[Icehouse] Re: Idea for Looney Labs: Martian Coasters II?

[David Artman]

(Sorry I can't stay threaded--I read the Archives.)

Carol, we know you love us, and we know you know we love you, and 
"all you need is love." I ain't trying to hammer you or demand response; 
rather, I am a smitten man, and you know how they can behave....

As for piecniking Xeno MC: I would do it in PhotoShop (or another) and 
then print them out at Kinkos, use their roller cutter (they all have them), 
and laminate them. Probably only four or five bucks, as they'd all fit in 
a single lamination sheet (9" x 12"). I think. Might run a bit more, if 
you have to use the roll laminator--bastidges want $3 a square foot, and 
it's 3 feet wide, so you're looking at at LEAST $9. Unless you get a kind 
employee, who will do a six-inch strip or will be reasonable about how 
much space you use versus how they have to "use up" a lot of space when 
they are feeding several objects into it.

Frankly, given that coasters are good at--well, designed, actually--to 
absorb liquids, I have been tempted to laminate my own, anyway (recall 
that I play and demo in bars, mostly). The slickness of lamination is 
a down-side, but at least they'd last a LONG time. I am also considering 
using clear acrylic or laquer, to spray them with a protective coating. 
That would work better for their thickness than lamination (which will 
bubble a bit at the edges, as it tries to stretch around the thickness 
of the coasters). I just worry about colorfastness, spray absorption, and 
whether a matte finish will come out that way in the end. I don't want to 
destroy my only set (not to mention my ONE gift card!).

While we're on the subject... any reason why MC wasn't made using (one of) 
your card printing providers, Carol? If you chose coasters for the gimmick 
value, fine; but I think most card printers can make arbitrarily sized cards 
and, thus, could have made MC for you with a light or heavy lamination from 
the factory.

Just curious. Again, it's all for love....
David