In response to Send It Snail Mail, Casey Craig commented:
One thing I do when mailing out postcards is to have my name printed on the front along with the image. That way your name is visually linked with your image and if anyone decides to pin up your postcard they always know who the artist is without having to take it down and flip it over.
Add your name to the front of your postcards.
Casey Craig, Indigo Evening. Mixed media on canvas, 24 x 20 inches. ©The Artist
This is a terrific tip that I didn’t want you to miss. Galleries understand this. They usually have their gallery name on the front–perhaps in combination with the artists’ names. It’s part of their branding that helps you remember them.
Next time you get something in the mail from another artist or gallery, notice the writing that is on the front along with the image. See how the text helps you remember the name of the artist in relation to the work.
You can also put your name on the front of the note cards you print for your own use. Around the border of the image, add something like one of the following.
- A Note from Casey Craig
- Thank You from Casey Craig
- Birthday Wishes from Casey Craig
Why not?!
Got other postcard tips? Leave ‘em here and help out your fellow artists.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Alyson, Thank you so much for featuring my work. Glad I could share something useful.
Thanks for all you do!
Casey Craig
I always put my web site url on the front of my postcards. It is my name so it kills two birds with one stone.
Love,
Linda Blondheim
Casey: My pleasure. Thank you for sharing.
Linda: That works, too!
Alyson you’re just so good at pointing out these blindingly obvious things that I never do!
I’d love to see other artists’ examples of their postcards or invites, by the way. To see basics. Yesterday I saw an invite on a black background and it looked amazing (Lisa Call’s next show) – I had never even considered a black background.
Tina: I am fairly sure that I wouldn’t like your work on a black background. Most of the time I don’t like black (SO harsh), but sometimes it looks just fine. Be careful. Black can weigh down a work.
Always! You are branding yourself just as any other business brands itself. I just recently created a new postcard with lots of thumbnails on a black background for mailings and studio handouts, and of all the postcards and bookmarks, that one is frequently picked up first.
To get a look at the design you can take a peek here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/judithheartsong/4289761049/
I only did this for the first time on my last postcard….and NOT because I knew it was the right thing to do! Thank you Alyson for putting our attention on these very important details!
The front of my postcard has an image of one of my Ancestress shadow boxes, and type which says: Michelle Davis Petelinz invites you to…
This has served me well in inviting customers to shows, and informing my mailing list members of various newsy events. I purposely did not use my business name since between the time I did the postcard design and now, I’ve changed it!
Your name on the front of the postcard in a complimentary font is a great idea – for some unknown reason have done that for years! Then you can repeat your name on the info side or not, giving yourself more space for good design, or other info. my work is abstract, so black in the background often works well, or a very deep version of a color that compliments the image.works even better…
I am just about to order some postcards. Thank you so much for this tip….. and all the other wonderful advice you share with us.
I’ll definitely keep this in mind for my next postcard order. So simple yet so not thought of before! Thanks Alyson and Casey!
Great suggestions. I recently had postcards printed with the title and my name printed under the image of the painting.