeyword
Refine it even further to subcategories:
site:http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/Holidays-Christmas-Photo+Cards+Your+Picture+Here yourkeyword
And that’s how you do it. You can easily find out the URL you want to search by going to the GCU homepage, scrolling down the list of categories until you find the one you want, then refining your search to the sub-categories until you get where you want to go. Once you have the unique URL showing all cards in that category or sub-category, you’ll be able to search among those cards for specific keywords by using the Google search trick above.
I can’t emphasize this enough: make sure any keywords you choose are relevant to the card. In other words, don’t put “merry Christmas” in your keywords unless that phrase is on the front of your card or in the inside verse. The rule is to use only those keywords that describe your card AS IT ACTUALLY IS, not what you think it’s suitable for.
Yes, I know there are cards out there that break the rules. Please don’t get upset about what other people have done in the past. There was a time in GCU’s early days when cards weren’t reviewed, and some artists overdid things a little in their enthusiasm. Those days are long gone. It doesn’t really matter what somebody did years ago. What counts is what we’re doing today.
As a final note, just remember that if we, as artists, work hard to reduce the number of errors in our cards (including keyword mistakes and oversights), it will reduce the review times for everyone. You might earn Star Submitter Status, which will also give you expedited reviews. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Share this:
Nuts and Bolts: Copyright Infringement – What to Do
Whenever an artist puts their work on the Internet, the potential for copyright infringement is unavoidable. Even if the infringement is unintended, you should take reasonable steps to protect your intellectual property.
Here are tips that will help you identify and attempt to end such infringement. This is NOT intended as legal advice. We’re sharing our own experience. If you really need an attorney, get one.
What To Do If Someone Infringes On Your Copyright
Check the Internet: To discover copyright infringements, search engines like Google are your best friend. Every few months—there’s no need to go crazy— look up your name, your company name, and any other identifying details.
Make Contact: If you find a website or blog containing your image(s), whether for sale or for free, first look for contact info. Most sites have at least an e-mail address for getting in touch with the owner. Start by sending a polite note stating that you are the copyright owner of the images in question, the URL(s) of the pages where your art is displayed, and ask the images be removed within a reasonable time.
Why not send an official takedown notice right away? Because a lot of the time, the infringer doesn’t even realize they’re basically stealing your work. Many infringers are private individuals who will work with you once they understand they’re doing wrong. The best strategy is begin by giving the benefit of a doubt and go on from there.
Here’s an example:
____________________
Dear (Owner’s name if you find one):
My name is (NAME) and I’m writing to let you know that the images you’re displaying on the following pages – (URLs) – is my copyrighted intellectual property and your use is in violation of Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please remove these images by (DATE). If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you.
____________________
Get the ISP Involved: If you’re unable to get satisfaction from the website owner, your next step is to contact the site’s ISP (Internet Service Provider). According to law, once contacted, they are obligated to remove the disputed material or face penalties. To find out a site’s ISP, use WhoIs Lookup. For sites with a country code (such as .uk, .jp, etc) you can try UWhoIs.com. Be aware that it can be almost impossible to get an ISP in a country other than the US to comply with your request. If it happens, my advice is to let it go and don’t waste your time unless you’ve got legal resources to burn.
Here’s an example of a DCMA takedown notice. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number as well as a physical or electronic signature. For more info and an easy to understand explanation, read In Plain English: A Quick Guide to DCMA Takedown Notices.
____________________
My name is (NAME). A website your company hosts is infringing a copyright (OR NUMBER OF COPYRIGHTS) on image(s) owned by (ME or MY COMPANY).
The infringing images can be found at (URLs).
This letter is official notification under Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and I seek the removal of the aforementioned infringing material from your servers. I request that you immediately notify the infringer of this notice and inform them of their duty to remove the infringing material immediately, and notify them to cease any further posting of infringing material to your server in the future.
Please also be advised that law requires you, as a service provider, to remove or disable access to the infringing materials upon receiving this notice. Under US law a service provider enjoys immunity from a copyright lawsuit provided you act with deliberate speed to investigate and rectify ongoing copyright infringement. If service providers do not investigate and remove or disable the infringing material this immunity is lost. Therefore, for you to remain immune from a copyright infringement action you will need to investigate and ultimately remove or otherwise disable the infringing material from your servers with all due speed should the direct infringer, your client, not comply immediately.
I am providing this notice in good faith and with the reasonable belief that the rights (I or MY COMPANY) own are being infringed. Under penalty of perjury I certify that the information contained in the notification is both true and accurate, and I have the authority to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright(s) involved.
