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Comp Card
The Composite Photo Card (Comp Card or Zed Card) helps to
get you noticed and considered for projects. A comp card provides
a small collection of pictures and basic stats on card stock
or rigid paper. It is a standard marketing tool that has been
around for many years and is still very essential to have today.
A comp card is a relatively inexpensive and versatile sales tool. |
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Modeling agencies often put comp cards in their display racks.
This makes it easy for a client to go into a modeling agency
and quickly scan their talent pool. Modeling agencies and models
send comp cards to photographers,
art directors, and others to advertise new talent or to show
updated looks or expanded capabilities of an established model.
Speaking from my own experience, as a photographer I have found
comp cards very useful in hiring talent. Photographers often
maintain a talent file (comp cards) for future projects. In addition,
the comp cards make it possible for a photographer to show prospective
clients a selection of talent available for their project. Comp
cards can be used in other ways, but they remain a very essential
marketing tool for a model. |
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You Begin with Photos
The ultimate success of a comp card lies in the quality of
the photographs. This quality comes not only from the level of
professionalism and creativity of the photographer and his team,
but also from the level of the model's talent. An effective comp
card requires an excellent set of photographs. Most important
is an eye-catching, grab-
your-attention-from-across-the-office headshot for the front
of the card. You can have great photos with a poorly produced
comp card and still come out with something useful. But bad photos
plus bad production show that you are not a professional. High-quality
photos, innovative design, and the best comp card production
will announce you as a top-tier professional model. In addition
to a great headshot, a comp card will have other photos that
show your experience, versatility, range, and the type of work
you are seeking. For the best result, all of the photos should
be the highest quality you can obtain at your stage in your modeling
career. (For more information on getting photos see the Test
Shoots section.) |
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Standard
Comp Card
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The Old Standard
Two decades ago comp card production was expensive and printing
methods limited. Most models could not afford a comp card and
started out with just an 8x10 black-and-white glossy photograph
with a 1/4" white border. Stats were typed up and pasted
on the back. I remember many times having to print 50 to 100
copies at a time of a single 8x10 headshot (pure drudgery). The
8x10 was fairly expensive so it placed quite a limitation on
its distribution. They were generally sent only to those agencies
who seemed to be a promising source of work, or to an important
potential client. Many assignment opportunities were probably
missed because of this cost limitation on distribution.
As a model progressed and became more professional (with more
income) she/he would move to a one-color (black) offset-printed
comp card (full color was only for top NY city models). The initial
setup costs were high for these cards but when you printed 500,
1000, 2000 or more, the cost per card came down to only pennies
each. This made it possible to give comp cards to anyone remotely
interested in hiring a model. Plus, they were inexpensive enough
that they could be mailed to potential clients, both locally
and in other cities (regional coverage).
Earlier printing setup technicalities, and thus the cost,
dictated the format of comp cards: one big headshot on the front
with four smaller equal size prints on the back along with the
model's stats and contact information. The four photos on the
back could not overlapped (added work and expense), had to have
lots of white space around the borders for the grippers on the
press, and required white space between the photos to keep the
ink from building up. This became the standard comp card format
and it is still with us today, stuck like doggie doo doo on a
pair of tennis shoes. |
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Modern Comp Card Possibilities
Okay, now fast-forward 20 years. Digital imaging and Photoshop
have become the standard. Color printing is inexpensive and options
are numerous. Black-and-white photography is mostly used for
fine art photos, and color is often less expensive. Many new
and eye-catching looks are possible for a comp card, and can
now include all of the latest graphic design, advertising, and
printing techniques.
Comp cards remain a key selling tool for a model so make yours
as effective as possible and move beyond the standard format.
Use innovative and colorful comp card layouts. Big and small
companies are using creative, high visual impact layouts for
their advertising and promotional materials. They do this because
it cuts through the clutter and gets notice. It also effectively
shows the benefits of a product or service to the consumer or
client. Bottom line, it works. In selling your services as a
model in a highly competitive market shouldn't you be doing the
same? Many still use the standard comp card format but today
you can do better. |
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Comp Card Production
Computers, digital imaging, and digital printing are responsible
for today's lower production costs. You can produce an innovative
comp card today for what it used to cost to do a cheap black-and-
white quick-print card.
