Tips on Placing Calligraphy Orders

I frequently get requests from my clients as to how their lists should be submitted prior to my work on their envelope order. Though we have all this information outlined in our contracts, I thought a short explanation as to why I ask for your list this way might encourage more of my clients to send their lists in the proper format!

Submitting alphabetized lists: It may seem obvious to submit your address lists in alphabetical order (preferably numbered as well), but very often we receive lists that are not in any particular order to the blind eye like ours. This is an extremely important detail to streamlining the entire process for three main reasons:

1. It is easier for me to follow along your list while I'm working if the names are in alphabetical order and numbered. If I lose my place, I need to be able to pick back up quickly.

2. Submitting your changes. Although we ask that your lists be submitted complete and accurate, often times you will have adjustments or additions. It is much more efficient for us to be able to quickly located the name or number that needs to be changed. Flipping through pages of hundreds of names both difficult and time consuming.

3. Checking the order. After I complete any order, we always double check it for errors and omissions. Having a numbered, alphabetized list is vital to making this move more smoothly.

And, as always, your list should be in MS Word (and not just cut/paste directly from Excel into Word, this defeats the purpose of why I need it in Word in the first place.) If you or your fiance are not adept at performing a mail merge to get your spreadsheet into a word doc don't despair -- we are very efficient at it now! You just need to make sure your Excel list has these 3 columns : Name, Address, and City/State/Zip. If you have that, then you can send us the list and we'll happily convert your list to Word for you.

Thanks for taking the time to read my tips-- Keeping in mind not all calligraphers use the same guidelines, so if you don't plan to use us for your calligraphy please peruse the guidelines setup by your artist of choice. By following these simple rules you're sure to have a happy calligrapher!