Custom Card Questions

[TheFrenzy]

Ok, I realize that some of you on these boards actually make a bit of money crafting custom cards for people, so I'm not asking for anyone's secret recipes here. Just a little advice.

I've created a few dozen custom cards myself and had them signed TTM. Lots of really cool success stories and some really heartfelt letters in response. Because I'm currently getting my M.A. in History, the cards I've made have been almost exclusively for other historians, scientists, and other members of academia. Few of the people I've sent requests to have ever seen them selves on a card or imagined that anyone cared about their signature. My personal favorite historian actually passed away before I could mail his card out and so I sent it to his widow as a memorial token and received a heartfelt letter in response that now means more than his autograph would have.

My questions come because so far I've had to sent my designs off to be printed and I'd like to do my printing in home to have more freedom to experiment and correct typos/errors. I'm really looking to make three types of cards:

- Older looking cards similar to the Mars Attacks reprints (Kinda thicker and almost "crumbly?").
- "Memorabilia" cards, which would involve gluing multiple layers together. (My dad's at the end of his cancer battle and I'd like to be able to preserve some stuff in a small way)
- Metallic cards, similar to the chrome and prism cards today. (Everybody likes shiny things)

I realize I'll need a straight feed printer and a source for 20+ pt. cardstock, looking to see if anyone has any recommendations. This is kinda of an open call to what info I can gather, so if you can post a youtube link or your own thoughts or put my in contact with someone who'd be glad to talk, it'd be appreciated.

I've attached a few images of some signed customs I've made.

[smackvay]

very nice work!!! keep up the good work and i dont have and advice as i wouldnt know where to start

[panamamyers]

Cool stuff.

[AKHMERICA]

Scientists do TTM? I'm really curious about this now. Have you asked engineers before? And great looking cards by the way!

[flint]

I am also highly interested in this topic, as I've been playing around with some custom cards as well, but nothing nearly as nice as TheFrenzy's.

I even got a promotional eBay card a few weeks ago that was printed really nice, glossy and everything.

Just to be able to print something that looks like 1989 Topps Baseball is all I want, but the fancier stuff is also interesting!

[phinzphan1372]

Seems you don't need any advice .... your coin fine on your own!... nice work and its cool feeling when people actually sign and return stuff that you created

[phinzphan1372]

and since they weren't signing thousands ...all their sigs are nice and readable !

[matt roberson]

Very cool! I just do sketch cards so I can't help you, but somebody here will be able to. To the top.........BTW I <3 science.

[Metsfan1121]

I as well do customs and get them signed. I do not print from home though. If you find anything good Lmk

[verbal13]

That Jane Goodall one is really great looking.

[mrveggieman]

Interesting concept. Keep up the good work and show us what you got as they come in.

[flint]

Not football related, but as an example, I'd just like to be able to print up some simple customs like this, of course glossy and not matte. Does it take a really high-end printer to be able to do this, or are the HP/Kodak style printers capable of capturing most of the detail?

I know I should just get a new printer and test it, but just wondering if anyone has any experience/advice before I do.

[Qwasian]

in my personal experience home printers don't give you any type of good quality on stock paper. the ink they produce gets soaked up too quick in the paper, the process is a little different at a print shop and they can produce the better quality with the proper ink on the card.

printing is very cheap if you can find the correct type of "PRINT SHOP" that will do low numbered print runs.

you don't want to use places like office max etc, you want a real PRINT SHOP with large presses etc.

[flint]

Originally Posted by Qwasian

in my personal experience home printers don't give you any type of good quality on stock paper. the ink they produce gets soaked up too quick in the paper, the process is a little different at a print shop and they can produce the better quality with the proper ink on the card.

printing is very cheap if you can find the correct type of "PRINT SHOP" that will do low numbered print runs.

you don't want to use places like office max etc, you want a real PRINT SHOP with large presses etc.

Understood, thank you!

My problem is I don't want to print a small quantity of 1 single card, I want to print a good amount of single cards (ie 1/1) for my personal collection.

Copyrights and trademarks might be an issue at certain printers at well. Heck, even the Walmart photo police have gotten on me for printing my OWN photos before! Seriously.

[Metsfan1121]

Originally Posted by flint

Understood, thank you!

My problem is I don't want to print a small quantity of 1 single card, I want to print a good amount of single cards (ie 1/1) for my personal collection.

Copyrights and trademarks might be an issue at certain printers at well. Heck, even the Walmart photo police have gotten on me for printing my OWN photos before! Seriously.

I have the same problem with only wanting 1 of each.

[smackvay]

Check these customs out 2 sketches done by Matt from above and Trackster 40 made the superfractor.
I'd check either one of these guys out if you are in the market as the are the best available

[Qwasian]

Originally Posted by flint

Understood, thank you!

My problem is I don't want to print a small quantity of 1 single card, I want to print a good amount of single cards (ie 1/1) for my personal collection.

Copyrights and trademarks might be an issue at certain printers at well. Heck, even the Walmart photo police have gotten on me for printing my OWN photos before! Seriously.

this is the main reason you need a print shop, they don't give a sh*t about none of that. they are typically run by college kids etc. I do flyer and cd cover design, they will print anything, they don't care. i'm not familiar with your area, I personally use uptown color in my area richmond va.

you would be better off to print 20-50 and just throw the rest away than to try to print them yourself, it's insanely cheap to get stuff like that printed at a print shop. I get flyers all the time and get 500 for $30, with uv, high gloss and the whole 9.

sometimes these print shops can't get past the fact that you only want 1, they won't compute it in the brain so they say no, so you order 20-50 and it's the same price as 1 from somewhere else. they only know printing in runs/sheets usually. just kinda have to get with em and see what your best option is and explain to them you'd pay for the smallest print run........

[The Card Album]

I've had Wal Mart print out some custom cards (well, 4x6 custom photo prints) for me before. I had to sign a waiver saying they were mine to print. As long as you do that, there's no issue having Wal Mart print things for you. You can actually order them online to pick up in the store, print the paper at home and fill it out, then take it with you when you pick them up. Shouldn't be any problem whatsoever, unless you're dealing with a moron that doesn't know their own policy or wants to pretend they have real power.