Overview 

The Design Process

About Test Prints

Printing Your Project

Obtaining Envelopes

I design photo projects. I can and will design nearly any photo creation your mind can dream up, but I leave it up to you to do the printing and get envelopes if necessary.  I do it this way because it gives you the versatility to choose your favorite printer, saves you time, and best of all, saves you money.  There are no shipping charges from me and no added charges for materials.  You can even print the project at home if you have a good printer!

My specialties are birth announcements, holiday cards, and photo collages.  However, I can do almost any project you can think of: if it's in your head, try me!  In the past, I've also made moving announcements, teacher gifts, wedding invitations, and heartfelt letters overlaid on images, but the possibilities are endless!

• Graduation announcements.
• Adoption announcements.
• Party invitations.
• Thank you cards.
• An 8" x 10" collage based on your birth announcement but incorporating additional photos or information.
• A themed project involving multiple designs to be grouped together as a wall display or for different rooms in your home.  
  • An 8"x 10" collage using a birth announcement theme for each of your children, no matter their age! 
  • Memory collages of favorite family vacations.
  • Individual collages for each year of a child's life.

If you choose one of my existing designs, it will still be fully customizable: font size, wording, photo arrangement, colors, etc. can all be changed. 

I can make absolutely any project size (although I don't recommend going above 12"x12" due to photo resolution issues) to fit any frame or album that you have.  If you need a nonstandard size, I can put your project on a white or black "mat" that is a standard size, and you'll simply need to cut off the excess.

If you would like me to create a project just for you, follow these simple steps! 

1. E-mail me at duckandgoosedesigns@gmail.com or send me a note via the Contact Me page.
2. I will send you payment information. 
3. Once I have received payment, I will have you send me the photo(s) for your project.*  If you are not using one of my existing designs, I'll also ask you to tell me what you have in mind.  (There are hints on how to give me a clear idea of what you want here.)
4. I'll get to work designing, and when I'm done, I will e-mail you a sample.
5. If you like the sample, you can do a test print.  (Please see my note on test prints here.)
6. If you want changes made, I'll create a new sample.  We'll repeat this process until you are fully satisfied!
7. Once you have a design you love, then it's time to do a final print(s), and if necessary, buy envelopes. 

* You MUST have rights to the photo(s) you send me.  I cannot use professional photos without explicit written permission from the photographer or studio.

Although it's up to you whether you do a test print or not, I highly recommend them.  Monitors vary and printers vary, so your finished product might look different to you than it did on the screen.  If you do a test print and are unhappy with the way it turns out, I will make any necessary alignment or color adjustments for free, and I will continue to do so until you are 100% satisfied with the final product.

Duck and Goose Designs is not responsible for test printing charges or for any costs incurred should you choose not to do a test print.

You can print your project at home, but unless you have a good printer and high quality paper, you'll probably want to print it either online or at a retail store.  Personally, I prefer to print at Costco.  Why?  First, there is no shipping to pay if I pick it up in the store.  Second, I can upload my project from home so that it's ready for me to pick up as soon as I arrive there.  Most important, however, is that it's easy and fast for me to do test prints because there are no shipping delays.  If you don't have a Costco membership, you can also upload photos from home to WalMart, some Targets, and many other retailers.

However, the one distinct advantage of printing online is that you typically have more choices for what you want to do with the project I send you.  Most stores like Costco will only print your images as photos on photo paper, but online, you can have the design I create for you turned into cards, postcards, or a variety of photo gifts. I still recommend a test print, and if you plan to do this, make sure you take into account the time it will take to place and receive at least two orders. 

One other advantage of printing online is that if you have cards created, they typically come with envelopes, so you won't need to buy your own.

If you need envelopes to go with your purchase and your printer doesn't provide them, there are many places to buy them online.  You'll want to look for 5 ¼" x 7 ¼" envelopes, also called A7, to fit my standard 5"x7" announcement designs.  Here are some online retailers that have a good selection of envelope colors and designs:

Action Envelope

Envelopes Express

Envelope Mall

Admiral Envelope

Local stationary stores may also carry envelopes.  However, I have not had luck with office supply stores because they do not usually stock A7 envelopes, and they don't carry a variety of colors.