How do you credit your stamps on cards you sell?

[Rachelrose]

I know that some companies don't require you to, and some do. Stampin Up has it's own little stamp for the purpose, but some companies require you to give credit and don't offer a stamp. What do you do in that case? Where do you put the credit? Do you handwrite it?

I guess in general I'd also like to know how people brand their cards as well. Do you have a stamp with your name or whatever you use as your brand? And exactly where do you put it?

Thanks.

[shazsilverwolf]

I don't have a stamp, I made up some labels on my pc, Avery Labels do a software that you can design your label, then print onto their label sheets. there are free ones out there too, that match Averys labels. I just put a label on the lower centre back of my card. You can use a printer as well to print directly onto the back of your card- that may be the way to go for stamp credits.I'm wondering, if you bag your cards, and have a slip inside it detailing what the verse is, if you could put the credits for stamps onto that and still be covered? Also, ( I'm thinking while I type here, you may have guessed) if you place an insert with a verse inside your card, I would think you could also type the credits onto that.

[Rachelrose]

I don't know how companies would feel about the credit being separable from the card, as in an slip insert, Shaz. I do know that SU wants it on the card itself (not that I use very many SU stamps, frankly). Some companies seem to have a very loose and easygoing angel policy and don't mention your having to credit them as long as you are hand stamping each image, but some say they want credit, and some are extremely explicit about it. Penny Black not only wants �Penny Black on the card but you can't make more than 36 of any given design to sell, for instance. I am not selling any of my cards at this point, but if I ever did, I wonder how I would deal with the fact that most of my cards have stamps from several companies on them.

I always assumed the credits would go on the back. I don't think I'd like to send someone a card with stamp credits on the insert inside the card.

[cat_woman]

I don't use stamps that require me to put their "free advertising" on my cards for ones I'm selling. I want people to buy my cards, not the stamps. For my own branding, I run my card bases through my printer and print my logo on the centre bottom of the card.

[Rachelrose]

That would be the easiest way to maneuver around the issue, I agree. But there are some companies whose stamps I love and use a lot who would want credit on the card.

[shazsilverwolf]

I agree Rachelrose-probably not the ideal solutions. just thinking outloud- not always wise, lol. Its a problem if you have to credit more than one company- you'd look like you'd decorated the back of the card too! I think running it through the printer, with a list of credits(!) would be the easiest, and tidiest, solution.

[Rachelrose]

I'm thinking some people just ignore the stipulation to list credit. Seems like it would be awfully hard for companies to police this. But having never sold any cards, I'm really in no position to say. That's why I asked. There are plenty of folks on the forum who do sell cards, and I hope they will weigh in.

[shazsilverwolf]

I think you are probably right, Rachelrose. I suppose it all depends on how/where you are selling. I mean, those on e-bay/etsy & suchlike, are more likely to be checked up on, than someone selling to the people in her office building/ friends/relatives. Small, local craft fairs would probably slip under the radar too.

[Rachelrose]

Still, I assume that there are people out there who do include credits for stamps that are from companies whose angel policies that require it.

I'd love to know where and how they list those credits.

Actually, I'm kind of surprised there have been so few posts responding to this question. It makes me wonder whether more people than I thought (maybe even the majority of people) are simply disregarding that aspect of the angel policy for the stamp companies they buy stamps from.

[xayide2]

I try to remember to put the credit on the cards I sell, but the ones I do at work come out of my personal stash and don't always have the credit on them. I think I'd credit ones that I have to collect taxes on, and the local craft fairs make sure you do, lol.

I also just put one on the back if they make it easy for me...like have a stamp available with their copyright. I only have three copyright stamps that I know of, SU!, Hero Arts, and Unity. Are there others available?

[Rachelrose]

There are many companies who say they want credit and don't provide a stamp.

There are companies who say "whenever possible credit should be given" and there are some that actually want you to contact them for permission to use their stamps for cards you will sell. And there are companies who say you can do what you want, no credit is needed.

Where exactly do you stamp your credits on the back of the card? What if there is more than one credit you need to include? Seems like it would get crowded.

Maybe fewer people than I think are selling their cards. ;-)!

[KristaTracy]

I have seen the suggestion before about the insert, and it makes sense to me if the company requests you include their copyright but does not offer a stamp. By insert, I am assuming it is a slip of copier paper that goes in the clear sleeve, facing the back.

I know my copier would not be able to print copyrights directly on the back of my heavy cardstock.

[Rachelrose]

It's an appealing idea.

But companies who want you to credit them usually say "somewhere on the card."