____________________
Is the Infrnger Using AdSense? Google takes DCMA notices very seriously. If the infringer’s site has AdSense ads, you can report them to Google using the form linked on this blog post (see the bottom).
Get Legal Advice: Escalating to a lawsuit against an infringer is expensive in terms of time and money. However, if you really feel you must, or you want some legal advice on how to proceed, you’ll need a lawyer who has experience with copyright laws in your country. If you live in the U.S., Find Local Intellectual Property Lawyers offers a state by state search.
Protect Yourself by Registering: If your brand is a major source of income and you want to cover all your bases in case of possible future infringement with an eye to legal action, you can register your copyrights in the U.S. For more information on how to proceed, read Copyright Registration Law and Your Artwork.
And Finally, Let It Go: Sometimes, it just won’t be possible for you to do anything else about a copyright infringement. When that happens—and it will, it happens to every artist eventually—don’t fret yourself into a state or let the situation ruin your mood. Just let it go and move on to more productive matters like designing new cards or promoting your products so you’ll make even more $$ in the future.
Share this:
Inspiration Station: Easter 2015
In 2015, Easter falls on April 5, so there’s time for artists to get their new Easter designs uploaded and begin promoting them. Here are some inspirational resources to get your creative juices flowing!
In general, let me tell you that watercolors are a hot trend at the moment, so look to watercolor brushes, backgrounds, and Photoshop actions to take advantage of these popular designs. Have fun!
Easter Trends 2015
Not a huge amount of images, but there are ideas to be had.
Easter Trends
Lots more inspiration to study.
Easter Color Palettes
A bunch of colors for your Easter designs. Look out in particular for pastel mints, robin’s egg blues, pale pinks and peaches in combination.
Easter Cards
Greeting cards with an Easter theme, mainly handmade.
Easter Fonts
People like to make favorites lists, so it’s always worth it to have a look. You’ll need to check carefully to ensure a font you like is OK for commercial use.
Share this:
Dash of Inspiration: Design for All Cultures
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
Design for All Cultures
One way to inspire yourself as a designer is to research another culture and begin collecting elements to aid in the design of new cards. Simply because it’s worth saying twice, RESEARCH is the key to creating cards for a culture you are not familiar with and creating cards that are highly marketable to the demographic and will sell.
Here are some tips from my experience and methodology when tackling unfamiliar territory in new card design:
- Research the occasion/holiday by entering About ‘occasion’ in Google. Take the time to read and learn about the basics of what is being celebrated.
- Study the symbols which represent the celebration such as; the menorah for Hanukkah or a Kwanzaa Kinara.
- Find the colors associated with the occasion or holiday. When it comes to designing for cultures you are not familiar with, choosing to ‘be different’ by using a color palette which is non-traditional, may not only cause your card to lack marketability; but may also send a very different message than what was intended.
- Look for elements, phrases, colors, words, symbols to avoid in your design which may be considered bad luck or offensive to the culture you’re designing cards for.
- When you use words/phrases, common to the celebration for that culture, research to make sure what you are adding is correct and appropriate. Just because it’s all over the internet, or all over cards, doesn’t make it right. I like to search for blogs which speak and teach the language. I find those to be more accurate in the grammar and spelling. Then I seek a second opinion from someone who speaks and reads the language or is comfortable with the culture.
- When designing cards, particularly for kids and for occasions such as; birthdays and other common occasions/holidays, remember to do variations of people from different ethnic backgrounds. This expands your market.
Here are some cultural treasures for those culture-specific designs.
Turkey Istanbul – Shapes for PhotoShop + AI and EPS Vector format
If you are new to using dingbat fonts, read this for some great tips on how to make these fun fonts work as elements in your card designs: https://gcucommunity.com/2012/01/16/dash-of-inspiration-january-16-2011/
………………………………………………………
If you missed our first Design Challenge post, there’s still time. Entry deadline is January 26th, so be sure to check it out and submit your design. The winning artist gets some awesome promotion!
https://gcucommunity.com/2015/01/05/dash-of-inspiration-january-design-challenge/
………………………………………………………
So until next week … Learn … Create … Inspire
Share this:
Wanted: New Cards – Congratulations, Getting Your Prosthetic
Every Friday from now on, we’ll be showcasing a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using the Stock Cards function (Bigstock).
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with only 1 card is:
Occasions – Congratulations – Getting Your Prosthesis/Prostheses/Prosthetic
Share this:
Throwback Thursday – Nuts and Bolts: Inside Verse
INSIDE VERSE
As an artist or photographer, images may come easy, words…not so much. Yet it’s a fact that shoppers are attracted to a card because of the design on the front, but they BUY the card because of what it says on the inside.
