Postcard Exchange Round 57 Comments and Feedback

[George Nova Scotia]

Messages have been sent for round 57 you should have a new conversation from me.

As usual this thread is for comments and feedback. Let us know how you are doing and feel free to comment on what you receive.

Please wait a few days for any corrections then let the mailings begin. There have been address changes so check carefully. Please check that your name is the first on your list.

bedrof (15)
cramej (10)
Daniela (5)
Don Heisz (15)
drpsilver (ALL)
Dunga (ALL)
hkbenji (ALL)
Jim Christie (10)
jonmon6691 (5)
jord186 (15)
jvo (ALL)
koraks (15)
MattiS (ALL)
mfohl (ALL)
mikeg (MAX)
mooseontheloose (ALL)
mshchem (ALL)
MToma (7)
negativefunk (20)
peter_ (20)
Rob Skeoch (ALL)
Simon I (5)

 

[Daniela]

Postcards sent! Looking forward to hearing of their safe arrivals

 

[Don_ih]

Mine away today as well.

 

[Rob Skeoch]

You guys are too quick.... I haven't even bought the film yet!!

 

[Don_ih]

You guys are too quick.... I haven't even bought the film yet!!

Plenty of time left - months!

 

[Daniela]

You guys are too quick.... I haven't even bought the film yet!!

This is my first exchange, I'm too excited!
There's another factor to sending them fast: last week, I photographed an in-progress current event, so I think people will enjoy receiving it sooner rather than later.

 

[mshchem]

This is my first time too! I put 23 cards in the mail today. I'm using my Ilford post card paper. I wish I had bought more!

I used labels, my penmanship is awful, labels should help insure delivery.

Best Regards, Mike

 

[Don_ih]

I'm using my Ilford post card paper. I wish I had bought more!

You're not the only one who wishes they had more, but Ilford no longer makes it. When I run out, I'll probably start cutting down 8x10 into 4 4x5s. Great for contact printing 4x5 ... not so great for enlarging 35mm.
4x6 rc paper is available from Ilford, though.

 

[mfohl]

Ilford has two versions of 4x6 paper. The "portfolio" paper is stiff like the earlier postcard paper. I made the mistake of buying the other paper, with is thinner. And I bought lots of it. I now send my cards as letters. Fortunately, I got a grant to buy it, so it wasn't terribly painful.

 

[Don_ih]

Ilford has two versions of 4x6 paper. The "portfolio" paper is stiff like the earlier postcard paper. I made the mistake of buying the other paper, with is thinner. And I bought lots of it. I now send my cards as letters. Fortunately, I got a grant to buy it, so it wasn't terribly painful.

I think using labels on the back would make it thick enough, though. The portfolio paper is considerably more expensive, if I recall correctly.

 

[negativefunk]

Mine are in the post too - I've been quite apprehensive it being my first exchange, and chances are I did it.. suboptimally.

I went with the pearl portfolio RC paper. I like the thickness of it, but writing on RC paper is rather annoying.
When I finish the supply I'll likely switch to FB, should be easy enough to keep it flat with prints this size!

 

[Don_ih]

writing on RC paper is rather annoying

Most of us get around that, and our illegible handwriting, by using mailing labels for the address and info.

 

[negativefunk]

I will probably do it next round - this time I took advantage of my wife for writing all but one addresses as I was worried the post office would have sent them back, were I to write them

 

[Don_ih]

I was worried the post office would have sent them back, were I to write them

They'd need to be able to read the return address, in that instance

 

[MattKing]

Labels do three things:
1) they stiffen and strengthen the standard weight Ilford RC paper sufficiently enough to permit using that paper for postcards without envelopes;
2) they provide a spot to hand write on the back of the prints, if you choose; and
3) they allow you to print your address and other information using a computer printer, if you so choose.
In many cases, I used to put most of the information on the cards using the computer, but sometimes add a handwritten note as well.
I have a system using mailmerge and three Avery 5160 labels (1" x 2 5/8") on each card. The information is spread across three of those labels for each card - one for the address information, and the other two for the rest. Each sheet of those labels is sufficient for ten cards.
I created a template for this form.
Here is an example of the template for the last exchange I participated in:

The data I received from George was easy to convert into the data form that matched the template, with that data broken into the following fields:
Apug Name;FirstName;LastName;Street;City State Code;Country

You don't have to incorporate this level of "automation". But once you set it up, it really speeds the last part of the process - the addressing of the cards. It also allows me to do fancy things like sorting the results by destination (and therefore postage required). And I can also have already setup for reuse the address information for those I always sent cards to even though they weren't on the list sent out by George, such as George, Sean, and some family members who enjoy them.

 

[Daniela]

Well, I just used what I had...Foma RC semi-matt paper, and I handwrote everything in the back...I just hope the addresses survive long enough to arrive! For the rest, I'd be ok with plenty of traces from the travel.

 

[Don_ih]

I handwrote everything in the back

Handwriting is great - but most of us probably can't write legibly at all. I know I can't

 

[koraks]

@Don Heisz your card made it all the way to our home today It's a very nice print indeed and it arrived with only limited damage.

I'll likely be sending mine in envelopes; mostly to make address printing etc. easier. Although I'm still on the fence. A 'proper' postcard has its appeal as well, showing the hardships of its travels.

 

[Don_ih]

@Don Heisz your card made it all the way to our home today It's a very nice print indeed and it arrived with only limited damage.

I'll likely be sending mine in envelopes; mostly to make address printing etc. easier. Although I'm still on the fence. A 'proper' postcard has its appeal as well, showing the hardships of its travels.

Glad to hear it made it. There is an appeal to actual "postcards" but part of the risk is that it gets discarded somehow. I'm always afraid a card will be interleaved with some piece of junk mail and I'll inadvertently toss it in the recycling. So I always check between all the pages.

I think prints in envelopes stand a much better chance of making it. But then the print has no stamp or processing marks or bootprints or bits of gravel embedded in it...

 

[Rob Skeoch]

Today I received;
Don Heisz's photo "Leaves Like Feathers", - nicely done and printed on real post card paper which is hard to get. Such a great shot, simple but very effective. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Don_ih]

Today I received;
Don Heisz's photo "Leaves Like Feathers", - nicely done and printed on real post card paper which is hard to get. Such a great shot, simple but very effective. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! I'm down to about 40 sheets of postcard paper - enough for another couple of rounds before I start cutting down paper. Maybe I'll switch to colour for a round....

 

[MattKing]

I got really good at cutting an 8"x10" sheet of paper into a 6"x8" sheet (for two cards), a 6"x4" sheet (for one card) and a 4"x2" stub (for test strips).

 

[mfohl]

I received my first card of the round today, "Open" by mschchem. A nice sweets shop with some big lettering on the windows. Thanks Mike!

 

[mshchem]

Well, I just used what I had...Foma RC semi-matt paper, and I handwrote everything in the back...I just hope the addresses survive long enough to arrive! For the rest, I'd be ok with plenty of traces from the travel.

I received your card today. Looks great! Beautiful to see progress on Notre Dame!
Thanks Mike

 

[Daniela]

I received your card today. Looks great! Beautiful to see progress on Notre Dame!
Thanks Mike

So happy to hear! Thank you!