If you ever:
(1) create a COLLAGE photo print to include with holiday cards, AND
(2) you generally label the backs with who’s who,
then I wish to ask: HOW DO YOU DO IT? I wish to ask that of you even if the question is hypothetical because you do not do that and you do not do that either. (I’m going to attempt to keep my terms tidy, so that “print” or “collage” refers to the entire printed collage, and “photo” refers to one of the photos in that collage.)
Like, imagine it: it is a 4×6 print, let’s say it is horizontal, and it includes let’s say six photos of various family members. And you would like to label the back of the print, so that future generations (and also the not-very-in-touch people on your card list) know which people are in which photo.
My first inclination was to label BEHIND EACH PHOTO. That is: if Elizabeth and Edward are in a photo together at the top right of the print, then I would be writing “Elizabeth and Edward” on the top LEFT of the back. Like, if you were to cut the photo collage into separate little photos, each individual photo would still be labeled correctly.
But when I imagine taking someone else’s collage print and flipping it over, the behind-each-photo idea seems confusing: my brain wants to project my memory of the images onto the back of the card, and have the names written correspondingly. If I look at a photo at the upper right, and then I flip it over, my brain expects to see those names at the upper right, just like on the print.
I suppose I could do a sort of “L to R, top row:” situation, but that feels…exhausting.
WHAT SAY YOU. (If your very valid opinion is “Just don’t label the back, this solves everything,” I do hear you, I do, but I am going to label the backs, so “don’t” isn’t one of the options remaining to us at THIS stage of the decision tree.)
Is there a photo that could very clearly be only one person (or group of people)? If so, I’d partly trust people to use that as a starting point.
Also, my starting assumption would be your second theory — that people will be labeled/mapped to correspond with the photo that’s still in my mind, not in a cut-them-out and have the correct label on the back
I cannot wait to hear that my brain’s operations are not typical. Lay it on me!
I would write it based on how the photos appear left to right on the other side. As if the caption were underneath, not on the other side. And you could add “(L to R)” to be even clearer, if necessary.
This is tricky! I think I’d label it in the way the photos appear when you’re looking at it from the front (so like, the top right photo would also be labeled in the top right on the back). I’d also probably make a little note to indicate the location of at least one photo—maybe write “(top right photo)” or “(bottom left photo)” below the names in the corresponding spots—and then let the recipient figure it out from there.
I’d do this too. If possible label with a little location clue, like “Elizabeth & Edward at the orchard” or “Henry at City Park” so it would be possible to figure out one photo for sure and go off that one.
I would do the thing you said you would not do (top row – Elizabeth and Edward. Middle row – Swistle and Paul. Bottom row -Henry, William and Rob) It makes the most sense to me because I for sure can figure out who is who. (sorry).
I *think* I’d put the label on the same place as the photo. I think I can picture myself holding my thumb on the picture in question and then putting my index finger on the same spot on the back to look for who it is. Or maybe I’d add some words to help identify the picture too, Elizabeth in hat, Edward in his college sweatshirt, Paul standing on rock, Swistle in rocking chair. Or whatever.
I would most likely interpret the labels as corresponding to the same front placement – not mapping to the actual location when flipped over. Basically what Slim said – I’d imagine the same collage layout in my mind when I flipped it over.
I also think there’s an acceptable level of “if these people [inclusive of my future self/future generations] can’t figure out or remember which family member is which, even with labels that get them 80% of the way there, that’s kind of on them” attitude one can comfortably take.
You read my mind! If the people can’t identify your family….cut em off the list :-)
Or do something funny like:
Paul – the one with gray hair (50)
Swistle – the one wearing the funky scarf (40)
Rob – has the fluffy hair (22)
Edward – has even fluffier hair (16)
etc…
I love this. I might steal this for our holiday card.
Can you put the names on the photo, instead of on the back? Like in a nice font, at the bottom of each photo?
