Creative Corner

PERSONALIZING CARDS

Turndown or special occasions are good opportunities to make personalized cards for principals, family, and guests.

In hospitality, one can have multiple cards printed professionally for a variety of likely occasions, with the company logo added; or in hospitality or private service, one can purchase quality off-the-shelf cards the image and text of which suit the recipient as much as possible and then hand-write a special message.

The advantage of making your own from scratch is that all elements are customized for the recipient.

The process is simple:

1. Use a search engine such as DuckDuckGo to find the image subject you want (or use photographs of the recipients);
   Download the image;
2. Place the image into a basic program such as Word document, Paint, etc.;
3. Select a document size that corresponds to the size of the card stock desired;
4. Follow a template that places the image on the right-hand side or bottom half so that it will be on the front when you folder over the left-hand side or top half to form the back of the card;
5. Type in any text you want on the front of the card with the image;
6. in the desired font for the recipient(s);
7. Print using a color laser printer;
8. Hand-write applicable quotations, references to something that is personal to the recipient(s), and any message you want to give;
9. Conditional: If your handwriting is not so elegant, use an appropriate font type and print the message onto (the right hand side or bottom half of) very thin paper—whatever tissue paper can go through a printer;
10. Insert the tissue paper into the card.

Finally, here is another creation, The King (who probably needs no introduction). This relief will be cast and used for those guests who appreciate rock and roll. This proved to be one of the most difficult to produce because Elvis had a smooth face with very subtle transitions between surfaces (it being easier to sculpt faces with rougher surfaces). Additionally, reliefs have little depth, thereby requiring very subtle adjustments to reflect accurately the differences between the high points and low points.

 

Mr. Kobi Gutman is one of the most accomplished hotel butlers in the world, currently working as the head butler at a private hotel in Florida; he can be reached via the Institute.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.