Design Steps and Customization Requirements for Holiday Cards

Ⅰ. The design steps of festival items: cards

1. Overall idea

The concept should pay attention to the ease of use of the structure, such as: the convenience of opening, viewing, and use of greeting cards. The main design elements must be closely related to the main purpose of the festival items: cards. For example, warm-colored pictures should be used for birthday cards, and corresponding picture elements should be added to holiday cards.

2. Determine the structure sketch and the materials used

It is suggested here that if conditions permit, when encountering complex structural requirements, a brief structural sketch should be drawn by hand, and how the structural functions are realized. Because greeting cards/postcards should maintain a certain width and be suitable for writing information on one side, it is recommended to choose cardboard with a gram weight of not less than 180g/m2.

3. Collect picture materials

The main problem in the process of graphic design is that in order to ensure the printing quality, the selection and combination of pictures should not be lower than 300dpi as much as possible. Because of the consideration of the later cutting problem, cutting and bleeding should be reserved.

4. Typesetting and printing

This process is generally completed by the printing manufacturer. It is recommended that before copying, the printing manufacturer can be asked to provide digital proofing for verification, and the product quality can be known before printing.

5. Post-press processing

The post-press processing of festival items: cards is a diverse process, among which the following methods are commonly used: cutting, creasing and die-cutting, bronzing, and glazing. During Chinese New Year, people often use greeting cards to express their blessings. Greeting cards are generally made of paper, and the production process seems simple, but it is not, because there are many points to pay attention to.

Ⅱ. Customization requirements for festival items: cards

1. How to handle files

Create greeting card files with software such as CorelDRAW, Illustrator, Freehand, Photoshop, and more. When using CorelDRAW, CDR format is used for storage, and special fonts need to be converted into curves to avoid changes. The resolution of bitmaps should be set to 350dpi (the resolution is sometimes required by the printing factory, set as needed). Using Freehand and Illustrator, save the final page file in EPS format, and the image file needs to be attached; using Photoshop, save the final page file in TIFF or JPG format, and the file resolution is above 350dpi.

2. Color processing method

The color mode of the file is set to CMYK; the printing color cannot be required by the color of the screen or print, and the spot color should be avoided as much as possible when selecting the color; black characters should not be filled with four colors of C100, M100, Y100, and K100. Large color blocks with a total color value of more than 250% are likely to cause the back side to be dirty during printing. The quantity printed often determines how it is printed. For cost reasons, digital printing can be used when the printing volume is small, and traditional printing can be used when the printing volume is large. Generally, the cost should be calculated before printing, and the appropriate printing method should be selected.

If offset printing is used for festival items: cards, the ink should be glossy and fast-drying. If the amount of ink required on the surface of the greeting card is large, the greeting card should be protected by a process such as powder spraying. If it is gold. Silver cards, preferably with low odor or odorless UV printing.