Paper choices for greeting cards

[nanfischer]

I opened a store so friends and family have a place to buy my art on greeting cards. I designed them with semi-gloss paper, but within the last couple of weeks, the default choice in the store is matte. I keep editing to make it semi-gloss, but it reverts to matte, which I don’t like. I don’t want to have to tell people to be sure to check off the right paper. I also don’t want them ordering a product I didn’t design. I’m not sure why this is happening or how to fix it. Thank you! 

[Sara_H · Accepted solution]

@nanfischer  They're currently updating their paper products and cards are getting auto transferred over to matte due to "reasons"

I'm not a fan either and prefer semi gloss for folded greeting cards

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/paper-types-product-offering-updates/ba-p/222211 

I'd leave them a few days for the dust to settle then change them back again to the new "Basic Semi Gloss" (renamed from semi gloss)

You can lock flat cards down to a specific type of paper but that is buggy atm so may not work

But with folded greeting cards you can only lock it to a orientation unfortunately

I've just changed a folded greeting card back to "Basic Semi Gloss" (the new name for semi gloss) so I'll see if it sticks

It should settle down in the next few days once all the cards on the site have been updated to the new papers. (there are millions so could take a few days)

You're doing nothing wrong and the fix is patience then swap it back to "Basic Semi Gloss"

[Anne]

I just discovered a flat Save the Date card as "sold out". For some reason it had apparently escaped the paper changes. Haven't had time yet to check on greeting cards, but maybe being sold out is the reason for the mess up with paper ...

[nanfischer]

Thank you! I manually changed them all a few days ago and they’re all still on matte. I did another one individually this morning and it posted as matte. i’ll play wait-and-see I guess. Thanks for the info! Very helpful.

[Anne]

@Sara_H Thanks for figuring this out and yet another work-around! 
I don't have time to manually edit all my invitations and stuff (and certainly not repeatedly!). It's already bad enough that the royalty rates don't stick half of the time.
I wish Zazzle would stop screwing up things so badly, especially in the Holiday season (which already can be considered lost, given all the crap they unleashed). Sorry for being grumpy 🙂 (I have to turn this into a cat best-selling feature ... ) 🙂

[tamirazdesigns]

Don't understand why Semi-Gloss was renamed to Basic Semi-Gloss at Zazzle.  That name change might confuse people, and think they're getting a cheaper inferior "basic" product.

It's been known as Semi-Gloss everywhere for years.  It's different than Satin/Lustre (with the sheen softer and more subtle than standard semi-gloss), or High Gloss, etc.

I remember one of my Greeting Card reviews, while being an excellent nice review saying it had bright colors, etc. -- they said if they were to order a card again they might try the Semi-Gloss instead of the Matte just to see how that looks.  I bet it would have looked even better than the Matte finish did!

Note that I also prefer Semi-Gloss for Folded Greeting Cards over Matte, and I set it that way via my store.  But like others the Semi-Gloss option is not sticking and keeps reverting back to the Matte finish, which I do not like the Matte!  

Same for printed family photos over the years whether done at home or anywhere, I have never gotten it in Matte.

It's a personal taste and choice, but most people I know do NOT like these things in a Matte finish either.  

Can designers please have our store setting be for Semi-Gloss and not Matte finishes on items where we want it set to this option?

Thank you 

[nanfischer]

I ordered my cards in matte and semi-gloss to check for quality. Semi-gloss won hands down. I'll collage on the matte cards and send them to my 5 year old grandson to say hi. He loves mail. 😍

[tamirazdesigns]

@nanfischer 

Oh that's funny.  Good that you ordered both paper types to see. 

Yes, semi-gloss is the only thing I like too for Folded Cards.  I've also ordered some of my own folded cards over the years from my store and semi-gloss always looked nice!  Before starting my own store on Zazzle years ago, I stumbled upon it while looking for a Godfather card for my brother from my then baby (didn't find anything catching my eye in the stores).  We never heard of Zazzle before that.  I found a cute character on a Father's Day card and I personalized the inside text.   I ordered it in semi-gloss and it came out perfect!  Soon afterwards I opened my own store after being nudged on by my brother who knew I've always loved drawing, etc., and anything creative with my own hands, since being a tot!

And for the Flat Cards I ordered from my design for our child's special occasion event the invitations in Linen and they came out beautiful!  Always loved linen paper for special occasions for flat cards!  (Not on matte paper for that).  But for the thank you folded cards for our child's special event I ordered my design in semi-gloss and was also very nice.   

Not saying there aren't nice greeting cards and designs out there anywhere in matte type papers, there are, though some would maybe look better in semi-gloss 🙂   I also do like embellishments on greeting cards.... I prefer semi-gloss because of the look, more vibrant colors, and smooth feel of the paper for folded cards.