Some give you an out by saying "if possible".

My printer would be able to print credit directly on a card, but I think it would be kind of a bother. I'd rather buy some clear return address labels and set up a word doc for the blank labels and then just type one for each card with any credits and stick it on the back. And type small so it doesn't clutter things up. SU says you must use their stamp (or a digi of it), though. Which seems very inflexible to me.

[Rachelrose]

Oh, and some companies want you to email them and say you agree to their terms and conditions and let them know exactly what products you will be using on each card you want to sell. I guess those folks actually don't want you selling cards with their images on them at all.

[STYXROCKSME]

Gee we already paid for the stamps. And the company gets even more publicity when the card is for sale. I don't like Penny Black;s policy. I donate cards with their stamps to Operation Write home. I still need to know about Crafter's companion and Gina K policies.

Tara
Stampin' Up Demo in training

[Hoboken Paper]

I purposely avoid buying stamps from companies with ungenerous angel policies. 100 Proof Press, Papertrey Ink and Waltzing Mouse Stamps have beautiful stamps and very generous angel policies -- no recognition required. While Stampin Up does require that you use one of their branded stamps on your projects for sale, their policy right now is actually pretty generous too. I found an old set of "Limited License" Stampin Up stamps on e-bay and plan to use one of those on the backs of my cards. One of them says "Hand Stamped" inside an oval border, and the (c) Stampin Up is below that and very small. Although I would rather not use it, I actually think it will add a nice touch to the back of the card.

I avoid purchasing from companies like Hero Arts that have terrible angel policies. However, I did notice that their policy says "Wherever possible, Hero Arts Trademarks and Copyrights should be displayed." I don't see anything that says it must be displayed on the card itself. So for these types of policies you could print an Avery label and put it on the plastic sleeve or, as others have suggested, include an insert slip with the copyright information. The purchaser can just toss the slip.

You could get creative with the insert slip -- write a little about your approach to handcrafted items and what you like (colors, shapes, techniques). Then at the bottom you could have a line that says "Some of the stamped images on this card may be copyrighted by ...." And you could list all the possible companies, so that you can use one insert for all your cards.

[nancystamps]

I would think that if you have a loose slip with the company info inside your card package, you would be covered. Your BUYER has been informed of whose stamps you used. If you made wedding invitations, I don't think the bride would be too happy to have an angel stamp on the back of them, but you could include a small slip inside with the stamp info on it.

I think the whole concept is ridiculous though, and the companies with the super stringent policies are only hurting themselves.

[Mrs Noofy]

Do you put your cards inside a plastic card protector? What if you made a label with the computer and stuck it on the outside of the packaging? Would that count?

[shazsilverwolf]

I've been told that it isn't enough- the credit has to be on the actual card, not the packaging, sorry. You could still computer print a label, and stick that on the lower back of your card though.

[Scrapjanny]

Since I made the card, my name goes on the back. Period. If I write an article or submit a project for publication, I list all of the manufacturers, including the stamps.

[shazsilverwolf]

I agree, Scrapjanny. Thats all I put on the back of my cards too. To be fair, I use very few stamps from companies with a restrictive Angel Policy- after all, just what do they think we are going to use them for? I remember there was a thread on here about Provocraft and Cuttlebug folders- being restrictive, as I recall it was a bit of a convoluted policy. You could use them, but NOT with any other element that had no angel policy. Sizzix are very good though- clear Angel policy AND no quantity restrictions.

[delacroix3721]

I was wondering this exact thing myself, I may be interested in selling cards in the not-too-distant future.

I've tried searching for the little SU copyright stamp, but I haven't found a used one. Are they sold separately? I've only seen it in a set that I don't need.
I don't know what I'll do about all the other stamps I have... I tend to combine a lot of companies in a single card as well. : /

[Rachelrose]

I was surprised to see this thread resurface (I'm the OP). Lots of interesting replies. I know that these more restrictive policies are really about stopping people from mass producing cards - starting a card making "business" - and that probably we small fry who might want to sell a few extra cards out of a small local gift shop might do so and never have a problem, but I'm not one to take a chance. I would have to follow all pertinent policies to the letter to feel comfortable. And of course I appreciate that artists ought to be credited for their work.

I have since compiled a list of angel policies for all the companies from which I own stamps, just to see what would be involved if I were to properly label the cards I have in my stash, which at this point are unlabeled since they were not made to be sold, but just to be sent to people. I can see that it would be a tremendous headache to label many of them properly, and I personally think it would in many cases look awful, since so many copyright acknowledgements would be necessary for a lot of my cards.