This is exactly my solution, in a small font at the bottom of each photo (Dropping James off at college!, Sarah in the school play) it adds a little extra letter stuff too, because now you know that James is at college, Sarah was in the play…
I like Joanne’s siggestion to add words–
In front of Big Ben: Swistle, Paul, and Edward
Off the wall idea: do you ever include a printed newsletter-style note? If so, you could add a grid that mimicked the layout of the photos but with the names written in. Bonus: you wouldn’t have to hand-write the names on every card, leaving more space/energy for writing other notes if you are so inclined.
I think I’d be tempted to add the names to the actual photos in a cute text? So much simpler! And aesthetically pleasing if you do it right.
Another vote to add the names (and I like including ages, too, if you are into that) onto the front of the collage, with the photos. Alternatively, you could write “Happy Holidays from Rob, Elizabeth, William, Swistle, etc.” (writing the names in the order that the faces appear on the card).
If you are going for the back, I like EITHER “Top Row/Bottom Row” (and assume that the person would read Left-to-Right, OR “L-R” (and assume that the person would read Top to Bottom).
And also: in the wake of Big Problems sometimes I kind of like solving Little Problems. :)
I think your method of putting the name on the back where the photo lies in the print is a good one. Some of them will be obvious, so it will give the reader context clues for how to read it so I don’t think it will necessarily be confusing, especially if it’s written small enough that there is space between them.
Alternatively, maybe like they do in group photos in the newspaper or yearbook? “Clockwise from top left: Edward, Elizabeth, Rob…”?
I don’t know if it’s correct, and this seems to be the minority opinion, but I would definitely do it with the “cut it up” method.
I would type up the info in the “L to R, top row:” way and then print that out onto labels, then affix the labels to the back of the 4×6 photo.
I am also someone who prints out mailing labels because addressing holiday cards does not bring me holiday joy, so that’s my default.
This is what I would have done, too, even though addressing cards DOES bring me joy.
I’d veer towards “upper right on the front is upper right on the back” unless it’s really *made* for cutting apart; I would further go for having different rows and spacing things to make the layout-matching a bit clearer, if feasible. (some collages are too complex for that, but others can result in text columns and rows with, maybe, one long row or one tall column of Group Photo or whatever)
If most of the photos have different settings, you can use that (i.e. “Paul and Swistle at the beach”, “Edward at a football game”) – this works *best* if the only remaining “I have *absolutely* nothing to say about this” photos have a unique number of people in them, but also establishes an order-of-the-photo-labels, i.e clockwise or counter-clockwise or in rows or whatever. (but it can include things like “Edward, who is wearing his favorite red sweater, and Paul” – but only if either he is wearing his favorite red sweater or if it is an acceptable joke that this red sweater is his favorite, i.e. because it is literally his only sweater, or because he only has red sweaters so you joke that each of the 5 is his favorite, or whatever; not if he would go “oh. but I actually like [other red sweater] better, that one is kinda dorky” or similar)
I have appreciate numbered photos otherwise; sometimes people have shiny festive fun with the numbering, sometimes it is just Serviceable. I’ve also seen layouts for captions mimicking layouts on the front of the card [when asymmetrical] which works really well as a key, but mostly in newsletters, presumably because printing on the back of photo cards is likely… not very friendly to templates like that?
(as with previous commenter, yes, it is *lovely* to think about solving tiny problems at this time.)
My friend who sends a photo collage every year numbers the photos, then either on front or back, has a list with the numbers and names.
This seems much easier than trying to correspond photo placement with name placement on the back.
this seems like a very reasonable solution…!!
As someone with a large box of inherited, unlabeled photos in their basement, I commend you!
Write the names on the back, directly behind each picture. BUT make the writing mirror-image. Then you can hold the photo up to a mirror so you can see the front and the reflected back at the same time, and read all the names right-way-round!
I know, too silly and too much work….
The one from my distant cousin has something like: “clockwise, from top left,” then lists names and ages. I have to keep flipping back and forth, but that’s on me. She has, like, a ton of children.