There are numerous production steps required to produce a
comp card. Some companies specialize in comp card production.
Most of them produce the same old style of comp card that was
popular 20 years ago. I have received emails from beginning models
(or their parents) who want to tackle the process of making a
comp card either to save money or to be more creative. The following
information is for those who want to try do-it-yourself production,
or for those who simply want to have a better understanding of
the services offered by a comp card company. |
Example of a 4 page comp card
8 1/2" X 11" printed on both side then folded in half
Outside |
Inside |
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Digitizing the Image
Okay, you have a great set of photos. Now you have to get
them into a digital format. If you have had your pictures taken
digitally you are already there. If not, you will need to get
your negatives, prints, slides, or transparencies scanned. The
technology for doing this is ever changing so you may have to
research what the capabilities of the latest technology. Generally,
the best quality comes from a color slide or transparency scanned
on a high-end oiled drum scanner. The lowest quality comes from
a color print scanned on a less expensive desktop flatbed scanner.
And there are a lot of in-betweens. There is also a big difference
in price between high quality (with a knowledgeable technician)
and low quality scans. Try to start with the best quality scans
that will fit both your budget and the final printing process
you will use. This is a GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) situation.
Just as the best quality photos produce the best quality comp
card, so do the best quality scans. |
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This is the comp card
I used to test the
quality of the different
printing options. |
Layout
Your digitized photo sizing, cropping, and retouching are
normally handled in a program such as Photoshop. The layout,
type, and graphics can be handled either in the same program
or in a page layout program. This is where your creativity can
come in, but because of color management issues and postscript
error problems, a lot of headaches can arise. If you want the
highest quality production (full color offset printing) for your
comp card, you may want to enlist the services of a professional.
If you want to try this on your home computer, and you are using
an inkjet printer, you should just start playing around and have
fun. Freelance models can produce and design a comp card in any
way that might bring in work, but if you are working through
a modeling agency, you should check to see what parameters the
agency might require.
For the layout of your comp card, you can do whatever you
want. Through experiment and experience you will find what works
best. Here are some general ideas that might help you get started.
One side of the card (the front) should have that all-important
headshot and it should fill most of the front of the card. This
large-size photo allows for your picture to be seen at a distance
when placed in racks at modeling agencies or when clients review
several models' comp cards on a wall for consideration on a project.
The back side (and inside of a fold-over or 4-page comp card)
should have supporting pictures large enough to see details.
Please remember, photographers and art directors should not have
to use a magnifying glass to look at your photos. How many and
what type of supporting pictures should you have? This will vary
and depends on what type of work you are trying to attract. On
the card you will need to include your name, personal stats,
how you want to be contacted, and who is representing you (if
anyone). The graphics on the card should be eye catching but
should not detract from the photographs. |
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Color printing options
This is where producing a comp card has changed a lot. The
final printing method needs to be considered when doing the card
layout and scans. After you have your comp card prepared here
are the printing options as of this writing:
color inkjet, xerographic (color laser), digital offset printing
(indigo), gang offset printing, and custom offset printing. |
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What is the criteria
There are now several ways to print a full color comp card.
What we are looking for is a printing process that is close to
photographic print quality for the least amount of dollars up
front.
What does a photograph give you? A photograph produces very
smooth, gradual, and realistic color. It transitions from the
highlights to the shadows very evenly (no sudden jumps) and carries
recognizable detail in both the highlights and the shadows. This
is what we want to achieve in a printed comp card. We want to
get it as close to a high quality photographic print as possible
without breaking the bank doing it.
