Archive for September, 2006

Printing wording onto your cards

Many people choose to use peel-offs or text panels to add “Wedding Invitation” or similar wording to their cards, but you can also use a PC and printer to print these directly.

This is particulary useful if you have a specific font or colour your want to use.

Most cards will go through an inkjet or laserjet printer with no problems, but it is worth doing a test run just to make sure.

If you have Microsoft Publisher, there are a number of greetings card templates you can adapt.

If you are using Microsoft Word use the Page Set-up function. Here is how we set up a Wedding Invitation template for an A6 size invitation:

Go into File - Page Set-up

Select the Margin tab and set Orientation = Landscape and Pages: Multiple Pages = Bookfold

Select the Paper tab and choose Paper Size = A5

Click OK, then in the document insert a page break (as you need to set the text on the right hand page of your booklet). Press Enter several times to take the cursor to the foot of the page, then type in your text. Adjust the font, font colour and alignment as required.

Some ideas you might like to try:

• adjust the character spacing on the font so there is a bit more space between each letter (there is an option for this in Word under Format: Font).
• black print can look harsh - try a dark grey font colour to soften it a little
• if you want gold or silver text and have a steady hand you can print your wording in a pale colour and trace over it with a fine-point metallic gel pen

Inserts - an overview

For most special occasion stationery an insert is used - this is simply a piece of paper on which the details are printed and gives a more professional look than printing directly onto the card.

Apart from looking better, an insert has the advantage that it can be added at the last minute. So you can make up your invitation cards well in advance and just print and add the inserts before sending when the final details and guestlist are confirmed.

A plain white or cream paper is usually used for inserts, but vellum (translucent paper) is also popular as are coloured pearlescent papers. The paper should be good quality, but not too heavy as thick paper can make the card too bulky. 100gsm is an ideal weight for insert paper. If using a special paper, it’s a good idea to test it through your printer to make sure the ink doesn’t smudge - there are steps you can take to prevent this and we will cover these in a future article.