subject: How to Make D-I-Y Greeting Cards [print this page] How to Make D-I-Y Greeting Cards How to Make D-I-Y Greeting Cards
Greeting cards can be made more special and meaningful if you do these printed materials yourself. Your recipient will surely appreciate the work you exerted in making greeting cards. By keeping in mind design principles as well as using publishing techniques, you can create greeting cards that are as beautiful as store-bought ones.
Do-it-yourself greeting cards can be easy. In 30 minutes or so, you can finish a greeting card. Here is a step-by-step guide on making greeting cards on your own.
1. Choose the design software that you are good at.
Use design software that you are familiar with. For example, you can use Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, or Corel Draw. For beginners, there is always Microsoft Publisher which allows users to choose from a selection of pre-design templates. One can simply alter the design elements in place. Aside from Microsoft Publisher, one can make greeting cards using Hallmark Card Studio. Check this software choice and be acquainted with the processes involved.
2. Decide on what format you are going to use.
The key in making greeting cards or any print material per se is to decide beforehand the format you want. You may want to make a greeting card that is folded on the top or on the side. Also, define what you want your card to convey. Do you want to convey humour or perhaps, be romantic? Have a definite idea on min before you even start working on your greeting cards, so that you can minimize delays or setbacks.
3. Create the greeting card document on your computer.
Once you have decided on how you want you greeting card to appear, set the measurements of your greeting card using your chosen design software. Make room for adjustments. You can always cut the excess parts once the greeting cards are printed. Consider what the additional parts you want to incorporate, too. For example, you may want to add embellishments, such as ribbons, so keep this item in mind when designing the cover.
4. Include design elements, such as images or patterns.
There are various ways on how you can make your greeting cards attention-grabbing. One is to put an image, a text, or a combination of these two design elements on the front. When using images though, make sure that the ones you have chosen are of high-resolution. Otherwise, your front cover may appear pixelated. You can also put illustrations or sketches and combine them with texts. Online, there are different design elements that you can download for free. Check for brushes or patterns that you can use on your greeting cards.
5. Never forget to print a sample of your greeting card.
Even if you are strapped for time, it pays to have print samples. Otherwise, you may have to deal with design errors which could be averted in the first place. Print a sample of your greeting card before producing it en masse. See if there are errors in the design as well as inconsistency when it comes to print quality.
When making your own greeting cards, it pays to have fun in the process. Nothing beats a set of greeting cards that were created from scratch. While on the design process, always maximize your creativity as well as imagination. In the end, you will be surprised at your creative outputs.
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