When the printing process starts to lose the photo quality,
we see loss of detail in the highlights and shadows and it starts
to posterize. Posterization happens when instead of a smooth
transition of gradient and color we get sudden, sharp, unnatural
transition and strong unnatural colors. Rather than a picture
of a person looking natural and alive it ends up looking stark
and unreal. So normally we play the trade-off game in printing,
quality verses cost. |
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Color Ink jet
Printing a comp card using a color inkjet process is something
some have tried on their home computers. It can work if you are
just doing a few cards. It is true today that some of the better
inkjet printers can produce quality as good as a photograph but
because you can only print on one side of high quality gloss
inkjet paper, you have to do some jury-rigging to get it to work
Lay out your comp card so the finished size will end up being
half of a full-size 8½x11" sheet of paper (that is,
5½" wide by 8½" tall). On a full-size
sheet, lay out two 5½" by 8½" front comp
cards; on another sheet lay out two backs of the comp card. Now
glue together the sheet with fronts to the sheet with backs using
rubber cement or spray adhesive. It helps to work up some kind
of jig to align the sheets. Rubber cement and spray adhesive
will not shrink, warp, or wrinkle (spray adhesive works best
but requires a little practice). Now cut the sheet in half to
make two complete comp cards (use a straightedge and razor knife
for a clean, straight cut). The cost per card for ink and paper
can be high and it takes some time to do all of this. So this
method is only useful when you want just a few cards. But when
you are starting out and have the time it may help hold down
cost. |
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Color laser
Color laser (xerography) printing has come a long way. Early
color laser printing was economical but the print quality was
posterized. Today some of the new high-end color laser printer/copiers
can produce acceptable results. Still, it is not photographic
quality but may be close enough for certain uses. High-end color
lasers lose detail in the highlights and shadows, their overall
saturation of color (color gamma) is weak, they have a grainy
appearance, there is a loss of overall sharpness, and you are
limited to non-glossy paper stock. Color laser printing is very
affordable for small quantities (50 to 100) of comp cards. Some
internet companies offer this type of comp card printing, or
you can take your prepared file to a local copy center or printer
to be copied. |
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Digital Offset Color Printing
This printing process almost matches that of a photograph
and is very close to full offset printing quality. For small
quantities digital offset is more affordable then traditional
offset printing process. This printing process produces very
good detail in highlights, shadows, and mid tones. It has almost
no posterization, very smooth tone changes, rich color, and you
can print on a variety of paper stocks including high gloss.
The cost runs from three to four times higher then laser printing
but is still affordable in the 100 quantities when you want a
top quality product. |
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Gang Offset (lithography) Printing
This is the type of printing you see in magazines, brochures,
and catalogs. A reasonably good printer can produce results close
to photograph quality. What comes into play with this type of
printing is cost. This printing takes place on large million-dollar
presses and is not something you can do yourself. Often the shortest
print run you can get is for 500 cards. One way to make this
type of printing more affordable is to gang several printing
jobs together at one time. This way several jobs share the cost
of getting one of these big presses ready to run. This type of
printing becomes attractive when you are distributing large numbers
of cards to clients and agencies. The cost per card can come
down to just pennies. There are many restrictions with gang printing
as far as size, paper stock, and finish. Also, there is some
compromise in quality compared to a custom job, because all of
the projects in the gang have to run under one set up. There
are shops that will offer color one side and black-and-white
on the back for 500 cards for under $200.
But for full color on two sides the lowest
price I have found for the printing only is $495 for 5000 cards.
Allowing a reasonable amount for scans and graphics, these cards
would come out to be 15 cents each.
It costs more up front but the cost per card is a lot cheaper
then any other process. |
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Custom Offset (lithography) Printing
This is the most expensive printing method and usually only
the top models in major markets can afford it. The quality is
better than a photograph and certain techniques can be added
to make the comp card stand out from the pack. If printed in
high enough volume, the price per card can cost only pennies.
At this level a model works with a graphic designer to produce
an effective eye-catching advertising piece. This kind of comp
card screams top tier professional. |
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Sources for Composite Card Printing
Here are some web sources for printing comp cards.
I have no personal experience with any of these printers so I
do not know what quality they offer. You should research them
to see if what they offer fits your needs and if they deliver
what they promise.
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