Note: Thursday is Art Business day. Every week we will focus on a business idea that is helpful to an artist.

"Mommy Kisses" Note Card Box

Last week (due to the nearness of January 1st) we focused on calendars as a side product or byproduct of your artwork. But a longer term product line that can be easily constructed is along stationery, including items like note cards or greeting cards.

Today we’ll focus on note cards. First of all, it is necessary to note which of your pieces of art are most popular or well-liked by your customers. Because I have a set of greeting cards that I sell (and I keep a spreadsheet tally of what sells when), I’ve been able to tap into some hard facts when trying to choose pieces of artwork that will fit into note cards. Out of these top sellers, I also keep in mind comments that customers have passed along to me, especially if they mentioned why they were purchasing the card, what kind of occasion they were using it for, and the type of person they were buying the card for.

Since note cards are quite often purchased as gifts, I rely on customer comments when choosing from my best-seller greeting card list. The pieces of artwork that fit the most generic customer and occassion are the ones that make it into my note card set. These sets are primarily given out as hostess gifts or holiday stocking stuffers, so think about that when picking out artwork for your note cards.

Packaging and bundling come next. If you go into any card store or visit stationery websites, you’ll see that most sets come in packs of 10 or 12, and are usually prices between $8.95 and $15 (yes, there are sets that cost more, but these usually involve handmade cards with embellishments, etc.). Whether printing these cards yourself or through a commercial printer, you’ll need to calculate how much each card will cost and what kind of bundle you can put together (without breaking your own bank!).

With note cards, you’ll not only need to figure out the printing costs, but also the envelopes plus the packaging. Most third-party envelope/package vendors offer card set boxes, ranging in the standard rectangular sizes. These options include clear covers and cardboard boxes, or complete see-through plastic containers.

Another packaging option is creating your own (whether you put these boxes together in your own studio or hire a commercial printer to do them for you). If your set will be on the higher end of cost, a beautiful package does help in convincing the customer  that the product is worth it (and if it is exquisite without being wrapped, it’s extremely convenient for the customer as well).

Note Card set display

As to the cards themselves, take note of what kind of paper you will be printing them on (whether it is light-weight paper or heavier stock in a creamy color), as well as whether you will offer your customer a folding card or a single-sheet card (folding cards are typical greeting cards, where one piece of paper is folded in half, whereas single-sheet cards are a single piece of paper without folds, just a front and a back).

When putting the whole package together, be sure to include, whether inside the box or on the bottom of it, your basic info and artist information, as well as where the recipient can get replacements or more cards or artwork from you.

Not only will these be great products to offer your customers, but these can also become your own stationery when putting together thank you notes to customers or agents or gallery reps.