There are, of course, companies that have very wide-open angel policies. But I have a stamp collection of a reasonable size for me and wouldn't consider buying a lot of new stamps just so I could sell the cards I made with them. It simply would not make financial sense on the small scale I was considering.

Maybe if I had decided to do this at the outset, I would have tailored my collection to companies whose policies I feel I can live with. Too late now. (And I would miss having some of my most beloved and most-used images.)

[JTK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cat_woman

I don't use stamps that require me to put their "free advertising" on my cards for the ones I'm selling. I want people to buy my cards, not the stamps. For my branding, I run my card bases through my printer and print my logo on the centre bottom of the card.

Hi, I also print my logo on my card. My old printer recently died. What printer do you own that accepts card stock? I am prepared to hand-feed the cards. thank you in advance.

[cnsteele]

The post you are referencing is from 11 years ago, so you may not get a reply from that particular person.
I have a Canon G6020 that has both a cassette tray (for copy paper) and a tray on the back that allows me to feed thicker cardstock through the printer. I also love that it has refillable ink tanks instead of cartridges. The ink lasts forever!

[DancesWithHooves]

I don't sell my cards so I can't answer the question regarding crediting a stamp company for whom I can't find an "angel policy" stamp.

However, to "brand" my cards, I had a custom woodblock rubber stamp made a few years ago. I searched long and hard for the look I wanted at a very affordable price, and settled on a vendor with good reviews who was selling stamps on Etsy.

Good luck!

[bons]

I do sell my cards and when I started I was very careful to check the Angel policies from all the companies. If a company demanded credit I did not buy from them. It is not unusual for me to use products from 4 or 5 different companies on a card and trying to credit them all isn't practical. That being said, I kind of like the idea of including a slip that lists companies that may have been used (but I guess that would be difficult, too, because I literally use dozens of different companies!)
I used to get so anxious about crediting companies but haven't let it bother me so much recently. However reading this post has increased my anxiety again 😳🥴!

[OneDevotedDame]

After my skill grows considerably, I'm flirting with the idea of selling cards. I figured I'd get something like a large custom photopolymer stamp (or two) with "images from" and every company's name I have/plan to get. I'd chop it down to separate the companies, and then use the relevant stamps on the back of the card, in a light colored/watermark ink. Kinda something like this:



For boxed sets (invitations, thank yous, etc.) I'd rather slip a small card inside with my signature and the companies' information, rather than stamp/sign each card. Just because, like Miss Nancy pointed out, if I was the bride, I wouldn't want a bunch of clutter on the backside of the invites.

That was the plan, anyway. And we all know what happens to carefully laid plans.... lol

[bons]

This is a great idea!

[jeanne3579]

I don't sell my cards, but if I did, I would not like having to put the company(s) name on my card. What if the card is made with die cuts and embossing folders? It's the artwork and design of the card that people are buying. I doubt if the stamp company means anything to them. I have never seen a handmade garment for sale that has the fabric company or store where the fabric was purchased listed on a label. Nor a clay pot, tray or sculpture with the brand of clay or glaze used. And all a painting has on it is the name of the artist, not the paint company. I know stamps are created by an artist, and their name is on those stamps---or can be if the artist wishes. That means something to the stamp purchaser, not the card purchaser.
I put my name on the bottom back of my cards using a stamp I had made that has my signature built in. My first such stamp was a gift from one of my teachers when I was a principal. Her family ran a print company and she had it made with my signature. I loved it so much and thought it was such a thoughtful gift, I had three more made over the years as they eventually wore out. I also had one made for my daughter. Now that I can't get them anymore, I had my son make me one on his 3-D printer. That one is starting to show wear, so I will have to ask him for another.

[OneDevotedDame]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanne3579

I have never seen a handmade garment for sale that has the fabric company or store where the fabric was purchased listed on a label. Nor a clay pot, tray or sculpture with the brand of clay or glaze used.

I used to throw clay on a potter's wheel, and I kinda liken image credit on a card to an artist using my vase in a piece. So, if a photographer were to take a picture of my pottery and put it up in a gallery or otherwise display or sell the image, I would want credit as the original artist who created the piece of interest.

In cardmaking, I'm the equivalent of the photographer -- I'm using a primary piece of art to create a secondary piece of art. I know it's not an exact comparison, since the artists who create stamps are fully aware (and even hope) that their artwork will be turned into something else, and most potters are not expecting their pieces to be re-art-ed.

