ARTIST TRADING CARDS (ATC'S):

These are 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 miniature works of art which people trade with one another.  This is comparable to trading sports cards.  This is a relatively new art form which was developed in 1996 by a Swiss Artist.  The purpose of this art form was to share pieces of artwork with others, while promoting the artist, kind of like a designer business card.  The initial intent was that these would never be sold or exchanged for money, and many ATC purists still agree with this philosophy.

ATC's are typically made from card stock, but can be made of any material, including fabric, metal, plastic, wood, canvas, watercolor paper, playing cards and other materials.  They can be painted, sewn, embellished with buttons, shells and other small items, collaged, drawn, rubberstamped, etc.  The possibilities for how to create these are endless!

The only 2 rules that generally apply to ATC's are:

1) They must measure 2 1/2" by 3 1/2"; and

2) They must NEVER be bought or sold.

Generally, ATC's are designed in a group of 3 to 8 cards with a similiar theme, for example, "Retro Housewife"; "Beagles"; or anything else which strikes the imagination of the designer.  They are typically signed by the artist on the back of the card; the card will also list the title of the edition or series, and the number of the card within the series.  For example, these could be listed as 1 of 6, or 1/6.  How you number the card is totally up to you.  The date the card was created may also be noted.

ART CARD, EDITIONS, AND ORIGINALS (ACEO'S):

This is a version of the ATC which was created by artists and others who wanted to sell their miniature pieces of artwork through Ebay or other entities.

Like their counterpart, the ATC, ACEO's can be made of any material and designed using any desirable artist format.  They are often individually designed and don't necessarily follow the "edition" or "series"  mentality.    In actuality, the "creator" of the ACEO movement took an existing idea and changed it's name for the sole purpose of being able to sell these little pieces of artwork.

PROTECTING YOUR DESIGNS:

Generally, ATC's or ACEO's should be sturdy enough to protect them from mailing and everyday handling.

If the card is designed with pencils or other media which can easily rub off, it is highly recommended that the card be sprayed with a fixative to protect the finish from smears, fingerprints, and the like.

Several magazines now offer ATC tins to store ATC's in.  ATC's may also be stored in plastic sleeves or baseball card-type albums.  Larger ACEO's may be stored in recipe boxes or tins reserved for this purpose.