Wallpaper Packs: A Crash Course in the Art of Preview Cards

_{------INTRODUCTION------------------------------}

The graphic you use to represent your downloadable Wallpaper Packs, also known as a "Preview Card", is a critical component to making sure your work is seen. Any serious Wallpaper-Artist can tell you that a good preview card can make the difference between one download and a handful of them. It is both a distinguishable call to the person browsing that you have more than a single wallpaper to offer, as well as a great way to advertise your gallery to anyone whose eye it catches.

But what is it that makes a "Good" Preview Card?


_{1. OPPOSING SHAPE__________________________}

Immediately, the shape of your Preview Card should catch the eye. We all know the required sizes of your work as it pertains to the Wallpaper Gallery, so it only makes sense that a good Preview Card would take advantage of those required sizings by completely opposing the squarish uniform thumbnails of single Wallpapers. This can be done various ways, from creating a simple JPG that sits longer vertically than it does horizontally, a noticeably thin horizontal bar, or by pushing the envelope artistically by using a PNG image to allow for circular or tendriled designs. Frankly, anything that strays from the traditional single wallpaper thumbnail that inundates the browsing-gallery is going to catch the eye---and more than likely get you at least a view.

NOTE: Of course making an 'opposing' shape is not completely necessary. A great designer can easily work without this in his pocket and still make an amazing demonstration from a thumbnail. Even so, try to remember you want your browsing party to actually click on your piece. This is so that you can convince them at the next stage not to make that fatal decision of moving on right at the thumbnail.


_{2. ENGAGING LAYOUT__________________________}

The overall layout of your Preview Card is entirely up to personal preference, however I feel there are a small set of elements that should always be included for the convenience of the person who just clicked on your thumbnail. Basically you want to answer the first set of questions they've asked themselves the moment they've gone to take a closer look.

What does the actual art look like?
The most obvious and most important question they're asking themselves. If your art is not somehow present on your Preview Card, you might as well give up because you've just cheated them and yourself of interest.

Does it have my resolution size?
This is an ~extremely~ important answer to include on your card. We make these packs because we understand that there are a significant amount of wallpaper-lovers out there who either don't have an editing program to resize our works, are too lazy, or for the protection of keeping our art from ever entering their photo-editing program to begin with.
Of course we can just as easily type our available sizes into the Description box below, and I suggest you do this as well. But we've got their attention right now, as they're looking at our card... so why not put it right in front of their faces? It speeds up their browsing if you're not quite sure you have what they're looking for, and gives them cause to read on if you do have what they want.

Make sure you list every individual size you have made available. Simply saying "Widescreen", "Fullscreen", or both, without listing the resolution numbers is going to cause doubt in your potential downloader's mind and they might not even bother. In fact, if you've done this with your preview card I can already hear them clicking the Back-button right now.

_{2a. ENGAGING LAYOUT (cont.)__________________________}

Now that we've caught them, shown them our art, and answered their first set of questions, we need to keep them here for just another few seconds. Why? Because we want to give them information that's going to help them remember us, and crossing our fingers, get them to either come to our gallery and see more, keep us in mind for later, or at very least give them sense of familiarity should they come across our work again.
The look of your overall layout is going to help push that along. You'll want to make sure you have as much open space as possible so that your art is prominently displayed. You don't want to go too crazy with colors on its overall appearance, because the last thing you want is your work to be overpowered and appear ugly. Having said that, its important to use this pretty card to your fullest advantage so that you may draw their attention to the other information you want them to know.

Title
Absolutely imperative. Your title should be as clearly visible as your art, because it needs to be in their head as they look at it. First so that they don't just call it "that one with all the little things in it?" and also in the event they move on from your art and decide later that perhaps they should have downloaded it the first time. You want them to be able to find it again, quickly.

NOTE: Making sure your Pack's filename has the title in it is also going to help them organize your work on their PC should they end up downloading more than one; as well you should always keep your title in the individual art's filename... or let the insanity of disorganization commence. Yikes.

