Opinions Wanted RE: Signing Cards

[Screwtape]

I've been making up some photo cards for the past two weeks, as I wanted something unique to send and collect. They all look like what you see below, but now that I have them ready to start being mailed out, it occurred to me that they might not know to sign in the white spot by their name. Do you think I should not say anything and just assume they know that's where to sign or actually request in the LOR that they sign there? I don't want to insult their intelligence but I don't want them to sign on the picture part either. My ultimate goal is to have all of them "look alike" if that makes sense. So should I mention something or not?

[RYAN J.]

Yes, if you have a certain spot where you want them to sign, I would definately mention it in your letter. Sometimes there not sure where to sign, so by telling them it's helps a lot. plut they know that they did it the right way.

RYAN J.

[Icena]

Yeah I'd talk about it somewhere in your letter. Just a little 'Could you please sign my photo in the white box?', something like that. Cool cards, by the way!

[ultimateager]

Yeah I'd talk about it somewhere in your letter. Just a little 'Could you please sign my photo in the white box?', something like that. Cool cards, by the way!

This. You aren't mocking their intelligence by requesting where they sign it. I do it with regular photos sometimes, just to make sure I can see the Sig better.

BTW- those look great!

[packrat]

I've made custom photos myself, and found that some folks are just plain leery of signing in blank white spaces. I made a custom 8x10 for the Altoona Curve Double-A baseball team using headshots and a line underneath for them to sign on. After successfully obtaining several signatures smack-dab on the line, one guy signed right across his face. I had the chance to talk to him later and found he was a really nice guy. He told me he didn't like signing on the white space for fear of identity theft. Then and again, some folks might be so used to signing across the picture that they might sign that way by habit.

But to increase your chances of getting the signature where you want it, you might want to box off each celebrity's name so there is an obvious white box remaining for them to sign in, or put the name in white letters somewhere in the picture itself and leave a plain white box at the bottom. I've done things like that and had lots of success getting the signatures where I wanted them without even having to ask.

[Screwtape]

Thanks for the feedback guys. That's what I was worried about, that it wasn't enough I was asking for their autograph, but that I was even telling them where to put it.

[chriscollector]

As mentioned above, ID theft is a big thing. It caused many to stop doing index cards or anything with a solid white background. One easy way to avoid that being an excuse for them to not sign in the box, use the shadow type setting with a logo in the box. Maybe something like "Authentic signature" in a really nice script.

If you don't want to go that route, just buy the small post its and write on them "can you please sign in the white box/ Thank you." Then put a little arrow pointing to the box and stick it right on the photo. Cant's go wrong there. I've done that with items signed by other people, or when I wanted it in a certain area. Never had a problem yet.

[johnnylightning]

90% of the photos i send i do half photo and half white space on the photo paper so that the autographs stand out and so they hopefully won't use silver sharpie because of the white background and i have had no problems with fear of identidy theft and i have got back hundreds of autographs. I really wouldnt worry about it and i think they will realize by how you made the cards that they should sign in the white space!

[ultimateager]

As mentioned above, ID theft is a big thing. It caused many to stop doing index cards or anything with a solid white background. One easy way to avoid that being an excuse for them to not sign in the box, use the shadow type setting with a logo in the box. Maybe something like "Authentic signature" in a really nice script.

If you don't want to go that route, just buy the small post its and write on them "can you please sign in the white box/ Thank you." Then put a little arrow pointing to the box and stick it right on the photo. Cant's go wrong there. I've done that with items signed by other people, or when I wanted it in a certain area. Never had a problem yet.

i was going to mention the "post it" notes too. i use those when sending multiple photos when i want one made out to a friend or relative. just because i know they have too little time to read every letter, so its just another thing i do to make sure it gets right... and believe me i am sure they want to sign it in a way to please you because they are taking their time to do it in the first place.

another thing that i am going to try is sending stickers... kinda like the card companies do. i bought a few sheets from a card company so i am going to send just the stickers to the celebs, and then im going to put them on a photo or card. just to save a few pennies and i am tired of the PO bending my photos because apparently they can't read.

[HappinessStan]

90% of the photos i send i do half photo and half white space on the photo paper so that the autographs stand out and so they hopefully won't use silver sharpie because of the white background and i have had no problems with fear of identidy theft and i have got back hundreds of autographs.

I do the same, unless there's plenty of white on the photo already. With colour photos I'll often match the border to a light shade of a distinct colour in the photo, which can be very effective - and would also address the identity theft issue.

Screwtape, like to reiterate what others have already said - very nice design. I often spend as long on the photo as I would on the letter, even though I'm not personally concerned about where the sig ends up, but simply because it demonstrates respect and consideration. If I were in a position to be signing things, I would much prefer to do it on something that looks like one of your cards than something run off on the office printer.

I think that whatever you do, you're likely to get some who miss the box, either deliberately or because they're trying to sign three thousand in an afternoon and aren't looking at what they're doing, or those who send their own photo instead. Don't think it would do any harm to ask, though. I always ask myself the question before sending a letter, "would I like to receive this?" and if the answer is no then it's time to rip it up and start again.

I can't imagine anyone being offended by your question, and think I'll start using Chriscollector's post-it idea myself.