How to create the perfect personalised print

So, we said we made it easy to personalise our charts.  But... when it comes to thinking up the perfect personalised captions, it might start to seem a bit less easy.  

Don't worry - just follow this guide and we'll have you feeling inspired in moments. 

The secret to creating a brilliantly personal print is to link to the things that mean the most to your recipient.  Think about great memories, big moments, and the things they identify with most.  There doesn't have to be a literal colour link - but obviously if there is, then so much the better.  For example: 

Shared memories - what are your favourite shared moments?  What might symbolise them best, and what colour would that be?

Favourite items - think about their favourite teams, cars, clothes, food - even their favourite chair!  Match up the colours and you're well underway. 

Life events - is there a colour that symbolises where they got married, or where they met their partner?  What about their workplace (assuming they like their job...!), school or university?

Favourite places - do they have a best-ever holiday, a venue they love going to, or a regular haunt?  Where does their team play?  Is there somewhere you both like to meet up?

Music and culture - what are their favourite TV shows, films or bands?  Is there an album they love - and if so, what's the main colour of the album cover?  Similarly, favourite books, or social media platforms might have a particular colour.  And if they're into festivals, a muddy brown might well bring back memories!

People - you could match up with eye or hair colour of the people closest to them, or perhaps a favourite item of clothing with special significance. 

Getting abstract - don't be afraid to go for topics that aren't directly linked to a colour.  If there's a catchphrase, quote or in-joke that will mean a lot to them, just go ahead and match it up with a colour that fits in well with the rest of the chart.  It will work just fine.  Of course, a long sentence won't fit well on a colour chart, but often a few words are enough to capture the idea. 

Finally, a few words about dark colours.  Sometimes it can seem hard to include dark colours when you want to focus on happy memories; but often you need some dark colours to balance out a colour chart.  Obviously, if you want to mention some adversity they've overcome, or a shared annoyance, this might be perfect, but you can also link dark colours to happy memories.  For example, how about:

• night-times at their favourite holiday destination
• cosy winter evenings or starlit nights
• somewhere they often go where it just seems to rain a lot...
• a dark music venue or cinema
• the road to an important location?
  

Hopefully this brief guide has you already coming up with a great list of captions that'll leave your lucky recipient touched at how well you know them.  But if you'd like some more specific ideas, take a look at our blog.  We'll be adding a collection of helpful guides on how to personalise our charts for specific people and events over the coming months.