A Calender Dilemma

[Simply Ravishing]

Okay, I ordered some Calenders for Gifts through Memory Escape (http://memoryescape.com) and they came back okay, not totally happy but certainly could have been worse.... Anyway, I gave out all but 1 last night as gifts to family members, and they took them to work today... and needless to say there have been several requests to have more made.

I paid $16 + shipping for each calender through memory escape, and would think that there has to be a better way. I would think that for it to be worth my time I'd need to charge a lot more than I would want to pay for a calender... Has anybody created their own? Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you!

[pantherphotos]

I am in the same boat as you. I would love to sell calendars, but I have found your situation to be the same. They cost too much to make; around $15-20 each. And for it to be worth my time, I would have to sell them for much more than I would want to pay myself. I have not found a good solution, so I'm not much help to you, I'm afraid. But I am interested in what others may suggest!

[Sorarse]

Last year I made a few calendars up to give as gifts, and they were very well received. Requests for more were met with an explanation of the economics not making it financially viable. Anyone who insisted that they were more than happy to meet the cost had them printed on a one-at-a-time basis.

[neilwood32]

I have just printed a batch of 8 calendars to give as presents and i reckon all told it probably cost me £72.

Paper - Kirkland Glossy photo paper from Costco: £12
Ink cartridges - 4 @ £14= 56
Ribbon (for hanging loop) = £3.99

I could have saved money by buying the cartridges on line but the whole idea was last minute so I had to buy locally at a premium (approx £20 saving)

So viable - yes. Cheap - no.

And if i get anyone coming back for an extra, they will be charged at cost.

[Sorarse]

A couple of years ago I printed my own (at A4 size) but by the time you allow for the cost of paper, inks and getting them bound, I found that I could get them printed online (at A3 size) at a cheaper per unit cost.

[20droger]

We used to make calendars for family and friends, at a cost of about $25 each when you count paper, ink, and the combs for binding. This without considering the cost of our time in selecting the photos, processing them, making the calendar part (with all the family birthdays, deaths, and anniversaries, or the work-related special events, holidays, etc.), printing, punching, binding, and wrapping, etc.

It got carried away. A few years ago we wound up making over 50 calendars. And you can guess what we got in return: either crap or nothing at all.

I put a stop to it. Yeah, I know. I'm a blend of old Ebenezer and the Grinch.

Last year, we sent them CDs with a PDF file for the calendar and instructions on how to print their own (what paper to use, etc.). Nothing but complaints.

This year, they mostly get squat. Enough is enough. We are making a total of four calendars: my wife's children (two), her best friend, and ourselves. That's it.

----------

As for making the calendars, I set up universal templates using Corel Draw. This allowed me to make the calendar part quickly and easily for any given year. Our "assembly line" is as follows:

I would create and print the calendar pages on one side of double-sided matte photo paper.
My wife would select and print the desired photos.
I would punch and bind the finished calendars.
She would wrap and package them.
I would take those being mailed to the post office.

It took a three-day weekend to make 50 calendars, working together and with both printers chugging away.

[OdiN1701]

vistaprint.com

$7.99 per

Cheaper if you buy in quantity. But you want the upgrade to the better paper, and you have to wade through endless other offers, and the shipping is rather high.

But the ones that I did get from them were pretty good quality.

[PhotosGuy]

Calender making... (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=367077)

[20droger]

I never look for calendar programs and the like. I find them too limiting.

By doing it myself I can use the fonts I want, put in the holidays I want, special events I want, tailor phases of the moon and the seasonal shifts to the time zone of the recipient, etc.

I mean, a calendar is just a table, nothing but numbers in boxes. All the rest should be personalized.

[Kasrielle]

I made a 2010 calendar and ordered a couple dozen for my staff at work - I ordered from artscow.com, with free shipping. They were only $9.74US apiece, which I thought was good. They look fine. (the free shipping is essential, as the regular shipping from Hong Kong costs almost as much as the calendars...)

[Simply Ravishing]

I made a 2010 calendar and ordered a couple dozen for my staff at work - I ordered from artscow.com, with free shipping. They were only $9.74US apiece, which I thought was good. They look fine. (the free shipping is essential, as the regular shipping from Hong Kong costs almost as much as the calendars...)


Thanks I will check them out, that is pretty reasonable... I just don't think people would want to pay $25 + for a calender, and it wouldn't be worth my time to sell them for less than that when I'm paying nearly $20 for each of them.

[golfecho]

For those really interested in printing/designing their own, I have used Microsoft Excel. Seems like the wrong tool, but I have had success . . .