Your Name and Gallery/Profile Address
Always, always, always, put your name on your preview card. Anywhere is good, but preferably you'll want it as clearly visible as your art and title. You should get as much credit for your work as possible, and the credit you get should be equal to the screaming goodness of your art. As well, the more promotion you can get your gallery the better, which is why I encourage you to always include your internet address. It's a great preventative measure against ripping or unauthorized redistribution of your work---as self-promotion always comes with that very good benefit.
Personally, I prefer to have my name and address as they last thing they see. In my opinion, if they like the art, forget the title, love the resolution, and are already reading that far down, then I've got them in the bag and they're looking for my address for a reason. Repeat business, anyone?

Sloganize It
This is a subject that always comes in much debate with artists of all genre, because it falls into that whole "Commercial Art vs. Art Purity" argument. However I think it will do you well to remember that having started this Preview Card for your work you've already begun the basic marketing process. So don't just dip in your toes, I say, jump all the way in!
A slogan should ideally be short, catchy, and poignant. You've all seen commercials, heard radio ads, or been inundated with pop-ups or other internet spam ads. While all of these things are relatively annoying, they are for the most part effective on the general populace. So will your slogan be, provided you've found a good one. Again, this is only personal preference and not integral to your work... but I'm of the opinion that any little thing I can do to get my gallery, profile, and ultimately my work attention---I'm more than willing.

Variants are Viable
As many of us who do wallpapers regularly know: there's always a million given choices to how we do our designs/art. Thus, it only makes sense that sometimes you may want to include variations on the same piece. Be it for the sake of keeping a themed desktop more cohesive, your own indecision, requests for alternate colors, or simply you wanted to try something different and they all end up too cool not to share---they're going to turn up eventually.
It doesn't always make sense to make a brand new pack of the same thing, so if you're going to include variants in your pack, doesn't it seem viable that you'd show them this work in the same way you've showcased your main piece? I think it does, and chances are your potential downloader will, too. This may not be as necessary if you're well known for including alternate colors or versions in your packs, but I can assure you that your viewer is going to be impressed if you tell them at the same time you're telling them everything else.

_{3. EXAMPLES OF ENGAGING PREVIEW CARDS__________________________}

The following are a small selection of Preview Cards that contain almost all of the elements discussed here. Certainly in browsing the gallery you'll come across others, as well as those that don't. While it's true that you may not define "engaging" in the same way I'm using the word here, I think it's safe to say that once you click on any of those other variety of Preview Cards it will be all too apparent to you which elements it could use compared to these.

_{4. A QUINTESSENTIAL Q&A__________________________}

Why did you write this article?
I've been getting a lot of requests for tutorials, tips, tricks, and other miscellaneous help...
and thought this would be a very good way to service some of those just starting out as well
as those who have been here for awhile and perhaps just haven't thought of these things.
I love this community, and am hoping this will be a good, long-lasting contribution.

What's wrong with just using my actual art instead of a Preview Card?
Not much. Barring the fact that you're missing out on all those clicks from people who don't
understand the current trends of deviantART, are first time computer users, or are just plain
not electronically-inclined.
When you use your actual art, it just looks like one piece of art, and can be confusing.
So it's more a game of "say what you mean", if that makes sense. Hell, it still confuses me,
and I know where to look.

Also, as a wallpaper artist, you might as well just expect that your art is going to be redis-
tributed on sites off of deviantART. Knowing that, a preview card is in your favor, especially
when it contains your internet address and screen name---- to help minimize miscrediting,
as well as getting more people off-dA to come to your gallery to get more.

How do you make yours?
Yes, great question! I make a re-usable template.
This way you can constantly edit it as per your needs and keep your PC's memory usage to
a bare minimum. Do a little research in the galleries, and give it a try. Otherwise stay tuned
to my account, as I've already begun releasing templates for this very thing.

Here's an example of one in PSD format that you're more than welcome to modify and use:


Who cares about the Views and Downloads numbers?
Pft, you should if you want to know anything about what you're doing right or wrong as
and artist in this genre. Consider first that you're making wallpaper packs so that people will
use them. Then weigh in that as a graphic-designer the chances are very good that
some day it might be nice for you to make money at what you do. Thusly, what they like and
don't like can be reflected in your numbers, and you can from then on make a grade as to what
styles and genres you do well and where you need work.

