Hello!
A few weeks ago, before the Halloween day, I decided to launch a promotion through the blog and Digitall Project. The promotion allowed you to obtain free digital cards suitable for sharing on the web. Today, I decided to offer the same type of initiative by changing the theme: Christmas.
But let's take a step back. Digital Project? Yes, Digital Project.
Since I recently got back to Steemit and Blurt platforms, I'll make a summary for those who don't know me (certainly many ones). Digitall Project is the name I gave to my personal business as a graphics creator. Simple graphics, such as logos, flyers, menus, and business cards. I published a website and some social media pages, but I'm not an official business with tax relief, neither for me nor for my customers. I already launched an initiative that is still ongoing and is called Logobakery: participants can ask for simple logos completely free of charge, although there are various limitations for logos intended for more complex uses than simple web pages. But in the last few days, when we're getting closer to Christmas, I decided to offer a new initiative: the creation of Christmas-themed cards.
Card... card like what?
More than cards, we can indicate them as “Christmas greeting cards”. Similarly to the Halloween promotion, I used some materials downloaded online and other personal knowledge of graphics, to obtain simple but effective results. Obviously, effective only for those who appreciate them. Finally, I created a kind of catalogue with all the main results (the ones you see in the background of the cover image of this post).
The functioning
Well, the functioning is the same as the previous promotion, and it's simple: if you're interested, you can request a free Christmas card among those I propose. All of them can be personalized according to your requests, for example with names, dates, or other information that may interest you, or even with variations in colors and shades. Being a free promotion, the catalogue of postcards you can request is limited, but I hope it's enough to pique your interest. The promotion will be active for the entire month of December 2022 and until 7 January 2023.
Above, an example of the card catalogue.
But these cards... I mean, "how? What am I doing with it?", you ask yourself.
Details... but technical
These greeting cards can be used as simple digital images, or even released to be printed (in this case, however, there are quality limits). The formats aren't giant formats, but those of a simple postcard. The largest format will be 11x22 centimeters, a size that allows the card to be inserted into a common envelope.
The resolution (which you can think of as the quality with which the details in an image are represented) will vary slightly, but will usually be around 180 dpi. The dpi are the “dots per inch”: simplifying practically, they are the number of color dots you find in each inch of an image. DPI is a suitable term in the printing sector: instead when referring to digital it is more correct to speak of PPI (“pixel per inch”*, where, instead of the number of color dots, we refer to the number of pixels found in each inch of image). However, the two abbreviations are used interchangeably, and you will almost always find dpi terminology for images on the web as well. Nowadays, the rule “1 dpi = 1 ppi” usually applies.
The 180-dpi quality I presented isn't usually good for printing, but I've however found good quality if the 180-dpi card is created at the precise size it will be reproduced with a printing method. I'll give an example for those who want to understand better.
If I create a 180-dpi image, 10 cm high and 10 cm wide, and enlarge it to print bigger, the results start to look unattractive and often have imperfections. If, on the other hand, I create an image of the same sizes, and proceed to print it exactly at those sizes, the results will be more than adequate for a simple greeting card and often also for most of the "cartoons"-style images. Instead, I point out that things can change in the printing of highly detailed photos, where the finest detail is what will make the difference in the final result. But photos like these don't fit into the promotion we're talking about.
Well, to recap our Christmas cards:
Maximum Size: 22 centimewters in width and 11 centimeters in height
Resolution: approximately 180 dpi
And I emphasize once again: this promotion is FREE. The only thing I ask of you, although it isn't mandatory, is the possibility of receiving an evaluation on the social channels or on the other online channels of Digital Project. If you found yourself well, if you like the postcard, if it satisfied you, you can give a rating, a thumbs up, or even a review.
But the card, can I use it as I want?
I guess you will ask it yourself. Due to licensing limitations that may interfere (technical stuff I won't go into), this promotion is FOR END CONSUMERS ONLY. Meaning what? Like who? I answer you: like me, or like you, who want a card to give to a friend, or to print for the Christmas party we organize at home, and so on. IT ISN'T ALLOWED to request postcards that will be RESOLD instead, directly or indirectly, through any sales channel you can think of. You, your family, your friends, have to use them, but you can't and mustn't receive money in exchange for the image, and other ones can't do the same with others.
Digital card? But what are you doing, exactly?
You wondered it, maybe. And it's important that you can understand it well, avoiding false expectations. I, as a representative of Digitall Project, clarify that I will provide ONLY THE GRAPHIC DESIGN OF THE CHRISTMAS GREETING CARD (for example, the image). If you want to use it digitally (for example as a simple image to share online where and with whomever you want), you can use it as it is. If, on the other hand, you want to print it, you will need to consult a printer or use other methods at your disposal.
Suggestions
There are some suggestions and/or clarifications to make.
First, if you want to print the card, it's useful to contact whoever will have to print it, to ask if they will print all types of formats or if they will do it using only some pre-established ones. Printers often don't accept all formats.
Then, think about what you want to do with the printed card. For example, if you want to fit it in an envelope, we'll need to create a card that's just the right size to fit in the envelope. For this reason, you will first need to check and measure the dimensions of the envelope you are going to use, indicating what they are. This way I can adjust the size or content of the card in the best way. If, on the other hand, you want the standard format that I indicated above, you will then have to check that the envelope you will buy is suitable for containing the greeting card.
Think about what you want to do with Digital Card: If you want to use it as an image on social media or other online channels, you'll (or should, as I may be able to help you in some cases) check what are the most correct dimensions indicated by the various platforms. Unfortunately, alas, in this case, it isn't always possible to obtain the desired result. But trying doesn't hurt, and we don't back down.
Contacts and a little more
I hope I am not forgetting anything, as well as have been clear about what I can and cannot offer you. Now I sit and wait for the news. If you want to join this promotion, you can contact me through the contact page on the Digital Project WEBSITE, or request information directly in the comments section of this post.
See you soon. A greeting and, in anticipation, an example card for everyone!
