How-to's

 

LINK BACK TO THE FORUM

 

http://loscompanion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2463.0

 

 

There is in Klikit Synaptic, or any other Synaptic, a program called KreetingKard, but I neve found it really intuitive.

 

This method uses Scribus, a page layout program.

 

For "new folks" Scribus is more like a "Mac" page layout program, you are presented with a blank screen, for which there are a few templates, but you can  put what you like on it.  You can make a 16 page newspaper on it, but the pages are "all on screen" as they would be in laying out a newpaper.

 

Scribus is not like Microsoft Publisher, which presents you with a "page" and when you add a "page" the assumption is that they are to be like pages in a book.

 

For more experienced folks, if you have tried to use Scribus before and didn't like it, don't worry because I've provided two "templates" for use in it, and the method of entering text is now such that you can do it in a "text box" as opposed to having to "import" as with earlier versions.

 

THE TWO PARTS OF THIS "HOW TO":

 

A) How to "design, and print" the card.

B) How to make it "unique".

 

A) How to design and print" the card.

 

CARD DESIGN:

 

This design is for the card that is called a "four fold" card. 

 

SIZE:

 

The SIZE of the card assumes use of either "8.5 inches x 11 inches"(letter size) or the A4 size.

 

Here is a link discussing how they are close but not exactly the same.

 

http://www.graytex.com/a4-paper-sizes.htm

 

METHOD:

 

The "four fold card"  is made by folding, usually, from the top down to the bottom so that you then have then folded it "in half" ( with the "fold" going horizontal) and then folding again, left right, or right left, to make another fold "in half" so that the second "fold" is vertical.  Of course one can reverse the sequence of folding it is of no consequence to the design of the card.

 

When you "open it" you see a "cross" of the folds in the paper.

 

The "problem" with this kind of card is that if one uses say, a word processor to make text in say, the upper right quarter, and then text in the lower right quarter, when you have folded it, either the outside or inside text is "upside down" compared to the other text.

 

The solution then, is to "rotate" the text on one of the two(halves) pages AFTER you have entered it and formatted it to your liking.

 

Thus, you are "working" right side up, but then rotate it to "upside down".

 

This example shows making the text on the upper left first as "right side up" and then rotating it to "upside down" and then to leave the text in the bottom right quarter to be "right side up".

 

Some folks like to put a "made by me" on the back and there is one of those also.

 

I have included four files.  The first two are "videos" of how to "add text" and the second is how to "rotate the text".

 

The second two files are

 

First a "blank" template with four empty "frames" on it, to which you can add what you like.

 

Second a "template" with text and images already in the frames so that you can then change the text to suit your purposes and change or remove the images.

 

 

 

 

First the videos:

 

A NOTE:  I am still experimenting here:  The "How to rotate text" video is FULL SCREEN, and thus a "relatively" large file.  The "enter text" is a "grabbed" (area) recording which is smaller, I would appreciate feedback at the forum as to what the load times were so that other folks, and myself, can use that information in terms of possibly making other recordings as "how tos".

 

How to enter the text:

 

howaddtext.ogg

 

How to rotate the text.

 

howrotatetext.ogg

 

 

The "templates" are not really templates, they are just Scribus "files" that you can save where you wish. 

 

The "four fold blank" template. It has four "frames" on it.

 

Christmas card four fold template.sla

 

 

A four fold "template" that has the "frames" with pictures and text.  All you need to do is change it in any manner which you like.

 

Christmas card four fold first sample.sla

 

When you have the card looking the way you wish; just print it on any printer, HOWEVER....

 

PRINT TWO COPIES!!!

 

B) How to make the card "unique"

 

This particular method is to make either the "outside" image or "text" ......"raised" above the paper.

 

i) The method for using an "image".... you will see in the provided sample template that there is a "star"... take the second printed sheet, cout out the star, leaving some paper around it, it doesn't really matter how much, and glue that onto a piece of cardboard or thick paper.  When it is sufficiently dry that you can work with it, cut out the image and, after folding the sheet that will actually be the card, glue the star that has been glued to a piece of cardboard, and cut out, to the original, printed, star.

 

You can ALSO do the above and then cut out ANOTHER....SMALLER piece of cardboard, clue it in the center of the star on the sheet, and then glue the "raised" star so that there is "empty" space behind the raised image.

 

OR...maybe print one sheet with the star "larger" and possibly colored gold, and then print the second "smaller" so that the gold star that is on the sheet is a "shadow" behind the one that is on the cardboard.

 

ii) the method for using "text".....if you go back to the template sample, and select the "text box" you will see that you can "format" the text box.  You can "fill" it and you can "put a border on it"...

 

Instead of using the above method for the "image" and trying to cut out the text, merely cut out the "box" that has the text in it, again it is glued to cardboard, and glue it on.  And again, you can get really creative here, make the "text box" that is "on the paper" larger, with a different fill color then past on the smaller one.  Or, again, have a much smaller piece of cardboard behind it so that there is "empty space" between the two text boxes.

 

OR for BOTH IMAGE OR TEXT OR BOTH

 

....print the second page FOR EITHER THE IMAGE OR TEXT....on "transluscent" type paper, like "onion skin" you can "kind of see through it"...and then glue that on as a "openable page....do the WHOLE frame.... or just do the image or the text box.  YOu see a lot of this kind of thing on stuff like "wedding announcements".

 

OOPS....what about an envelope?

 

If folks want, I'll make a template for an envelope and post it and you can print, cut, paste and fold....Just let me know at the forum thread on this.

 

Or..... next time you drive by a place that sells cards.....get a "cheapie" that is the correct size...

 

OR ..... many of the places now have a "holder" of....envelopes ONLY, that they sell for a small amount, merely because people have lost envelopes, or want a different color or whatever... just plan ahead, drop in and get a couple that fit.

 

You can buy as many as you want, one or a dozen.

 

So...as of now...we are "done"

 

 

If you have any comments or suggestions, please visit the thread in the forum.

 

woodsmoke