Holiday calendar, or... what else?

[Anton Largiader]

For about ten years now we have printed holiday calendars for our kids' aunts, uncles and grandparents. We take the best photos from each month (plus or minus) and hand them out to maybe six people. They really do seem to like them a lot. However, it crossed our minds that most people are probably not using them as calendars and hang them only to display the picture or collage of the month. So, half of the space is wasted. We'd like to improve that (I think we will also just ask the recipients about this).

I think during the calendar editing we may be able to just do away with the calendar part, but we don't necessarily want to have to fill twice as much space. However, a monthly display turnover is a nice interval. Could just have a monthly display without the calendar grid.

What else? Some of these people are in their 70s to 90s and hard copy rules. Can't send them computer wallpaper files. Just casting around for alternatives here.

 

[Lubos-PM]

I have been making calendars from my photographs for about 15 years and they always have the same look. A big calendar with names, where there is also a place to write your own notes, such as various birthdays, planned events and so on. I once tried to shrink part with the calendar and enlarge the photos, but at the request of many calendar recipients, I had to go back to that format. I produce all calendars myself, i.e. I take the photos, prepare them in InDesign, print them on a high quality A3 laser printer, bind them and give them out free of charge to family, friends, former colleagues and business partners (for these the calendar is completed with our company logo). Every year I produce 150 to 170 of them.

 

[Tom Reichner]

For about ten years now we have printed holiday calendars for our kids' aunts, uncles and grandparents. We take the best photos from each month (plus or minus) and hand them out to maybe six people. They really do seem to like them a lot. However, it crossed our minds that most people are probably not using them as calendars and hang them only to display the picture or collage of the month. So, half of the space is wasted. We'd like to improve that (I think we will also just ask the recipients about this).

I think during the calendar editing we may be able to just do away with the calendar part, but we don't necessarily want to have to fill twice as much space. However, a monthly display turnover is a nice interval. Could just have a monthly display without the calendar grid.

What else? Some of these people are in their 70s to 90s and hard copy rules. Can't send them computer wallpaper files. Just casting around for alternatives here.

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Are you just assuming that most folks don't use your calendars as a calendar, or is this something you know for sure?

I ask because I make calendars with my photos each year, big oversize premium ones. I give them to my parents, and they give them to their friends and family members as gifts. Any time I go to someone's house who has one of these calendars, they are using it as a calendar, with things written in the little daily squares to serve as reminders of upcoming events - kids' soccer games, doctor appointments, birthdays, etc. I also make about a half dozen for my own friends who live here in my community, and they use them the same way. MANY people still use hard copy wall calendars as a way to keep track of what's going on in their lives.

So, if I were you, I would hesitate to stop presenting my images in wall calendar form, until I knew for sure that people do not use the calendar portion of the calendar.

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