Nothing makes me happier than surrounding myself with bright and happy images! A great way to do so is to create your own printable cards. Not only is it inexpensive, but a whole lot of fun! And with all the great products available in the Scrap Girls shop it couldn’t be easier.
In this tutorial, we’re going to create a whimsical Spring card!
1- Create a new document with a white background that is 8.5” wide and 5.5” tall. In the layers panel, click on the little lock next to the white background to unlock it.
2- Press Cmd R (WIN: Ctrl R) to open up the Ruler. From the left side, click and hold on the ruler’s edge and drag out a guide to the right so that it sits at 4.25”. This is the middle of your card and divides the front from the back. The front of the card is on the right-hand side.
3- Get the Rectangular Marquee tool, click at the top, middle of the card and drag down and out to select the front portion of the card. Then Press Cmd J (WIN: Ctrl J) to copy the selection to a new layer. This is the front of your card.
4- Open up the images you want to use on your card.
5- In the Layers panel, activate the white background layer and using the Paint Bucket Tool, drop in a color that coordinates with the images you are using on your card.
6- In the Layers panel, activate the front of your card. Drag the images and word art and arrange until you are happy with the placement. Clip the images to the card front using Cmd Opt G (WIN: Ctrl Alt G) if needed.
7- When your card has a white or very light colored background it’s best to add a light stroke to the outside edge so that when you print it, it’s easy to find the edge while trimming. Activate the background layer in your Layers panel. In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > Layer Style > Stroke. In the Dialog box, Set the size to 4, Position to Outside, open the Color Picker and choose a light grey or other light color. Click OK. (PSE users: Choose Layer > Layer Style > Style Settings. Click on the Stroke checkbox. Set Size to 4, Position to Outside)
8- Create a new empty layer at the top of the Layers panel, click in it and press Command + Option + Shift +E (WIN: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E). This will add a flattened version of the card to the new layer but leaves the original layers intact.
9– Create a new 11×8.5” document with a white background. This is our printable base.
10- Following the same instructions from step #2, click on the ruler edge on the left and drag out a guide to the right so that it sits at 5.5”. Next, click on the top ruler and drag down to the 4.25” mark.
11- Drag the flattened version of your card over to your newly created printable base. Using the guides center your card. Save as a psd.
12- Save as a JPG and print on a medium weight cardstock.
13- Cut out the card using a paper trimmer, fold and add personalization. Now it’s ready to mail!
That’s it! Stayed tuned for the next printable adventures where we create printable wall art!
(Click on images below to be taken to the product page)
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Tutorial written by Syndee Rogers-Nuckles
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