geographics Archives - Geographics Blog

Ready or Not, February 14th is Almost Here

Whether you are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart or go the alternate route of Singles Day (China) or Friend’s Day (Finland), celebrations are in order during this time of the year and we all want to be prepared. While chocolates and small gifts are a still a good idea, nothing says ‘I love you’ more than well-chosen greeting card. Over 1 billion cards are exchanged every year in US alone. If you are a history buff with a penchant for romantic twists, you might already know that the habit of writing and sending cards goes back to Roman times and is tied to the name of Bishop Valentine, a priest who went against orders given by Emperor Claudius II not to perform weddings during wartime. For this, Valentine was imprisoned and executed. From prison, he wrote to his jailer’s daughter, Julia, and signed his notes “from Valentine”.

This year, inspired by Valentine’s story, you might want to mix and match by creating and sending your own personalized note cards along with your ready-made greeting cards. Share them all with your loved ones – sweetheart, family, friends or favorite teacher. An interesting fact is that over nine million people buy gifts for their pets on Valentine’s Day. They are the only ones who do not need a greeting card.

If you are good at making art, use Geographics blank white matte greeting cards (inkjet laser printable) or the matte-glossy laser greeting cards (print on both sides). Geographics offers free Valentine’s day clip art and suggested wording, including poems and quotes.

If you think you’re not good at making art, remember that there is beauty and elegance in simplicity so why not give it a try? For example, we recommend using our good quality, champagne themed note cards and envelopes to send as a handwritten invitation for a romantic dinner or night out. If you feel like saying more, our rose themed design paper would be a great backdrop for a poem or love letter.

Make sure to come back for our next Valentine’s Day blog post as we plan on thoroughly discussing chocolates and how it can take you one step closer to happiness.

Use Glossy Photo Paper to Get Started with Photo Printing

“What the difference is between glossy photo paper and all the other types of photo paper on the market?” is a question that a newcomer to printing photos may ask. All types of photo paper are designed to bring out the color and details of your photographs in the best possible quality, but each type has advantages and disadvantages that you should know when choosing a photo paper for a specific project. Glossy photo paper is the basic, go-to choice for beginners who are looking to produce professional-quality photos at home. “Glossy” is the generic word for everyday glossy paper and “high gloss” could refer to Ultra High Gloss, Advanced High Gloss, Premium High Gloss or Professional High Gloss photo paper. There are as many kinds of glossy photo paper as there are brands on the market. You just need to discover the best choice for your project.

We recommend the Premium Glossy Photo Paper for printing photos with good color quality. The Professional High Gloss Photo paper is the highest quality, super heavyweight and longest lasting so it is worth it to spend a bit more to print your best photos on it. In the end, what counts is the color resolution and gloss level. Also, the longevity of the paper is an important factor if you want to consider it.

Here are some general characteristics of glossy photo paper: it is heavyweight and coated on one side with an inkjet coating that has a gloss to it. When it comes to everyday glossy paper, the gloss is more of an aesthetic detail rather than for protection of the photo so it is best to take care when handling the paper before printing. The oils and perspiration from the hands may negatively impact the print quality due to the chemistry between the coating the ink and the handling contamination. Glossy photo paper has different levels of whiteness and brightness. Some glossy papers are whiter and some are off-white. It is believed a brighter white produces sharper images but that is not a rule of thumb. It just differs based on the brand you choose, but an off-white photo paper can produce equally good results as a bright white paper. Photos printed on glossy paper are best suited to staying in old style photo albums such as those with a parchment or vellum sheet separating the album pages. The glossy finish always looks better in an album as it produces a slight 3D effect.

Glossy photo paper looks sharper and better than matte photo paper. That is why it is an ideal choice for photos that will be used in school, for business and product presentations and crafting projects. The photos will look richer and make a better impression. Everyday glossy paper is so affordable that you can easily use it over the standard printer paper for all of your photo printing needs. When printing business documents like reports, agendas, etc. one may choose to use matte or satin, semi-gloss photo paper since they are better fit for this purpose. Documents that contain more text and fewer images will perform better with a matte finish; glossy photo paper is better for any project that is photo or image heavy, like scrapbooking.

Take care to handle any photos printed with photo paper properly. Before placing photos in a photo or scrapbook album and especially before placing them under glass, make sure that your glossy photos are extra dry so that they do not stick to the surface they touch. Finally, glossy photos may also retain fingerprints from handling. Do not try to wipe away the fingerprints because you may cause damage to the photo.

Glossy photo paper is an excellent starting material for those who are learning about photo printing. Look for affordable photo paper!

Use Design Paper to Add Pizzazz to Your Projects

Design paper is a versatile crafting material that can give an artistic feel to school, work, and hobby-related activities. For this reason, it’s a great choice of material for projects that center on holidays and celebratory events. You can use design paper for cards, invitations, letterhead, flyers, scrapbooks, poster board displays and much more. Geographics.com offers a huge selection of printable design paper to suit any purpose.

Design paper is a popular item because of the variety of unique designs it comes in. Depending on the style of paper you choose, you can give a lackluster project a professional vibe or a fun and carefree vibe. Holiday design paper makes for excellent greeting cards, invitations and seasonal announcements. It can also add a festive touch to school art projects and community fundraising events, such as a Halloween bake sale. If you are making a poster board sign or a project board presentation, themed design paper can accentuate the contents of your project and boost interest for your topic. In general, school design paper is a great material for both teacher and student use. If you need to make a menu or plan for a formal business event, you can save money by using design paper as an attractive substitute for items like programs, flyers, displays and more. The possibilities are endless!

At Geographics.com, you can find design paper categorized by holiday and by theme. If you are looking for some ideas for your project, check out geographics.com/templates for a selection of free downloadable templates for assorted purposes. These templates include a pre-made layout with suggested wording to give you a visual example of what you can do with your design paper. Also check out the free clip art available on the Geographics.com templates page to find some festive images to use with your project! All of the clip art and suggested wording templates open in Microsoft Word for an easy editing process. Simply replace and/or rearrange the default text, add your own content if you wish, and you’re ready to print your project!

Choosing to make your own stationery materials using design paper will add a personal touch to your project and keep you from breaking the bank. Visit Geographics.com to find design paper for many occasions—sign up for our newsletter on our homepage and get a $5 coupon!