What bugs me is when the companies have onerous restrictions. As long as a small, simple credit is given, it shouldn't matter how many handmade cards someone makes, and it certainly shouldn't require *permission* from the company. Seriously. What do they expect people to do? Buy the stamp to just look at it? lol

[jeanne3579]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneDevotedDame

I used to throw clay on a potter's wheel, and I kinda liken image credit on a card to an artist using my vase in a piece. So, if a photographer were to take a picture of my pottery and put it up in a gallery or otherwise display or sell the image, I would want credit as the original artist who created the piece of interest.

In cardmaking, I'm the equivalent of the photographer -- I'm using a primary piece of art to create a secondary piece of art. I know it's not an exact comparison, since the artists who create stamps are fully aware (and even hope) that their artwork will be turned into something else, and most potters are not expecting their pieces to be re-art-ed.

What bugs me is when the companies have onerous restrictions. As long as a small, simple credit is given, it shouldn't matter how many handmade cards someone makes, and it certainly shouldn't require *permission* from the company. Seriously. What do they expect people to do? Buy the stamp to just look at it? lol

Hmm, I would never expect the artist to cite who made the vase in his/her still life painting. I have bought paintings of baskets and pots and nowhere are the artists of the objects listed. I'm assuming that you scribe your name on your work, which is because you made it. To me a stamp is a tool. A work of art in many cases, but still a tool. If I follow a pattern to make a dress, I do not attach pattern designer's name when I sell that. The designer of that pattern has their name is on the pattern, not on the garment I made from it. My son is an intellectual properties attorney. I'm going to ask him.

[jeanne3579]

Just had another thought. What about the latest trend of making cards made entirely of dry embossed pieces and die cuts? Would the card artist have to include those makers as well? Guess I'm really glad I never even considered selling my cards.

[OneDevotedDame]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanne3579

Just had another thought. What about the latest trend of making cards made entirely of dry embossed pieces and die cuts? Would the card artist have to include those makers as well? Guess I'm really glad I never even considered selling my cards.

That *is* a good point, Miss Jeanne. For me, personally, I'd understand if I had to give credit. Annoyed? Yes. But I'd do it, if I had to. This is a great discussion to take to an intellectual property rights attorney. 'Cause, as we all know, sometimes things are legal but not ethical (or vice versa), and sometimes illegal things aren't enforceable. I'm wondering if selling cards without credit is one of those unenforceable things, since the entire point of using the art medium is to create art.

[jeanne3579]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneDevotedDame

That *is* a good point, Miss Jeanne. For me, personally, I'd understand if I had to give credit. Annoyed? Yes. But I'd do it, if I had to. This is a great discussion to take to an intellectual property rights attorney. 'Cause, as we all know, sometimes things are legal but not ethical (or vice versa), and sometimes illegal things aren't enforceable. I'm wondering if selling cards without credit is one of those unenforceable things, since the entire point of using the art medium is to create art.

I did pose the questions to my son. As a partner of the firm, he is always really busy, but eventually he will get back to me. When he does, I'll report back.

[ktracyf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachelrose

It's an appealing idea.

But companies who want you to credit them usually say "somewhere on the card."

Some give you an out by saying "if possible".

My printer would be able to print credit directly on a card, but I think it would be kind of a bother. I'd rather buy some clear return address labels and set up a word doc for the blank labels and then just type one for each card with any credits and stick it on the back. And type small so it doesn't clutter things up. SU says you must use their stamp (or a digi of it), though. Which seems very inflexible to me.

I'm thinking the same thing. I have a stamp with my name and email address that I stamp on the bottom edge of the back of the card. I could just as easily make a file or template with that information and space to add any credits, then print it on clear labels for the back. Address labels or possibly return address labels if they have enough room. The clear label would make the back of the card look jumbled up. I don't use enough Stampin' Up stamps to make it worth buying the stamp.My DIL and I are planning to do a local market closer to Christmas so now is a great time to decide how to do this,

Thanks for the ideas!
Tracy
Tracy

[ktracyf]

Sorry, I meant to say the clear label would keep the back from looking jumbled.
It's been a long weekend!
Tracy

[jeanne3579]

I checked with my son, who is an intellectual properties attorney. He deals in patents, not copyrights, but this is what he said: "This is indeed a very interesting question and the issues are nuanced and thorny even for a copyright expert (which I am admittedly not). My gut tells me that in the majority of cases this would fall under the fair use doctrine but this is a pretty muddy area of law. I personally would not concern myself with citing the source of the stamps if I were creating my own art work."