'Business Card' for Liveaboards ?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by DevoDave

Basically a picture of the boat, our names, our mobile number, email addresses and website (blog) address.

Don't put on a phone number because it will change in every country.

Put a photo of yourselves on it too. Then folks can remember who you are.

Below is mine. Yes it does need a bit of an edit

Note that our names are not even on there. Just the name in the email address. No ********, just whats important. Don't give out your permanent address or MMSI, or Registered number etc.

The front is plastic cover so its more waterproof but the back is plain paper to write notes on.

Don't get too many because your travels may give you better photos to use etc. They are cheap to get anywhere.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Capt.Don

Staples Office Center has online business cards and in-store printing. A few weeks ago they offered a coupon for "free" black/white business cards or pay the difference for color using stock image/layout. A definite advantage is you can use their PC and print at the store.

If you use their PC to create the card you should be able to create it at home using any pictures you like and upload it using a memory stick. I have used this method a lot when dealing with printers. They don't mind since it makes no difference to them where the data comes from, they just want the printing fee. (Just don't use copyrighted material)

There are many companies that provide free programs (like Avery) that will have a good template.

[farotherside]

Originally Posted by Don1500

There are many companies that provide free programs (like Avery) that will have a good template.

Templates yes, home-printable cards no!

Avery products are great for most applications, but inkjet/bubblejet ink bleeds like crazy as soon as it gets damp. I have a bundle of 'boat cards' and after a month or two on the boat you can tell from a distance exactly which ones were home printed.

Having 250 cards of your own design printed professionally is $30, and a packet of Avery printable cards is $25. Why save the extra $5 to get a vastly inferior product??

[Hudson Force]

We made our cruising cards as Don1500 describes above and with photos on both sides:
(one side with a photo of our boat and the other with a cruising scene and our personal info)


I often refer to the cards I've kept from others when I see a boat I recognize. I often write a date and location on the cards I receive.

[MarkJ]

On the printing at home posts. We tried that but a printer on a yacht doesnt really work. They are too big, require difficult to find ink in weird countires, and salt air buggers the jets.

Using a printer in some far off port is easy, fun and cheap.

[Capt. lulz]

If you wanna get crazy: Clear Plastic and Frosted Plastic Card Sample Gallery

[Capt Phil]

Ditto, Unicorn Dreams format... Capt Phil

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by avb3

Two online printers I have used and can recommend both are:

Iprint
Vistaprint

Both are fast, efficient and very inexpensive.

I found even if you take their cheapest shipping option, the cards come in days, rather then weeks as advertised.

They both have online design features, or you can upload your own PDF.

I have had great experiences with Vistaprint. It's very easy to put a picture of your boat on with that company. Don't know about the other one.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by drew23

Templates yes, home-printable cards no!

Avery products are great for most applications, but inkjet/bubblejet ink bleeds like crazy as soon as it gets damp. I have a bundle of 'boat cards' and after a month or two on the boat you can tell from a distance exactly which ones were home printed.

Having 250 cards of your own design printed professionally is $30, and a packet of Avery printable cards is $25. Why save the extra $5 to get a vastly inferior product??

I don't even own a printer. Staples uses the same templates to set their printers. I was saying to use the program at home, save the file to a memory stick and take that to Staples. You have more flexibility than if you stuck to using their graphics and fonts.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Don't give out your permanent address or MMSI, or Registered number etc.

Why not include MMSI? I find it an incredibly useful thing to provide - I keep my VHF on almost all the time with the volume down. People who want to reach me know that DSC is the way to do so.

[osirissail]

I use a computer graphics program to design our boatcards. Then purchased "card stock" (not Avery stuff) and print the cards, 10 to a sheet on a inkjet printer. This way we only print what we need and can make changes anytime something is different, like a change in the crew or phone number.
- - If you want the best looking then buy the "photo paper" for the inkjet printer. Those are really great looking what with the glossy surface.

[S/V Antares]

I use the Avery high gloss no line cards and they do not bleed. Satin will bleed.

We have fun making cards for the dog, Us and a generic boatcard. It is much cheaper to use Avery or Word to create your own and print on 8.5 x 11 high quality photo paper and cut you card on a paper cutter. Photo paper has a catalast in the emoulsion and "fixes" the print so it will not usually bleed.

[brishear]

Hi everyone! I would be interested in hearing about the aforementioned "crew cards" that have been seen. i would like to get some printed up for my husband and I. Any suggestions?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Why not include MMSI? I find it an incredibly useful thing to provide - I keep my VHF on almost all the time with the volume down. People who want to reach me know that DSC is the way to do so.

If it something you like to use and encourage then put it on.

Its a balance between personal information.
Often they get handed out like confetti at a wedding so I am a tad wary. I tend to use them just to remind me of peoples names and faces and drop them an email at times.

Just reviewing some cards on my Nav Table I see some with piles of information, some crossed out or overwritten including snail mail addresses, HF radio times and freqs, Ham callsign and Marine callsign, previous employment, Skype addresses, country, national flag, sailing qualifications, old phone numbers, fax numbers, toll free numbers, weird unrelated graphics, boat type. And thats just the 10 or so on my desk.
But all I really want is their faces and names, boat name and email.
The only other important info I can write on the back - if its not plastic.
Why?

So when I go into the bar tomorrow I can say Hi Fred!

Or go to the bar in some ofther country in 6 months time and say: "Hi Fred! Met you in Grenada".

I don't want every nutter in the world having Mums address at home and my offical boat details (etc)

I'm not saying we all have brain to face to name recognition problems.... and I try to drink red wine to stave off early onset dementia, but I would much prefer to see the cruisers face on their card

Freindships when activly cruising can be fast and fleeting - its one of the low points of cruising to constantly be losing friends when they, or us, upanchor and sally forth.



Mark

[Capt. lulz]

Originally Posted by osirissail

I use a computer graphics program to design our boatcards. Then purchased "card stock" (not Avery stuff) and print the cards, 10 to a sheet on a inkjet printer. This way we only print what we need and can make changes anytime something is different, like a change in the crew or phone number.
- - If you want the best looking then buy the "photo paper" for the inkjet printer. Those are really great looking what with the glossy surface.

In theory, you could do this, but people can tell the difference between a professionally made business card and one you made with your own printer and paper. But if you don't care for the difference, that's fine.