Making a Personalized Card
Disclaimer: Please remember these are general guides to get you
started, but I am not able to help with specific printer setups.
Refer to your user manual as it has a wealth of information to help you
achieve the best possible images.
Making a card for any occasion is not that
difficult using Paint Shop Pro, it just takes time.
The first thing to do is decide on the layout of
your card. You will be creating 4 images to be printed. The front of
the card is usually the most decorative and personalized. A popular theme
for Christmas is a family picture usually with a caption like: The
Browns at Home or From Our House to Yours...have fun with it. As you
open the card, the left page can be left blank but hey...this is PSP, we
can do anything we want. I found a recipe for homemade fudge that
was a particular family favorite. Everyone loved
it.
The right side of the card usually expresses your
greeting but it can be anything you want. Again, feel free to be as
creative as you would like. The back of the card is usually used to
give credit for the creator. "This card was made with love by Susie
Homemaker" but remember, it is your choice. Now we need to know how
to create the pictures and how to print them. Let's
begin!
In PSP, go to File/New... change the pixels
option on the right to inches.(don't worry, you can change it back) Width:
5.0" and Height: 8.0", 72 resolution, Color: white, Image type: 16.7
million colors. Before adding any images or text to the new screen,
click shift+D and make 3 copies of the blank images. Click on the area
that reads Image #1, #2 etc. (you should have 4 of them) and then
click on your Layer Palette. Right click on background and select promote
to layer. Right click on the layer you just created and click on
rename. Do this with each image renaming them: Front, Back, Left and
Right. The size of the images will fit the front and back of a regular 8
1/2 by 11 1/2 piece of paper. Diminish (that little minus sign in the
right hand corner) each image that you are not working on but keep them
open.
Okay, the creation is up to you. Import a family
picture, pick a favorite tutorial, add a recipe, tell a story, catch up on
old news, make an announcement, the possibilities are endless.
Always save often, and always save using the title of the page.
(Front, Back, Right, Left) in .jpg format.
Did you spend some time making it just right? The
PSPMadeEz site has some wonderful tutorials in making your card unique and
fun and then each card that is personalized becomes a treasured
memento.
Now it is time to put it all together. Yes, PSP
can do this. It is best to use a heavier weight of paper than the
standard #20 lb. bond. You can find card stock or heavier paper at just
about any store that sells computer supplies, stationery or paper
supplies. If your card has graphics and text, you can use #24 lb, but
if you are printing a photograph, you should probably get the photo
specialty paper or the card specialty paper. Photo paper should be 8.5 by
11" and card stock should be 5.5 by 8.5. (When in doubt, ask the clerk
:o)
Okay, here we go. Click on File/Print
Multiple Images. The pages that you created should be displayed on the
left. You will be printing the Front and the Back images for now. Go
to File/Page Set Up. Size: 8.5" x 11." Source: Auto Orientation:
Landscape Output: Color. Then click on ok. Next, go to
Preferences/ options and make sure the measurement is in inches and that
the show grid box is checked. Leave everything else as is. Place
your mouse on the image titled Front, left click it and drag it onto the
grid. You may need to go to Image/Rotate until your image is at the far
right and facing you. There will be an automatic quarter inch margin
around the card. You must have this or it is called a bleed. Now select
the image titled Back, only center it on the left side. This is the
way the images will print or how the front and back of your card will
look.
Now all you have to do is hit Print. If you are
satisfied with the placement, print as many as you need. (You may want to
print a few extra). Follow the same technique described above for
the inside pages. (left and right) When you go to print these
images, use the back of the card you just printed and follow the
directions on your printer for paper placement. And there you have it...a
specialty card. Yes, you will have to fold it by hand but since we
placed it evenly, it should only take one fold directly in half. If
you are having difficulty, please just click on the link below. It is a
tutorial for multiple image printing. Be creative, have fun and
don't hesitate to write if you run into problems. Happy
Creating.
http://www.jasc.com/tutorials/revised/multiprint.asp
Or You Can Do This...
My deepest thanks to Jollynote (Yvonne) for sending me this alternative
format for making cards.
I prefer the larger cards because I suppose I just think big, lol, but
there is another way. With Yvonne's permission, I am going to post it here.
I always appreciate the feedback from the members, so please don't hesitate
to drop me a note if you have something you would like to see here.
Okay now...here we go!
Instead of making your images 5.0 x 8.0 while creating your card, try
making them 3.5 wide x 5.0 in height. If you do this, when you go to print
multiples, you can place all four images on one page and make a smaller
card. Instead of setting your orientation to landscape, keep it at portrait.
You will then be able to take one sheet of paper, print out the entire card
and then fold it twice. This allows you to create a card that you only have
to print out once and it makes it easier to use greeting card envelopes that
you can buy in any office supply store.
There is a slight difference (well, isn't that always the case?) When
you place the graphics on the grid, you must place them this way for the
card to print correctly. (How embarrassing to send a card with your picture
upside down?) Take a look at the grid. Left click on the image entitled
Front and drag it to the bottom right side. Then you drag your Back
image to the bottom left side. That's not too difficult but here
comes the stickler.
When you place the right and left images, you have to make sure that you
go to images and hit +90 degree turn two (2) times to turn your images are
upside down. Now drag them so that they are directly on top with a quarter
inch margin in between the top and bottom images. Looking at the whole page
on the screen, you have two top graphics upside down and two bottom graphics
right side up. Just print it out and fold the card in half and then fold it
in half, again.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to
e-mail me :o)
Thanks so much!
Lady Cyr~ Moderator