Going to the Moo-vies
There are dozens of ways of presenting your photographs, but ultimately, we all want to distribute our photos in as classy a way as possible. Moo is an unusual printing company that might just be able to help.
It’s very easy to explain what Moo is - it’s web 2.0 meets photography meets printing. What isn’t as easy to explain, however, is why people go completely bonkers about Moo’s products. It helps that it’s great quality at bargain-basement prices, of course, but there’s also other things at play - a little something that the Big Brother generation would call the X Factor…
The simplest product Moo does is Moo minicards. It’s like business cards, but with a difference: Upload up to 100 pictures, or let Moo take the photos directly from your Flickr stream, and you get up to 100 different mini business cards.
Whatever you choose to have printed on the back stays the same across the range of cards, of course, but if you want, you can have 100 different fronts: Perfect for a photographer who wants to stand out from a crowd, or if you want to give cards to your friends. At only £10 for 100 cards, they’re so cheap that you can print them on a whim. Print your birthday invitations, your web site address, or anything you’d like to spread out there.
And that’s where the greatness of Moo cards come in. The first time someone gets a Moo minicard in their hands, the response is, invariably, Ooh, wow, that’s superb! Then, they usually run off to get their own Moo cards printed. Then, something fun happens: The second time someone gets a Moo card, they smile conspiratorially, and nod. And that’s where the fraternity of Moo begins.
In addition to the fabulous Moo cards, you can get Moo Notecards, which is like postcards, but cooler, and Moo Stickers, which gives you a sticker-book of 100 small square stickers - a perfect way to cheer up your envelopes with your own photographs. Or - seeing as you can, of course, add text in your images - have a guerilla art project. Tip: Print up 100 stickers with ‘have you smiled yet today’, and sticker them everywhere in your school or office building. Your janitor will hate you, but people will be smiling in a bemused kind of way for weeks, while the more obscurely hidden stickers are found, over time.
Still not convinced?
Step 1) Try searching for Moocards on Flickr
Step 2) Check out the Moo site!
And no, I know what you’re thinking - I’m not being paid to write this. Although hey, if they want to let me print up some sticker books so I can make the world around me smile, I wouldn’t turn them down!
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Insights, suggestions and comments
I’m a long-time user of Moo products and I’ve talked about them a lot on my own blog. I’ve nearly finished my third box of Minicards; I love the Notecards; and I went to the launch party for Stickers in London last Thursday, although mine haven’t arrived yet :-(
The products are high quality and good value. I don’t work for them, I don’t get commission, I just have to say that they are worth every penny! The website is so easy to use, too - it can use your Flickr photostream, photos you have stored on other sites, or you can upload your own images. Definitely check them out.
The link to the Moo Site, on step 2, is probably wrong - it points to flickr, just like the link on step 1.
Luis - do’h! Fixed - thanks for the heads-up
Thanks for the link and for posting about Moo. I had a look at their site after reading your blog and I already ordered my first set of 100 moo minicards
The initial promo they did on Flickr with the 10-packs for free sold me on them. i was really happy with the quality and people take note of them more than the standard business card because of the slim design.
I’m currently on my first box of minicards and I’ve also received a 10-pack free from Livejournal. I put pithy sayings on them and use them as personal business cards.
They are indeed handy little cards; I use them as business cards cos they’re a bit different and the card is pretty sturdy so they don’t look cheap. The Moo people were at the 24 Hours of Flickr book launch at the Tate Britain recently as well, a bunch of us met them.
I also use them when I go to Flickr meet ups (which happen regularly here in Oxford, UK if anyone feels like dropping by) as we’ve got into the habit of swapping them - it’s a bit like swapping stickers when you’re a kid. Only there is usually beer involved as well. Which is always good.
Wow, I haven’t seen these. Very cool. I’m definitely going to have to get a batch of those little mini cards for my photography business. Thanks for the heads up!
why don’t they make real prints? so all they make are gimmicky tiny “toy” prints? how lame is that?
it´s a few days later… i received my moo cards yesterday and ordered another set of them. :)
thanks again for the information.
Haje, have you taken a look at Imagekind? It’s a great site for photographers to sell their work on. It works very simply, upload a photo, and if someone buys a print Imagekind prints the photo and ships it.
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