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[Michele Rushworth]

When I ordered prints online the printer also had me use my own printer for a small portion of the painting (at the size the print would be) and print him off exactly the colors as they should be since every computer is different. This enabled him to adjust the digital file he had to match exactly. Im wondering if the postcard companies offer the same thing?

I provided Modern Postcard with exactly such a printout (called a "match print") to help them with the color. The color of my cards was darn near an exact match to the match print and the CMYK file I sent them.

[October Reader]

modernpostcard is 30 miles from where I live. In case anyone needs somebody to make a quick dash over after 3:00pm Pacific Time for emergencies you can keep me in mind.

overnightprints is about 90 miles from where I live which won't be an easy feat but for a dedicated SOG forum member I can be persuaded to bend over back-wards on Fridays

[Heidi Maiers]

Well, I sent out my postcards yesterday and didn't even expect any of them to be delivered so soon. When I got home from work, there were messages on my phone machine. They were not the type of messages that I would have hoped for. They were from people telling me to take their names off of my mailing list.

They must have no idea that it was a one time mailing list borrowed from a public data source - I couldn't remove their name if I wanted to.
Did any of you ever get such a rude response? I mean really - if not interested, it takes a lot more time to sit there and call someone and tell them so than to just toss the little piece of paper in the garbage. Anyway, I hope ALL of them don't feel like they've been spammed. How disheartening - people can be so thoughtless.

[Mike McCarty]

Heidi,

I think that when you reach out to a large number of people you can expect every type of response. It's just a matter of percentages. In any large sampling of people there are a certain number of A.H.'s. There should also be some percentage of people, albeit small in percentage terms, that will respond positively.

[Heidi Maiers]

Yeah, I know that to be true Mike. It's just a darn shame that it's the A.H's that are so quick with their A.H. responses!

[John Reidy]

Heidi,

How ugly! A.H. isn't strong enough but I can't think of anything else that I can use on this forum.

I agree with Mike but this is just outright rude. When someone goes that far to make you unwelcome you must shake their dust from you, turn your back and walk away. They are unworthy of you.

I've seen your work posted here and it's beautiful.

By the way, when I was in advertising we used to say, "Everybody has an A.H. and some people have to act like one."

[John Reidy]

Holly,

I just read your post regarding color and would like to add something on the subject that I know and might be helpful for others.

Most of the postcards being discussed here are from one supplier on the west coast. That supplier is an offset printer. They work in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and key or black). When designing your postcard you should use CMYK "process" colors. That means colors that can be achieved by mixing CMYK. You should never use spot color or a pantone color as this would then have to be converted and CMYK can't match all pantone colors. If you do use a spot color the printer will have to lay down an additional color, raising the cost to you or try to match as close as possible.

Also, a match print is always a necessary tool if you are critical regarding the color. With that the printer has a goal that is achievable.

[Mary Sparrow]

Wow Heidi, I'm so sorry you got that response.

I got mine yesterday. They look nice, it is odd, the paintings themselves look pretty much like I expected them to look, but the rest of it looks darker and browner than it does on my monitor.

At any rate, I am planning on mailing some out this week. My husband is a financial planner so he kindly printed out his mailing list and went through the ones that he knew had young children and that he knows could afford a portrait. The rest of the names on my mailing list are coming from referrals, I have asked a few people that have portraits from me if they knew of anyone that may be interested. One of the girls just gave me 20 names of all of her old college friends that had recently been to visit and had expressed interest in her portrait. My sister-in-law also has given me several names of people that have expressed a little interest at her daughters private school in her town.
My hope is that while I do not know many if not most of the people on my list, that they have all have some form of connection to someone that already has a portrait I have done. I am hoping that this will keep me from getting the response you have unfortunately gotten.

[Melinda Roeleveld]

Michelle, a private school buzz book is what people around here call that school's telephone directory. Not everyone wants to lend them out, including my own sister who teaches at a very exclusive private elementary school. It's not a bad way to find young parents who may want portraits. I guess I need to be patient (which I'm not at the moment). Hope that helps!

[Mike McCarty]

Michele and others,

Did you include any price information on your card?

What is your thinking on this?