One of the most asked questions we receive, is How Do You Make Your Custom Index Cards?
I've put together this informative guide on how to make you own homemade cards, or Custom Index Cards (CIC's)
which you can send out for TTM autographs as an alternative to baseball cards.
WHY DO YOU SEND OUT CUSTOM INDEX CARDS?
I was never a big fan of signed baseball cards. Most of the time players sign over their faces, which looked horrible. I started sending out 5x7 index cards with an area for the player to sign, and also sent out questionnaires, but with 2 items to scan for each success, it became more time consuming. I've modified my Custom Index Card designs so they can have enough space for player's to write on them if they choose to take the time to do so. Usually I ask that the player share their memories with us, or pass on any words of wisdom, which we enjoy reading!
WILL PLAYERS SIGN BLANK INDEX CARDS?
Most players do not sign blank index cards, and many are hesitant to sign white areas do to forgery concerns. In this example Evan Longoria went out of his way to sign over the team logo, even though there was plenty of space to sign in the middle of the card.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
Whenever I try and come up with a new design, I look through my baseball cards for inspiration. I take elements of the Baseball Card's Designs that I like, and implement it into my design.
WHAT IMAGE EDITING SOFTWARE DO YOU USE?
As a web developer, I have access to Adobe Photoshop, which is a little expensive.
If you can't justify purchasing Photoshop, I'd suggest getting Photoshop Elements or Paint Shop Pro.
Previously I posted a Beginner Photoshop Tutorial to get you started, but there are a lot of books on the market, and articles on the web that will help you. You will only learn through trial and error, so don't get discouraged!
HOW ELSE CAN I MAKE HOME MADE CARDS?
You can make your own homemade cards using Microsoft Word!
When I'm short on time, I'll use Microsoft Word to send out my next batch of requests.
All you need is a starter template, which you can reuse over and over again!
WHERE CAN I GET PLAYER PICTURES?
For recreational purposes you can easily find images on the web for your favorite players.
Google Images and Yahoo Images are a great place to start.
If you feel uncomfortable pulling images off the web, you can always come up with a generic design.
Sometimes I'll write to minor league players, and may not be able to find a decent picture, so I'll create a generic card like this one I sent to Colby Rasmus.
WHERE CAN I GET TEAM LOGOS?
The two best logo resources on the web for team logos are SportsLogos.net and LogoServer.com
WHAT KIND OF PRINTER DO I NEED?
You can use just about any printer, depending on your needs, but I'd suggest using a color laser printer if you can find one.
If you don't have access to one, a Black and White Laser Printer will do. One of the drawbacks of using a black and white laser printer is that the Mail Machines end up leaving streaks or toner imprints on your Index Card, so never put your index card between your folded request letters.
WHAT TYPE OF PAPER SHOULD I PRINT ON?
I used to print directly to 3x5 or 5x7 Index Cards, but after a while, they kept jamming in my printer, so I played around with a few different techniques using 8x10 Greeting Card paper, which is a thicker stock, and usually comes with a fold in the middle, which I then cut with a pair of scissors.
CAN YOU MAKE ME SOME CARDS?
Unfortunately between my full-time job, and raising a son, I barely have enough time to squeeze in for myself.
There are some good resources on the web, which offer affordable services: Game Day Cards and the TheAutographCard.com/ are good places to start.
HOW DO YOU PROTECT THEM FROM BEING BENT OR DAMAGED IN THE MAIL?
Unfortunately if you added reinforcements to the request, the letters would weigh more, and you would need to pay more postage each way.
I've only had a few returns that were significantly damaged, but it's one of the risks of the hobby.
If a mail machine is intending to devour your TTM request, there's little you can do about it.
HOW DO YOU DISPLAY OR PROTECT YOUR HOMEMADE INDEX CARDS?
I currently keep our successes in a binder using a top loading sheet protector with Magazine Backing Boards,
but they are starting to take up a lot of space, so I may look into using Ultra Pro Toploaders 5x7 Toploader (#81184) or 6x9 Toploader (#81185)