Should I change the look of my card frequently?
Unless you're experimenting with the effectiveness of certain layouts, I wouldn't. If you do decide
it's time for a change, I'd suggest you wait at least several months. This way that your gallery is
streamlined (clean looking) and people are familiar with the look of your cards. I've committed to
variating my card once a year. I'm currently on my second, and took special care to not blow the
doors off my old one too much.

Is this to suggest that anyone who makes a pack should adhere to these suggestions?
I think under most cases it would be in their best interests to do so, yes. However, there are plenty
of artists here who make packs and have become extremely well known. That said, while it may
not be entirely necessary for them to gain the attention of more peer-interest, quite a few of these
artists aren't doing a very good job of protecting their art in their preview cards.

Any other Preview Card ideas we should know about?
Definitely make sure to include your Preview Card as an accompaniment inside your ZIP or RAR
package. This means more work for Rippers, or hopefully something they'll have missed to keep
your credits intact. This is also useful for those who allow redistribution of their work, as the
distributer has easy access to your card.

Why should I take your word on this?
Don't. You're not obligated at all.
However, I feel confident that if you try it for a significant amount of time it will make a clear
difference in how regularly your work is viewed. Especially if you're not as popular as you'd like to
be, are new, or are looking to make improvements to your presentation that are quick and easy.
As well, keeping rippers off your name and your art is important, in my opinion.

Are you giving me a guarantee on downloads, pageviews, favorites, or potential DD's?
Of course not. Life is random. You have the same guarantee that any professional has when
marketing their product, and your art speaks for itself once they're past the Preview Card.

I see plenty of Cards out there that are absolutely beautiful, and still get attention. So what?
There are armfuls of hands-down, eye-catching, finger-clamoring cards out there. But are they
encompassing the right ingredients to protect the art they're promising, or answer the instinctive
questions of that random non-deviant person needing that wallpaper? You tell me.

What's the difference if the info is in the Card or in the Description?
Again, why not have it right there in the card? But to answer this more specifically:
I think they should be in both places. Repetitive information is information that sticks. Also, it
seems likely to me some people ignore one or the other. They skip the description or the card.
If you do both, you've got your bases covered. If you do just the card, you save your fingers
some typing.

What's the best way to get your information across on the Card without cluttering?

1) Choose a clean, easy to read font.

2) Keep your most important information large, but not overpowering. Never bigger than the
art, and never too small to see at a glance.

3) Make sure you have a good contrast between your card and your text. Don't mesh it all
in and force your viewer to squint.

4) Remember that you want to guide the eye, not poke it until it explodes.

Do you have Card-shape suggestions?
Think outside the box, and don't be afraid to experiment. But always keep in mind that
you don't want to scare your viewing-friend off with an startlingly wild shape. Be basic to be
safe, but if you can put a twist on basic, definitely do.

You missed a few things, didn't you?
Probably. I've spent a good long time on this one, and the brain does funny things when you've
focused too long on the same issue. Feel free to add in your poignant thoughts in the comments!

Are you going to write more articles on this sort of stuff, for the WP Community?
Yawp! But if I get lynched after this one... it might be a little more rude. lol


_{------CLOSING STATEMENTS------------------------------}

Ultimately, as with anything on deviantART that has to do with how you handle your art, having a preview card is solely up to your discretion. dA neither insists nor suggests that you have one to accommodate your work, and I am in no way trying to represent anyone's opinions here but my own. Simply I've found a method that is logical, functional, and had been working for me since I took the time to explore the option of doing it. My hope is that some of you beginning artists will take heed of my suggestions and find a new way to approach how you advertise, distribute, and otherwise organize the look of your wallpaper work. I also hope to nudge some of my favorite peers into taking a more careful look at how they've been carding their own walls, and point out to them the kind of risks they take with their art by slimming down the information. All of this because I care deeply about this entertainingly categorical Community... most especially the one I'm in. So to everyone still here with me now after all of this seemingly long text: Thank you so very much for your time, and if this is at all useful to you, I'd love to hear it.

_{-AHiLdesigns
(aka ^allhopeislost)}

Other fun articles and helpful resources concerning the Wallpaper Community:

Fresh-paper site is down
Wallpaper Gallery Guide
The Complete "Wallpaper Guide"
Where Do I Submit Screenshots?
Amazing Wallpaper Features! : Volume 97
Feature: HDTV/Widescreen Wallpaper Vol. 9