Article  Digital Photo Cards: Revolutionizing Photo Gifts A lot has changed since the advent of digital photography.  First, digital photography changed not only the way photographers take pictures, but also the way they are developed, primarily in that they are not developed.  Now, consumers need only load up the photos onto their computer and use the digital file to render a print of varying quality.  This means that the field of digital photo gifts has completely changed; what used to be just strangely printed rectangles on white T shirts and the occasional coffee mug has now led to an incredible range of products, including the ubiquitous digital photo cards.   Digital photo cards have come a long way, and come in many different forms.  Remember the days when a “photo card” was a card with a print of a photograph adhered to the front of it?  This was once thought to be the height of sophistication (and such items were typically very expensive).  No longer are such hackneyed attempts the standard of photo printing; it is both cheap and commonly available to make digital photo cards that are fully integrated with the card, one evenly printed piece of stock.  Indeed, this is probably the most basic way to print them, and then from there, designs become more polished and interesting, with a corresponding price tag.   Paper choice, quality, and weight are probably three of the most defining characteristics of a digital photo card.  For example, a card that is printed on lightweight, shiny paper, typical of lower priced photo papers, will have less gravitas and instant appeal than a card printed on heavier weight cardstock.  Many cardstocks also have the added benefit of being archival quality, which simply means that the inks and printing of your photographs will be preserved over time, something that can be very important, especially if you keep stacks of photo cards and pull them out to review years later, only to find that they are yellow and warped.   Additionally, using heavier weight cardstock for digital photo cards has the benefit of being compressible; basically, they are of such a thickness that they can be embossed, or pressed into designs that leave some parts raised and some depressed.  Embossed cards can have elaborate, intricate designs, and are often an excellent medium for extensive decoration like high quality detail painting or using metallic inks.  Also available are the most modern in appearance, the digital photo cards that have very sharp, angular designs and feature a matte print.  Now, rather than looking like a photo print, the card looks like a page out of a high quality coffee table travel book.  The smooth finish is typically fingerprint resistant as well, which again plays into the archival quality of the print.   Digital photo cards come in a huge variety of finishes, papers, and designs.  It has developed photography as a very accessible and customizable field, which is really quite exciting.  The sheer number of photographs taken and stored in the past several years ensures a rich cultural treasure trove for generations to come. This might revolutionize the way we view posterity; rather than looking for clues and mentions in literature and paraphernalia, we will have a massive number of photographs turning our history into a visual experience.  At the heart of this is possibly the simplest record of a sentiment or family: a digital photo card, sent from friend to friend or family to family, imbued with personal meaning and capturing a moment in time that becomes not only culturally relevant, but fully contextual. Category Shopping Author Andy Cummings Add To Favorites Print This Article Email Article To A Friend Post Comments   Rate This Article (0) 1 - Poor2345 - Good678910 - Excellent Added On Mon Jan 18th,2010