How to get started making digital ATCs today!

First off you’re probably wondering what I’m talking about right? What are Digital ATCs? Well, ATC stands for Artist Trading Cards and they are mini works of art. There are a couple of rules you need to know before you start making them. The first rule is the size – they must measure 2.5×3.5 inches as this is the same size as any other trading cards out there. The second rule is that they are supposed to be traded, not sold. So if there’s enough interest here, I’d be more than happy to set up a monthly ATC swap for us to make and trade ATCs. *Please let me know in the comments if you’d be interested participating in a Digital ATC swap, I’ll need at least 5 people to show interest before I’ll go about setting something like that up.*

ATCs – or Artist Trading Cards, can be made using any medium you can think of but since we’re mostly digital artists here on my blog, that’s what I’ll be focusing on. You can include photos, or not… it’s up to you. I find that ATCs are a great way to try out different settings in your program, test out the actions, layer settings, effects etc to get an interesting look you’re happy with. You can definitely use your scrapbooking supplies in making an ATC, it gives you one more reason to purchase that OMGosh gorgeous kit… lol. You can use stock photos and brushes, and I’ll link you up to my favourite places to find some free ones below. There are also some great brushes, doodles and stamps by some scrapbooking designers that work wonderfully for ATC making. And I’ve even found a few ATC specific products that you can purchase to help get you started.

Wondering how to print them? Well you can get a template for printing on 8.5×11 at ATCards.com’s template gallery along with envelopes and tracking forms. Or I’m pretty sure you can fit 4 cards on a 5×7, that’s my plan for printing mine.

So here are some links, products and inspiration to get you started on making your first digital ATC.

Links to help you get started:

ATC as explained by Wikipedia

For free stock photos check out stock.xchng 

For great and free PSP and PS brushes check out Celestial Star

A related book I’m wishing for *wink, wink*: Artist Trading Cards Workshop: Create. Collect. Swap.

ATCards, an ATC forum

Brushes, Doodles and Stamps to purchase:

Scrapbook Graphics

Oscraps

ScrapArtist

Designer Digitals

CatScrap

Cool digital ATC specific products:   

Some of my favourite ATCs that I found while browsing the galleries:

Please feel free to click on any of the images to see them in the galleries I found them in, there you can see what products they used, and leave them some love!

By Sweet Genevieve:

By arti:

By Dagmar:

By Mozer:

By tracey:

By ikscrap:

By Karen Aiken:

By Meterr:

Thank you for stopping by today! If you have a suggestion for a project review, or hybrid hookup, then feel free to let me know either in the comments or by dropping me a line using the Contact Me link at the top of my blog banner. And if you’ve made your own ATCs already, or if you go home today and make one please leave me a link to it in any gallery, I’d love to see what you’ve made! And remember, I’d love to organize a digital ATC create and swap group… just let me know if you would be interested! Have a happy scrappy day everyone!

Oh hey, did you want to see some of my own ATCs? Here are a couple I’ve made, they are for my 2 sisters, I’ve been working on a set for each of them… just haven’t gotten very far yet though… lol. Here they are:

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