The Muse - Inspiration Deck

Other Sizes that Shrink Can Be Reduced In Proportion -- Beth Wilts
This message is for those of you with an A/R mindset. I have come up with several other sizes of originals which will produce the right height to width ratio for an I-Deck card. Lloydene's original instructions said if the original was 5x7, it would produce the desired 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 when reduced by 50%. But I wanted to try a bit larger piece. If I just faked the size I knew I would lose one side when I was reduced. Besides, I knew this was a matter of a simple algebraic equation.

So, thanks to my friend, Susan, I used the cross-multiply and divide trick to come up with some other original dimensions. I test one at Kinko's yesterday and YEAH, it worked.

My original was 6 x 8 3/8. I asked for it to be reduced to 41% and came out with a perfect I-Deck card. The dimensions, not necessarily the artwork. Those of you who receive my March card can decide that question for yourselves.

Here are the other sizes and their reduction %:

7 7/8 x 11   32%
10 x 14       25%
6 1/2 x 9     39%
6 x 8 3/8     41%

Which Machine to Use for Copying -- Beth Wilts
The special color copy machine which will make 8 or 9 repeat copies on an 81/2 x 11 sheet is called "Doc 40". Not all Kinko's have one. I have also learned to call ahead and ask if the Doc 40 is free (sometimes it is busy with big jobs) before driving there and (and be sure) there is someone working who knows how to run it. Legal size copies are the same $.99 price as 81/2 x 11 and if the copies are made portrait orientation ( 2 rows of 5) while the paper is landscape you can get 10 repeats. Also if the machined is programmed for 10 it will put a nice white space which makes for easy cutting.

Print on Larger Sheets -- Toni
You might try asking at your copy center to have them print your cards out on the 11x17 sheet of paper, it is normally about .50 cents more for that bigger sheet, and if the operator knows what they are doing, you can get 12 to 18 I-Deck cards on one sheet.

Card Storage -- Lloydene Cook
Have you ever seen the plastic pages that kids use for their collections of baseball cards, or more recently Pokeman cards? Each sheet is divided into pockets that would be the perfect size to slip in the deck cards. Each page would hold 9 cards. Plus, they would be protected by the plastic, so you wouldn't even need to laminate them really--just keep them in the book when showing others. (You don't want
them drooling all over your deck.) You could keep all of the pages in a large 3 ring binder (they have holes already) and either make a special cover for the binder or buy one ready-made (gasp!) A large binder could hold hundreds of cards and you could just flip through the pages admiring them all and seeking inspiration for your own work.

Steps to Take at Kinkos -- Lloydene Cook
1. Take your original collage and place it on the color copier and reduce it down to the deck size, which is 2 1/2 by 3 1/2. This part is real easy if you start with a 5" x 7" collage --all you have to do is reduce it to 50% of the original size and that's perfect. However, If your original is larger or smaller you may have to juggle the numbers a little. I did one that was 8 x 10 and I think I reduced it to almost 25% of the original to make it the right size.

2. Then you need to cut out your deck-sized card--they usually have scissors , rulers, etc. available by the machines.

   3.   Next, you find a nice, helpful clerk and tell them that you want to take your card and make "repeat images" of it on the color copier-- I've heard some use the phrase "tile" the image, too--but some clerks are not familiar with that. On the machine it says "repeat images". At any rate, you lay your little card in the upper left corner of the screen, and push a bunch of buttons and presto! it will make a sheet with your card repeated 6 times---and that sheet only costs whatever they charge per sheet--in some cases 99 cents, or I get them on sale for 69 cents (price per sheet will vary).

   4. Then if you want you can repeat this process, and you will then have 12 total cards, and a third sheet for 18, etc.

   5. So, those four steps should only cost you the price per page times 4 sheets of paper--one for the original reduction and 3 for the three tiled sheets.

    6. The only reason why they might not be able to do this is if they have an outdated color copier, which is unlikely. So, if necessary you should ask to speak to a manager or the person most familiar with the machine. Also, if after they run the first copy you're not satisfied with the way the color look, they can make adjustments for better clarity, etc. You just have to be assertive about what you want---I've found everyone to be quite helpful once they understand what I'm trying to do.