Setup Home » Photoshop Elements 6 / 7 » Advanced Vertical Image Setup
A beginning note: This tutorial uses lots of screenshots
to help you understand the process better. If you have a dialup connection,
each page may take up to a minute to load fully.
There are many ways to set up and print a greeting card using Photoshop.
This tutorial offers a "Photoshop as a layout tool" approach to greeting
card printing.
If you think of the canvas you will make as the unfolded card (outside
or inside), then learning where to place images, text, borders, etc.
will be very easy.
First, start with a blank canvas. Click the File Menu and Choose
New.
Make a new canvas based on these size rules:
| Paper Size |
New Canvas Size |
| 7x10 |
10" w x 7" h |
| 6.25x9 |
9" w x 6.25" h |
| 5.5x8.5 |
8.5" w x 5.5" h |
| 8x9 Pano |
9" w x 8" h |
We recommend Resolution be set to 300ppi
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Your blank canvas for a vertical image card will look like this.
The right side is the outside
front of the card and the left is the outside back. |
Next, open the image(s)
that you want on the front of your card. You can prepare images
beforehand
with borders or other special effect.
Or, you can open a simple unaltered image for placement on the card.
NOTE! Remember that our cards have a maximum image area that can
go on each side without any cropping. Check this chart for the rules:
| Card Size |
Max Image Area |
| 7x10 |
4.75" w x 6.75" h |
| 6.25x9 |
4.25" w x 6" h |
| 5.5x8.5 |
4" w x 5.25" h |
Make sure you crop or otherwise size your images within these
contraints.
Now, use the Move tool  and
drag images onto the blank canvas you created in the step above.
They will come into the blank document
as new layers. |
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Special
Note on
PHOTO POSITION
Because Elements
does not feature the guides tool, you can either "eyeball" the
position of your image on the card or use the GRID funtion. Because you are working with
a photo on a layer, you can put the photo anywhere
on the card you like - especially if you have text
or other graphics to include.
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The screenshot
at left shows you what your card will look like before being folded.
At this point, you can add text to the outside of your
card. More images can be dragged onto the canvas for front or back
printing.
Remember that you will end up with no less than a 1/8" border
on all sides of the card. |
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