Crafting tips

[Tina]

This thread is for posting all your crafting tips

In Elaines words "I'm thinking of things that us old hands take for granted but newer crafters might not know about - like using printer settings to reduce the size of printouts and stuff like that. Like when you have a lovely decoupage or pyramid but it's too big for the card you're planning. We all learn things and it's nice to pass that knowledge on to newbies"

Fab idea Elaine:)

[Elaine]

Well I started this so I'd better post first :)
How many of you know how to use printer preferences to change the size of your download sheets?
Have you got a decoupage or pyramage you'd like to use but it's too big for your project?
It's actually easy to reduce the size. Whatever programme you use to print will have a box saying 'printer preferences' or 'change printer settings' or something along those lines. It's this box you click on to change the print settings (for example draft, normal, photo, and paper quality)
So click on this box (in windows picture and fax viewer it's 'printing preferences'), click on the quality of print you want, and the type of paper you're using.
Then click on the tab at the top of the box which says 'Page Layout'. Click the box 'Reduce/Enlarge Document'and then the box 'By Percentage'
You will probably find the print size showing is 97% as printers automatically adjust the page to within the print parameters. Just use the up and down arrows to reduce the size by percentage
So, for example, if you think you would like the main picture half the size it is on the sheet then put it down to 50% and the whole sheet will print out at half size.
The print preview in windows picture and fax viewer will not show you the reduced size unfortunately, but some graphics programmes do.
You might need to practice this, but the more you do it, the better you get at judging the percentage to drop to.

I hope this helps, and you can follow my instructions. Any problems or queries just post a reply or send me a private message and I'll try to help :)

[crazyem]

thanks Elaine i always have trouble with this but now i can use whatever graphic i like now.

[Debbie Gibbons]

Not a hint or tip directly but I can highly recommend Picasa to anybody who does not use graphics programs like PSP, Photoshop!

It is a free program by Google, you can view all your images and make lots of changes to the image/sheet etc you are working with. Here is just a few things you can do.

Crop, adjust colour, contrast, add text, change the effects to give a different look i.e sepia, B&W, create collage's plus more.

Debbie x

[Dawn]

Hi all, this is a money saving tip! I get all my friends to snip & save the little bits of ribbon used to keep new clothes on hangers. I can pretty much always find just the colour I need for a project and it keeps costs down!!!

[Deborah Lauder]

Brilliant tip Dawn - I remember this one from the SBM forum - been using it ever since :well done::well done::well done:

[Debbie Gibbons]

Oooooo great tip Dawn, never thought of doing that!! I feel an attack of my scissors coming on :funny::funny:

[mazzie]

Well I started this so I'd better post first :)
How many of you know how to use printer preferences to change the size of your download sheets?
Have you got a decoupage or pyramage you'd like to use but it's too big for your project?
It's actually easy to reduce the size. Whatever programme you use to print will have a box saying 'printer preferences' or 'change printer settings' or something along those lines. It's this box you click on to change the print settings (for example draft, normal, photo, and paper quality)
So click on this box (in windows picture and fax viewer it's 'printing preferences'), click on the quality of print you want, and the type of paper you're using.
Then click on the tab at the top of the box which says 'Page Layout'. Click the box 'Reduce/Enlarge Document'and then the box 'By Percentage'
You will probably find the print size showing is 97% as printers automatically adjust the page to within the print parameters. Just use the up and down arrows to reduce the size by percentage
So, for example, if you think you would like the main picture half the size it is on the sheet then put it down to 50% and the whole sheet will print out at half size.
The print preview in windows picture and fax viewer will not show you the reduced size unfortunately, but some graphics programmes do.
You might need to practice this, but the more you do it, the better you get at judging the percentage to drop to.

I hope this helps, and you can follow my instructions. Any problems or queries just post a reply or send me a private message and I'll try to help :)



Very Helpful.. Thanks xx:)

[Deborah Lauder]

Here's what to do to get more than one photo onto your gallery image.

Open your photographs and a new blank document in your graphics program. (if you have a plain background behind your card i.e. white paper, they do look more organised when you're finished ;) )

Add all of your photos to the new blank doc.

You can do this (depending on your program) by:

1. dragging your photo thumbnail onto the active blank document.
2. With your blank doc open, go to insert, image and then choose your photograph from where it's saved on your pc.

Resize photos and place them in order.

Now, if necessary crop your background (blank document) so it is neat and tidy.

Finally, save as a different file name in jpeg format and then - hey presto all of your photos are ready to be uploaded :well done:

Hope that helps :)

[starstuff]

Hi
I recently bought some double sided tape from Poundland! It's meant to be for securing flooring but is great value for money as you get 4 normal selotape sized rolls (10m each) for just a pound!! And it's really sticky so is brilliant for boxes. :icon_idea:
Suz x

[Dawn]

I've used this before & it's great as long as it's not something you want to keep forever but beware, it does lose it's stickiness a year or two down the line! Super saver tip for those everyday cards though!:well done::well done::well done::well done:

[Dawn]

Great tip Debbie!!! Bet lots of people will use that one!!:well done::well done::well done:

[Teresa G]

Hi....can anyone help me please, I've just tried to add a link to my competition entry but when I click on the link I just get a black screen, I did it how Debbie explained by copying the address bar and pasting it but I've obviously done something wrong...any help would be appreciated.

teresa

[Deborah Lauder]

Hi Teresa

It sounds like maybe the entire address bar wasn't copied properly.

Once you've opened the new tab with the product page on it - click in the address bar - if it doesn't catch the whole address, click again until it does - sometimes if you try to grab the address from the end and drag it across it won't pick it all up.

Once you've done that place the mouse cursor over the highlighted address, right click and copy. Now activate the other tab with your gallery addition on it, and within the photo description right click and paste.

I have got the link for you for the download I think you used - it should look like this.

http://www.card-making-downloads.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=119_18&products_id=9694

Hope that's helped. Good luck x

[Teresa G]

Thanks for replying Debbie...still can't get it to work, I'll come back later and have another go.

[Teresa G]

Hi Debbie
just to let you know I managed it - not sure why it wouldn't work before but it has now, so once again many thanks.

[Deborah Lauder]

Thanks for letting me know Teresa - maybe it was just the halloween gremlins playing tricks with you :funny:

Pleased you got it all sorted in the end :)

[Teresa G]

My son reckons I'm past it but halloween gremlins sounds much better

[gillwithag]

Thanks for the tip Suz, :well done:Poundland here I come. when the snow clears!
Gill x

[Elaine]

Just a quickie tip here :)
Do you sometimes want to print on to a scrap, or small piece of paper/card? There is an easy way to do it. Using your graphics programme or even Word work out the size of print you want,the font, & colour, then print on to a piece of A4 paper. When you have it exactly right and are satisfied it will fit your scrap - simply fix the scrap over the print with double sided tape, and put it back into the printer the same way, hit print again and you should have your print on your scrap.
Please make sure your printer takes the card you want to use, and don't try it with any long or loose pieces that might jam the printer, trim them off first.

[Dawn]

Great tip Elaine!!! Thanks!:well done::well done::well done:

[elliza]

just a tip i use photo paper to print decoupage on ,gives a great shine to pictures and thats in poundland too