Animated Business Cards and Promotional Cards
Animated Business Cards - FAQ
Q1- What does an animation business card look like look like?
A- : It is a thin (0.4 mm) card that you can hold in your hand and move
back and forth and there is an action that occurs on the card. You can order
a sample (See sample kit # 4)
Note: Due to the very thin lens material, there will be some "ghosting"
of the animation. The results should still be pleasing with good impact
however.
Q2- How many frames of action can be put into the picture?
A- : Up to 6 frames of action are possible but less frames is often
more suitable.
Q3- Why is that? Isn’t more frames always going to be better than less
frames?
A- : Not necessarily. There is a trade off of more frames adding some
blur as well as a smoother action. Some of the most effective animations
are flips which have only 2 frames where the action is precise. Due to the
thin lens, there will be some ghosting that occurs as well.
Q4- How do I know what the animation will look like before I get the
finished card?
A- : If you use our existing “Business
Card Catalog” you will see a representation
of your animation as a gif file on your computer screen. This will give
you an idea of what you are going to get. You can also make a gif animation
from your own artwork to preview the effect.
Q5- Do I need any special equipment or cameras to make my own animation
to go on a business card?
A- : Not really. You need a digital camera. It is easier if you have
a digital camera with burst mode and a tripod, but you can take effective
animations with almost any digital camera and holding it steady. (See Tutorial).
Note: You can also make a high quality
print of your hi-res digital image.
Q6- Do you have different sizes than 88mm W X 53mm H (3.46” W X 2.08”
H),
other sizes change as well?
A- : Yes, we have a stock Postcard size 180mm W X 110mm H (7.1” W X
4.3” H) Contact us for details!
Q7- Why is there sometimes ghosting and a color shift on the cards?
A- : Animations tend to ghost as each frame does not fully extinguish
as the viewing angle changes. This ghosting is increased as the contrast
and motion increases. The very thin lens can be prone to color shift and
ghosting however the effect is still pleasing and unique. We have obtained
one of the best plastic lenticular lens to minimize
these effects.
Q8- Can I use video for my animation?
A- : Yes…with some qualifications. The still frames from video are at
low resolution and video tends to blur moving objects because of the slow
shutter speed and the video camera tends to be zooming or panning during
shooting. Our animations work best with non-blurry frames of better resolution
than video provides. Having said that however, some video animations can
look very good and we can make animations from video.
Q9- Can I have more than 6 frames in my animation?
A- : No, not on this type of business card.
Q10- Can I use the same animation for a business card and for a larger
lenticular picture as stated in your animation section?
A- : Yes, as long as there are no more than 6 frames. For large volume
printing, more frames are available.
Q11- Are the business cards done on the same material as the 3D pictures?
A- : No….The business cards are done on a 100 LPI lens at 0.4 mm thick
while the 3D prints are done on a 179 LPI lens at 0.5 mm thick.
Q12- Can I put 3D on my business cards instead of animation?
A- : No... This thin lenticular material (0.4 mm) only supports animations,
however, for large volume litho or high quality photo emulsion pictures
we can make 3D cards. Contact us for details info@snap3d.com
Q13- Do you have full color back printing?
A- : Yes, and when using black the definition of black is C=0, M=0,
Y=0, K=100. You can even have color pictures and graphics as well as text
on the back of the card. However, there is no animation effect on the back.
Q14- Why does it cost more not to have your advertising plug on
my card?
A- : The plug to Snap 3D is the best way to
let people know about my service. If I lose that advertisement then potential
customers do not know who I am and I don’t get new business. Because the
plug is so small and unobtrusive (See “Business
Card back”) most people don’t mind it there but if
it is important to the customer to not have my plug there then that’s available
as an additional option.
Q15- Why can I only use 2 of my favorite images when I send you the pictures
to put together for me when your material will support up to 6 animations?
A- : There are 2 reasons for this. One is that almost any 2 images can
be put together for a “flip” animation so the artwork is not restricted.
When more than 2 images are used the images must flow together in a more
fluid style and the artwork is more critical. The second reason is that
2 image “flip” animations are often better and more powerful than multi
frame animations anyway so nothing is lost