First off, my name is Anthony Proulx and I am a web designer here at Plastic Printers. Now I know there are times for all of us when we get into a slump or have a brain fart and the idea of my post is to put together a few resources for you to help you get past your slump, or let an idea or two loose.

1.) Use Google Images to its Potential:
When designing a card (or anything) Use key search terms that relate closely to your project. Use multiple keywords and then make sure you switch these keywords around, because different terms and orders bring up different results. Being precise with keywords can also narrow your searches and make them more accurate to your desires.

There is also an advanced search option that can really come in handy. It gives you choices to what kind of subject medium you want such as: faces, news, drawings, line art, or photos. Another thing I find extremely useful is the ability to choose what size of image you are looking for. Often times too many we get stuck trying to use lower res pictures (more for web) but with this size option you can choose to have as small as you want or extra large resolution. Finally, another helpful option is the ability to choose your file format. Keep in mind .jpg's and .gif's are a format that every time you save them, they lower your quality or color spectrum, which is also known as lossy. By using the formats of .PNG and .BMP you are going to have a much more stable construction and minimal data loss (also known as lossless).
http://images.google.com/


2.) Wikipedia:
One of the most well know free legit websites out there. They actually rivaled The Encyclopedia Britannica in acurate and useful information, and all with out a cost. This resource is a must for anyone that wants to know general and tech information about nearly every topic there is. Use this site as research tool for any project and ideas will follow the knowledge surge.
http://www.wikipedia.com


3.) Brands of the World:
Another excellent resource, this one gets you high resolution logos for when a company gives you crappy low res ones. I personally use this site to make mock up business cards when I need to. Or generally see what kinds of businesses that are related to my project are doing with their logos. If a company wants you to put affiliates logos on cards or designs, this is a much better spot to get those logos rather then trying to get them from just anywhere you can.
http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/

As always you can check out our websites for tons of example cards. A great inspirational one with over 50 samples is www.clearplasticcards.com or check out some of our latest videos here.

Hopefully you are now able to break the slump, release that brain fart (in someone else's general direction I hope), and move on with your projects. Check back often because we are going to be giving out tips and tricks to help you keep your inspiration fueled to the max. Thanks for reading and until next time...

Get to Business.

While clear and frosted business cards are an immediate jump ahead of the standard paper card, utilizing these tips can help you bring your design from great to amazing. Properly setting up your artwork can also save you time and money on proofing and revisions. If you need a template check out our plastic card templates here, if you would like an instant quote try our online quote calculator.

1. A design that has white in the file will become the clear or satin stock when printed unless it is on a separate layer and designated to be printed.

2. When quoting your card white is considered a color.

3. Colors printed on the card stock without white printed behind them will become transparent.



4. Printing white on each side of the card will not completely block a color that might be printed on the opposite side.



5. Dark colors printed on the our clear plastic card stock without white behind them will turn out very dark. This effect is lessened when printing on frosted satin stock.



6. What you see printed on the front of the card will show through on the back of the card and will be backwards. You can add a layer of white to help block the design from showing through.

7. If your clear, or frosted satin card has a magnetic strip on the back it will show through to the front of the card. Many designers incorporate this into the design, or add white to the front of the card to help block the strip.



8. A popular technique is to knockout either text or an element of your card. When doing this make sure that the text or object is large enough so that it will not disappear or blend together.



9. If you are using tints of a color (lowering opacity) they will turn out lighter when printed than what your computer screen shows. If you have questions please ask your sales rep for advice.



10. An advanced clear plastic card design technique is to print text, or image elements on the front of the card and a solid color on the back. Since there is space between the front and back of the card it will leave a dropshadow and appear raised or 3D.



11. If you apply UV Coating to both sides of a frosted satin card it will end up almost completely clear. This happens because our frosted plastic cards utilize a special texture that makes them distort the light that comes through resulting in a frosted appearance. By laying a UV Coat on the card it fills the texture and cancels the effect.