 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Traffic | Weather | Your account | Movies | Restaurants | Today's events |
|
|
Saturday, November 26, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 AM Here's the big-picture view of creative gifts from photosSeattle Times staff reporter
Santa's gift bag may be stuffed with some familiar faces this year: Your own. Photo prints are still the most common purchase, but gifts personalized with photos — top subjects include kids, pets and vacations — are increasingly popular, said Jill Aldort, a senior consultant for InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, a Massachusetts-based firm that researches digital imaging. Caryn Casterline, of Renton, often opts for photos as gifts for her children's grandparents and great-grandparents. "They have everything they need," said the mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4. "Photos are the big thing. They really want the pictures, to see how the boys are changing and growing." Casterline is thinking of using photos of her husband and their sons on notecards for her mother-in-law's Christmas present. In the past, she's also made calendars and mini-albums with scrapbooking. Photo gift tips Match the photo to the gift. A landscape photo works well blown up for a calendar but not so well on a small mug, which calls for a closely cropped photo with one or two people. Horizontal photos fit calendars best, while verticals are ideal for mugs and T-shirts. Some online services allow shoppers to preview products with chosen photos. Use a good photo. "The better the original photo, the better the final product," noted Marcia Rhines, co-owner of Competitive Recognition in Sumner. "Although we have software to enhance and improve photographs, it is still difficult (sometimes impossible) to make a bad photo look great." Close-ups and images with bright colors translate well. Count those pixels. Be cautious enlarging a 4-by-6-inch photo into an 8-by-10-inch calendar. "You have to have the resolution to pull it off or else it will really look bad," warns David Simmerman, past president of the Olympia Camera Club. Wal-Mart recommends a resolution of 300 dpi or higher for its photo gifts. "If your image is below the minimum resolution/size requirements, do not simply increase the size in your editing software," Wal-Mart's Web site notes. "You must either rescan the image or use a higher-quality image." Think beyond photos. Scan children's artwork to use as decorations. Consider the recipient. Sure, Grandma and Grandpa will probably love anything with a grandbaby. But rather than a whole calendar of just your family, consider one with photos of all their grandkids, suggests Simmerman. "They want to see everybody," he notes. Consideration, Part II. Don't assume all friends and family are as charmed with your darlings as you are. Extended relatives — especially ones with their own kids — might prefer a photo for the fridge. Do it yourself. Print pictures or artwork on iron-on transfer paper to decorate cloth accessories such as an apron or canvas bag. Transfer paper is sold at craft stores. Plan ahead. If you know you want to put together a calendar, for example, take seasonal pictures throughout the year to illustrate different months. — Stephanie Dunnewind, Seattle Times staff reporter "Everybody says it's the thought that counts," Nelson said. "A personalized gift shows that a lot of thought went into it." "Before, consumers were just trying to figure out how to get pictures out of their new digital cameras," said David Rich, vice president of marketing for Kodak EasyShare Gallery "Now they're moving more to showing the cool, creative things they can do with pictures." With a variety of online sites and stores offering photo gifts, products range from $6 luggage tags to $21 playing cards to a $200 woven portrait used as a blanket or wall hanging. Pictures can also adorn cookie tins, cutting boards, clocks, coasters, golf towels, license plates, lightswitch covers, nightlights, ornaments, pet dishes, purses, puzzles, ties, travel mugs and sports balls. By the end of this year, more than half of U.S. households will own a digital camera, up from less than a third two years ago, Aldort said. "With film, there wasn't really anything to do with photos other than stick them in a photo album," she said. Now consumers are eager to take advantage of digital's versatility. About a fifth of visitors to online photo services order photo gifts, with calendars, greeting cards and mugs the top choices, Aldort said. More retailers are expanding into photo gifts, once the province of online sites, she said. The holidays are the busiest time of year for photo gifts, retailers say. "If you make it personal, it's something someone might use instead of just being thrown in a closet," said Lynnette Nelson, assistant retail manager at the FedEx Kinko's in Queen Anne. FedEx Kinko's added a line of more than 40 custom gifts this year. Quick gifts such as a mug or sweatshirt with a grandkid's photo appeals to busy moms, Rich said. Babies and children are "by far the most popular" choice for photo stamps, said Ken McBride, president and CEO of Stamps.com, one of three companies authorized by the U.S. Postal Service to sell the legal postage. "People find it a very interesting way to add a personal touch to holiday mailings," he said, noting that fans also give stamps as gifts. A sheet of 20 first-class 37-cent stamps costs $16.99, compared to $7.40 for regular stamps. The price of first-class stamps will increase to 39 cents Jan. 8, however. After selling more than 2.75 million PhotoStamps during a seven-week trial in 2004, the personalized stamps returned in May for a one-year market test. Personalized stamps Authorized sellers Stephanie Dunnewind: sdunnewind@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2091. Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company Most read articles
|
Gather your friends and give your closet clutter new life at parties where camaraderie trumps commerce.
More shopping |
E-mail article
Print view
PREV
E-mail article
Print view
Marketplace
Back to top