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Artist Trading Cards and Business Cards

Share Your Art on a Trading Card

By Helen South, About.com

an artist's trading card

You could think of the trading card as a really, really tiny canvas....

Larry/ Weeks/South, licensed to About.com
Artist's Trading Cards have seen a revival in recent years. They are 2.5 x 3.5 inch cards - just a little deeper than a standard business card - and are drawn, hand-printed, collaged or painted with an artist's work, and usually signed by the artist. They are true miniature artworks, and are traditionally only traded between artists. They aren't sold - they aren't about money, but rather an exchange of art and ideas. Local and online groups have sprung up for trading. (As always, watch out for fraud).

Artist Trading Cards are a great way to share your art with friends and colleagues, but also make a terrific business card. Add your contact details to the back of the image and you've got a business card that won't end up filed in the garbage.

I working at a small size isn't your thing - or you don't fancy trading labor-intensive artworks, there are less involved ways of creating portable publicity. Keep a mini photo-album of your work in your pocketbook for unexpected opportunities. Use good quality card and your computer to print your own business cards, including one of your drawings as part of the design, or print on both sides.

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