I didn’t read all the comments yet so apologies if someone already suggested this – but I would lean toward typing it up on a label template in word, like the 30 per sheet labels, print out and stick on back instead of writing. Then it won’t be so exhausting if you do the l to r or top to bottom directions.
I’m thinking, is it possible to include the names of the people on the actual photo? Like if there was a photo of you and Paul, could you add your names to the actual photo? It seems like that would solve the problem.
When I was a kid my dad used to have me recite my classmates’ names and he would dutifully record them on the back of the class photo. He did it left to right, top to bottom, same order as in the photo. Top row left student went at top row left of the writing. Etc. That always made sense to me.
I’d do something like
Top right – Swistle and Paul at X
Top centre- Henry visiting Y
Top left – William and Rob enjoying Z
Etc
It should be very clear and if there’s confusion there’s something else as a touch point. As in “ oh that’s a famous nyc landmark and gosh I guess that must be Henry even though he’s looking so grown I thought it was Rob” plus I personally love getting a bit of extra context to pictures.
Can you put photos on the back?
That’s what I do – family photo on the front. Small individual photo on the back with names and sometimes a blurb (“kid #2 played soccer and enjoyed science bowl this year”)
I would not try to place them behind or mirror image. Instead, I would write:
Top right: Swistle and Elizabeth, drinking tea
Top left:
Middle right:
And so on.
I don’t do that but I only have two kids. I’d do a L-R thing, and I disagree with the commenter who said if they don’t know who’s who, they don’t get a card. I get a lot of cards (OR DID BEFORE THE POSTAL STRIKE) from friends who are far and wide, and I DON’T always remember all their kids’ names or birth orders, so I love getting that kind of specific information.
I’m looking forward to a flood of cards in January! Right?? Sigh. And I have mine printed and all ready to be addressed, too. I even bought your dumb Christmas stamps, CANADA POST. Let me use them!
I’d just do a list. 1-6. I would assume that the pictures have an imaginary number on them that goes L to R, and then down to the next row.
1. Phineas (16) and Ferb (15) Harvest Faire
2. Lizzie (22) First day of work
3. Waters Family at Easter
4. Phineas, Lizzie and Pearl (7)
etc.
I like to put the names under or at the bottom the actual photos on the front of the card. I think next best would be writing on the back, something like, “Clockwise from top left: Person A, Person B, Persons B & C…” etc.
I do not send Christmas cards if any sort, so I have no right to complain. But, I would find it helpful if people labeled them. I closed my eyes to picture the back, and I saw just a list of names. I then realized I was assuming they would correspond to the photos as if you were reading. So yes, left to right top row, etc. but I don’t think you need to say that. I think that may be the default in today’s world.
I mostly do the labels right behind the picture, so if you cut them out the label would go with the picture.
I’m not sure how many you do, but I recommend printing the descriptions on clear address labels and then sticking them on the back, rather than writing on every one if it’s a lot. I’ve also cut the address labels in half if size is an issue.
This would break my brain so I would probably make short descriptions like Elizabeth age 16 (red hat) but this may get too confusing if more than one pic of each person.
I would do a photo collage and I would put the names on the front, under each photo. No flipping required and also you don’t have to hand write them.
Hm, I haven’t done my Christmas cards yet, but this is the first year we don’t all live in the same place so I won’t have the chance to do a group photo and will have to do a collage or pick a photo from our family vacation last March, which isn’t that up-to-date. While I only have one son and one daughter so it’s obvious who’s who in my family, if I were to receive a labeled collage I think I’d expect either a list (L-R top / L-R bottom), or the names to be on the backs if I were to scissor apart the photo into individual pieces.
You’ve probably already ordered your cards so this comment may not be helpful. If one of your collage photos has everyone in it, I’d write “Merry Christmas! Swistle, Rob, Paul…” in the order people appear. It’s my pet peeve when people get random with their sign off order if it does not match the photo or the ages of the children.