I’ve worked out a process for creating greeting cards on full 8½ by 11 paper using Microsoft Publisher. It is an easier and more flexible process than using the available templates. It is great for sending personal cards to friends and family. For clients, I still prefer the ease and professional look of www.SendOutCards.com .
Before we get started, here is a sample card: Yes, it’s SUPPOSED to be upside down!
Picture folding the above “card” in half top to bottom and then folding it again side to side.
So how was this card created?
Creating Cards from Blank Paper Using Microsoft Publisher
Open Publisher and click on Blank Publication
Click View Menu and click Master Page, hold down Shift Key and move mouse pointer over top edge of Layout Guide. Drag Layout Guide down to new position (5½” on the vertical ruler on an 8½ by 11 sheet of paper) to divide paper in half visually. Click Master Page again on View Menu to return to the working page; otherwise, every page will repeat what is on the master page.
Divide guide into equal parts by inserting a text box over the guide to the size you want. Make sure it is aligned evenly on the horizontal ruler. Click on the Text Box (if it isn’t already clicked on), click on format, click on Text Box, click again on Text Box in the dialogue box, click on columns and indicate 2. Click OK, OK. (Later, this step will be repeated to divide the top half, unless you intend to have an inside picture cover both top quarters of the sheet.)
Insert text and pictures as desired. Important: Front cover to the right quadrant, back cover to left.
For inside of card, insert text box, pictures, or whatever as above; size and place as desired.
Click on inside text box, pictures, etc. and use green dot at top to flip everything upside down. Reposition as necessary.
Grouping objects beforehand will make the flip easier. To group, click on objects to be grouped while holding down control key. Click on grouping icon that appears. Now flip or reposition the whole group as one.
Check to make sure all is as you want and then print. Fold in half from top to bottom, then again from left to right.
Remember in Publisher you can use the Arrange Menu to bring objects to the foreground or to the background, overlaying additional textboxes over a picture, or over lapping picture over picture etc. The Arrange Menu can also be used to minutely nudge an object (text box or picture) or a grouped object to the left or right or up or down. Clicking “Nudge”, use the keyboard arrows to repeatedly move the object in the desired direction. This gives you more control than trying to minutely moving an object with the mouse.
You can also create a rather large card by having a single fold, top to bottom as is done here:
Above is the front and back of the cover. The back cover text and image has been flipped only 180 degrees, but it could also be flipped 360 degrees, but it must be flipped.
A fold down the center of the sheet, top to bottom, gives us a good looking large card.
Here is the inside of the card:
This requires printing on both sides of the sheet and will require you to figure out how your printer feeds. The card that is folded in quadrants is printed on just one side and so is easier on the brain, but maybe not as impressive.
In either case, I recommend printing on high quality presentation paper. The paper should be printable on both sides for the half fold card.
Could you use photo paper? Sure for the card that prints on just one side. I don’t know of any photo paper printable on both sides.
Could you use somewhat heavier stock paper? Yes, but I don’t know how the print quality would compare.
So that’s that. Using this method allows you to make cards out of a single sheet of paper. No measuring, cutting, or gluing.
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