Any software out there I can pick up free? I have no credit card, *or* money right now.. so I'm hoping for something, otherwise I'd just buy a copy of something, and my search for freeware has turned up empty.
Anyone have anything freeware or shareware without a definite end-date for the trial run until I get some money coming in?
Artyste, can you stretch to postage costs? The first cards I got from vistaprint were their free range - you choose from one of their preset designs, enter the text via their web interface and then just pay postage - they make their money by the advertising - their website address is on the back of the cards whereas paid ones the back is blank. And certainly with me, once I saw the quality I later went back to them for paid cards not once but for 4 different business cards, one set for a client, plus for postcards, notepads and magnets.
This may not be helpful if you a) haven't got the money for postage at the moment or b) can't find a way to pay them without credit card but I thought I'd post incase you weren't aware of their free cards thing.
If you have a printer at home, you can buy business card stock and print on that. Set it up in your word processor of choice in the same way you'd set up sticky labels.
The stock I use is perforated 200gsm, each A4 sheet contains 10 business cards. The particular stock I use is only available in Australia, but you should be able to find something similar in a large stationery or office supplies shop.
i second vistaprint. they have a printer in ontario now, so all funds are in loonies, and they have great specials. i don't hink i've been paying for cards (mind you, that's for my book business, for my photo i'd want to upload my own images...) for the past two years.
Use overnightprints.com I used them and got my first 100 for under $25 if u can spare that much. That includes your own photos on there. They have a great design program that you use for free, and I saved the design to my computer and edited out the watermark so I can always have it. It took about 10 minutes.
Hey Glen, I use Overnight Prints also and have been very happy. They have a template that you can download and throw into photoshop to create your own card or you can use one of their preset templates. Their quality is very good and so are their prices.
Vistaprints also has downloadable templates but I find their prices are a little higher than Overnight Prints.
Here's what I did with their template. Basically they just show you the guides and give you the right size for printing and you do all the rest.
Front Back
I've made myself "specialized" cards in Photoshop that I don't need large quantities of, that are geared towards a particular clientele like at car shows. I put 3 on a 4x6, one above the other, and cut them with my photo cutter. Not quite as heavy as a real card, but it still works nicely.
Create a new document at 2"H x 3.5"W at 300dpi and make your card. When you input your text, you can right-click the text layer and choose "blending options" to create bezels, drop shadows and such to spice up the text. Then open another document at 4Wx6H and paste your card 3 times in there one above the other, making sure to line them up so they cut nicely.
Oh, I have a referral link for vistaprint - it's meant to give me $1 for a referral though that never seems to come through but more importantly it gives the referee 25% off which definitely works.
So if anyone who hasn't used them/ registered an account already wants the offer link just PM me for it. I have a link that works for the US site and another for the UK site so let me know which site you'll be using.
Vistaprints isn't going to work for me (just don't have what I need), but I may use avery.. I dunno.. I'm not very good at using blank templates, and none of the pre-assembled ones look any good.
I've made myself "specialized" cards in Photoshop that I don't need large quantities of, that are geared towards a particular clientele like at car shows. I put 3 on a 4x6, one above the other, and cut them with my photo cutter. Not quite as heavy as a real card, but it still works nicely.
If you need small quantities and you are going to put photos on the cards I heartily second this "handmade" method.
Well, I finally went with the Photoshop suggestion, and just winged it.
I'm pretty happy with the final outcome, although in an ideal world, the info text would be on the back of the card.. but I can't afford two-sided cards right now. I'll just be printing them out on my own using pre-perforated sheets from London Drugs.
The blue in the eyes will probably also not be staying.. pity.
looks good, glen. can i steal your phrase 'natural light'? that's exactly the wording i've been looking for. and, it's not like we're competitors - on opposite coasts and all... :-)
looks good, glen. can i steal your phrase 'natural light'? that's exactly the wording i've been looking for. and, it's not like we're competitors - on opposite coasts and all... :-)
I suppose so, as long as I get a 20% cut on all profit ;)
Sorry vistaprint don't have what you need. I'm assuming you mean within their predesigned templates for the free cards since they also offer a Photoshop template for use in creating your own designs from scratch. This puts you into their premium card band with an upload fee for the image file plus slightly higher card costs though even there I've got some very cheap prices - the best thing is that once you've placed a single order with them you are inundated with special offers from then on which give crazy discounts like 80+ % off or free orders on new products (you just pay postage and tax).
Anyway, I like your card a lot - I'd personally put an & sign between Child and Family instead of a / but other than that, it's all good.
I don't think we have Avery here in the UK so can't comment on them but website looks good. Well, we can buy their address labels for printers but not that full product range as on the site!
