Where can I get three columned index cards?
June 30, 2013 2:15 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for 3"x5" index cards with a three column layout and with the first horizontal line very thick and visible. I can only find blank, ruled, and grid layouts and I'm getting a little frustrated.
Below is the best approximation I can ASKII-art.
_____|__________|_____
===================
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
I have spent the last two hours browsing around with little success. I have learned I could print them, but I have a lousy printer and this is a long term project, needing > 100 in the short term. I would like to buy 500 and move on.
Something similar to this has got to be out there, but I can find nothing. Vistaprint makes it so easy for business cards, I would think there would be something just as easy for this.
Below are some exact specifications I'm hoping for, though I'm willing to compromise:
The first horizontal line would be 0.5in from the top, and the following lines are every 0.25in.
The first vertical line would be 0.75in from the left. The second vertical line would be 0.75in from the right. Run from top to the bottom of the card.
The first horizontal line and the two vertical lines would be rather thick, for a sharpy level visibility. The rest of the horizontal lines would be in the more typical index card faint thickness.
Background color matters less, I would prefer white.
The paper would be at least the normal index card thickness, a little thicker would be nice.
Below is the best approximation I can ASKII-art.
_____|__________|_____
===================
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
_____|__________|_____
I have spent the last two hours browsing around with little success. I have learned I could print them, but I have a lousy printer and this is a long term project, needing > 100 in the short term. I would like to buy 500 and move on.
Something similar to this has got to be out there, but I can find nothing. Vistaprint makes it so easy for business cards, I would think there would be something just as easy for this.
Below are some exact specifications I'm hoping for, though I'm willing to compromise:
The first horizontal line would be 0.5in from the top, and the following lines are every 0.25in.
The first vertical line would be 0.75in from the left. The second vertical line would be 0.75in from the right. Run from top to the bottom of the card.
The first horizontal line and the two vertical lines would be rather thick, for a sharpy level visibility. The rest of the horizontal lines would be in the more typical index card faint thickness.
Background color matters less, I would prefer white.
The paper would be at least the normal index card thickness, a little thicker would be nice.
If it were me, I'd consider creating the desired layout & lines in a word processor, creating a PDF, and sending it to Kinko's (or whatever they're called now) to have them print & cut them on cardstock. Make one version showing the cutting lines, and another with no cutting lines (the cuts might be slightly off).
I'd do a lot - the printing will be cheap; the cutting is per cut, so # of sheets won't affect this cost. If you do 200 sheets, then 200 will be precisely the same size; the next block of 200 might not be micrometer perfect. If you want them cut as precisely as possible, tell that to the guy who cuts them.
Definitely talk with them during a slow time, maybe late morning on a Tuesday or something.
posted by amtho at 2:28 PM on June 30, 2013 [5 favorites]
I'd do a lot - the printing will be cheap; the cutting is per cut, so # of sheets won't affect this cost. If you do 200 sheets, then 200 will be precisely the same size; the next block of 200 might not be micrometer perfect. If you want them cut as precisely as possible, tell that to the guy who cuts them.
Definitely talk with them during a slow time, maybe late morning on a Tuesday or something.
posted by amtho at 2:28 PM on June 30, 2013 [5 favorites]
Kinko's is now FedEx Office. You can order online. You want your graphics to be full bleed (up to the edge), so extend your images past the borders you want by a quarter of an inch, and tell them you want 3"x5" cards cut from that.
posted by hydrophonic at 2:31 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by hydrophonic at 2:31 PM on June 30, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Man, that is SO similar to library checkout cards from the olden days (and current in house libraries)
posted by janey47 at 3:30 PM on June 30, 2013
posted by janey47 at 3:30 PM on June 30, 2013
You could printout your own using common software such as, Word, Publisher or Pages. All you need is the perforated blanks like these. I am not sure how cost effective they would be in comparison to having FedEx/Kinko's doing it for you.
posted by jadepearl at 3:48 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jadepearl at 3:48 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
You can run index cards through a home inkjet printer (Google "Hipster PDA" [barf on my face, 2004] for all kinds of self-satisfied blog posts about people doing this). Make a Word/whatever file with the two vertical lines where you want them to be and print it out on however-many pre-ruled cards.
posted by wreckingball at 6:04 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by wreckingball at 6:04 PM on June 30, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I didn't think about having having a bulk printout made locally. Thanks for the thoughts!
@janey47: Those library checkout cards actually would work really well. It's not exactly what I was asking for, but I'm learning that one of the advantages of asking here is that I get answers outside my specs that I never considered. I'm ordering some now.
@jvilter: I managed to find that too. The only real result I could find. Their quotes were surprisingly high for me.
posted by Folk at 6:59 AM on July 12, 2013
@janey47: Those library checkout cards actually would work really well. It's not exactly what I was asking for, but I'm learning that one of the advantages of asking here is that I get answers outside my specs that I never considered. I'm ordering some now.
@jvilter: I managed to find that too. The only real result I could find. Their quotes were surprisingly high for me.
posted by Folk at 6:59 AM on July 12, 2013
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posted by ptm at 2:27 PM on June 30, 2013