How to Get Paid for Stationary Paper Ideas
Artists inspired to design and create customized stationary paper for notepads, cards and letter writing often sell their original concepts for mass production. Design elements like graphics, colors, textures and finishes are coordinated during the development stage. These elements, which are divided into categories and styles, are grouped into specific themes. Coordinating color, paper quality and themes with other paper products is referred to as packaging the collection. Independent designers as well as company sales representatives propose the packaged collection to potential retail buyers at stationary trade show events or showrooms.
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Things You'll Need
- Graphics
- Drafting paper
- Sketchpad (optional)
- Colored pencils
- Color story
- Color guides
- Color swatches
- Font
- Paper types
- Internet access
- Submission guidelines
Instructions
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Design and Development
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1
Draw several graphics for the stationary on drafting paper or a sketchpad, using colored pencils. Narrow down sketching by choosing categories such as holidays or special occasions. Another option is to choose specific styles like hand-painted florals or personalized calligraphy. For example, if you plan to present watercolor designs, sketch landscape views like oceans, sunsets or meadows.
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2
Group the sketched graphics from step 1 by theme and create a name reflecting the theme. For instance, if you sketched light colored flowers, group the florals and name the theme "Spring Florals".
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3
Choose a color story reflecting the themes, with your target market in mind. For instance, if you are developing holiday driven stationary such as Easter, choose soft pastel colors like pinks, yellows, greens and blues. If the stationary is geared for the 'tween youth market, choose bright colors with bold patterns and prints. Refer to color guides like Pantone or Scotdic for swatches and color codes.
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4
Choose appropriate font letter types. If you are selling personalized stationary like alphabetized paper, select a type set and position it in a specific area on the sheets. Choose a letter type like "Lucida Handwriting", "Edwardian" or "Palace Script" for a romantic feeling or "Matura", "Stencil" or "Gothic" for a bold statement on the paper. Select a specific point size, referred to as the letter height, to position on the stationary.
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5
Choose complementary paper types, finishes and textured surfaces for the selected themes. For example, select paper types like linen and vellum or surfaces such as embossed or flocked textures. Other ideas like eco-conscious paper products also include seed paper, which allows the user to plant the paper and grow herbs or flowers instead of discarding the unwanted paper. Other options such as pressed flowers add another dimension to the paper surface. Coordinate graphics, color, and font with the paper type to ensure all elements are complementary.
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6
Embellish the stationary with interesting features like three-dimensional corners or creative paper folds. For instance, insert diagrams for the user to convert the stationary into decorative paper-folds.
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7
Choose paper products complementary to the stationary paper styles and themes created in steps 1 through 6. This process is referred to as packaging the presentation. For example, develop envelopes, notepads, reminder cards and envelope seals, which complement the stationary paper. This step showcases the paper and extends the concept life for the retail buyer.
Selling the Stationary Designs
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8
Review online paper submission guidelines from paper merchants like Hallmark, Blue Mountain Art, Carolina Pad and Paper as well as PaperCraze and PaperDirect. The company website's footnote generally includes a clickable guidelines link. You can not effectively prepare to package the stationary designs for presentation without the guidelines. Certain companies like American Greetings do not accept unsolicited submissions.
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9
Call or write the company headquarters for the submission guidelines if it is not available online.
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10
Research stationary paper tradeshows. Retail buyers attend the shows, exposing you to maximum clients in several days. Tradeshow coordinators assign specific areas for each artist or paper manufacturer. The assigned area, referred to as booths, have specific dimensions like five feet depth by six feet length. The larger the booth space, the higher the cost. Make sure tables, chairs and presentation grids are included in the booth cost. Application fees, promotional brochures, booths, airfare and hotel expenses are your financial responsibility.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit grunge paper pale paper image by Andrew Brown from Fotolia.com