We sometimes forget that a greeting card is more than just a piece of paper with a pretty image – it’s a MESSAGE from the buyer to the recipient. A greeting card’s sentiment expresses what the buyer would say if they could but can’t, because feelings are hard to communicate. The card’s inside verse is part of a conversation as well as part of a relationship between two people.
To be successful, we must never lose sight of that simple truth.
If you want to write good greeting card copy, here are some things to avoid:
- Too Formal: The formality of your inside verse will depend on the card’s purpose. Unless you’re writing for a card that requires more formal language, such as condolence or wedding, you should keep your writing in tune with the tone. Don’t worry too much about correct grammar unless that degree of formality is required. Stay away from technical terms or obscure words unless you’re deliberately writing for a specialized niche market.
- Too Much Description: Avoid overuse of adjectives (unless you’re using them for effect). Once you write down your inside verse, eliminate all adjectives. Does that still get the message across? If not, try adding back one adjective at a time. Don’t go overboard.
- Too Much Schmaltz: While a heartfelt message can hit the mark, don’t go too far and drown your verse in syrupy sentiments. Simplify your inside verse, pare it down to its basics, and try to find ways of expressing your message without clichés. Be clear.
- Too Much of a Good Thing: Don’t go on and on in the mistaken belief that the longer your message, the more desirable. A verse that gets to the point without meandering around will always be preferred. If you can say it in one sentence, why use two? Shoppers need to be able to instantly grasp your point, so stay concise.
- Too Controversial: Avoid tasteless or insulting jokes unless you’re targeting a niche market. The general audience will likely give such cards a pass.
So how DO you write good inside verse? Here’s an exercise that may help: when considering inside verse, pretend you’re sitting with your best friend having a conversation. How would you speak to them? What words would you use? How would you connect with them?
As creators of greeting cards, we must remember that a card is like a hand of friendship extended from one person to another. Our words are the most important part of our designs, and could be the reason why an otherwise attractive design isn’t selling.
Share this:
Tips and Tricks: Retro Photoshop Action
Spoon Graphics offers a free Photoshop action with some examples which will turn your photos into cool black and white retro engravings—perfect for the trendy vintage look and OK for commercial use. Have fun!
Share this:
Dash of Inspiration: Freebies Week
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
Freebies Week
Easter is April 5th this year, so now is a good time to be thinking about creating some new designs for this popular card-giving holiday. Today I found some fun commercial use freebies for you to grab which might inspire you to start creating!
If you are new to using dingbat fonts, read this for some great tips on how to make these fun fonts work as elements in your card designs: https://gcucommunity.com/2012/01/16/dash-of-inspiration-january-16-2011/
………………………………………………………
Seamless Paper Texture
http://www.wildtextures.com/free-textures/seamless-paper-texture/
Diagonal Checker Seamless Pattern on Cloth
http://www.wildtextures.com/free-textures/green-violet-diagonal-checker-pattern-on-cloth/
Also, if you are new to GCU, let me help you catch up by offering this older post which features some fun and free pattern making programs so you can create your own unique patterns.
https://gcucommunity.com/2014/01/27/dash-of-inspiration-free-pattern-makers/
………………………………………………………
Goodbye – A Free Handwritten Font Face
http://wegraphics.net/downloads/goodbye-a-free-handwritten-font-face/
Sequence – A Free Handy All Caps Font Face
http://wegraphics.net/downloads/sequence-a-free-handy-all-caps-font-face/
………………………………………………………
Here are some wonderful color palettes to inspire those spring creations.
30 Creative Easter Color Palettes for Graphic Designers By Brian Morris
http://blog.psprint.com/designing/30-creative-easter-color-palettes-graphic-designers/
Beautiful selection of Easter/Spring color palettes on Pinterest.
http://www.pinterest.com/search/?q=easter+color+palette
………………………………………………………
If you missed our first Design Challenge post, there’s still time. Entry deadline is January 26th, so be sure to check it out and submit your design. The winning artist gets some awesome promotion!
https://gcucommunity.com/2015/01/05/dash-of-inspiration-january-design-challenge/
So until next week … Learn … Create … Inspire!
Share this:
Wanted: New Cards – Thinking of You, Away at College
Every Friday from now on, we’ll be showcasing a GCU category that has few or no cards. We’d like you to create at least one card for this category using Bigstock cards.
Remember, when you’re submitting your new card, add a little note about the intended category in your Notes to Reviewers – cards submitted for underused categories are much more likely to be approved provided they follow the Submission Guidelines. Be inventive, be clever, be creative. Good luck!
Today’s category with only 4 cards is:
Occasions > Thinking of You > Away at College
GCU Community 