How to Make a Christmas Card in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop lets you create just about anything, including custom Christmas cards. Try your hand at making your own holiday cards instead of buying them from a store. This fun activity gives you a chance to personalize your holiday designs and messages to send to friends, family and co-workers.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Set up your document after opening Photoshop. Choose "New" from the File menu to open a blank page on your screen. Set the size to 11 inches in width and 8 1/2 inches in height if you want to use letter-sized paper for your card. Set your resolution to 150 pixels so that your card prints clearly.

2. Go to "Rulers" from the View menu in Photoshop to add rulers to the top and left edges of your document. This will keep your images to the right side of your page, at the 5 1/2-inch mark. This ensures that the card and its images will come out in the right places when printed and folded.

3. Create your Christmas card in Photoshop. Choose the rectangle tool in the "Tools" menu on the left side of your page if you want a background color. Open a photo that you saved in Photoshop, go to "Select All" under the Edit menu, then choose "Copy." Go back to your Christmas card and choose "Paste" to add your photo to the card.

4. Write your text and add some shapes onto the card. Go back to the "Tools" menu, and select the "T" icon to write your message. To add shapes or Christmas-related designs such as snowflakes or trees, go to the "Custom Shape Tool" from the Tools menu. Click and hold on the fourth tool down the menu, then choose "Custom Shape Tool" from the Tools list. Click a shape from the toolbar at the top of the page, select your colors, then draw the image onto your card.

5. Work on the inside of your card, unless you want to hand write your message. Follow Steps one through four above to create a new document and make your design.

6. Print your Christmas card. Find "Page Setup" under the File menu, then set your printer to the landscape, or horizontal function. Load the first page, or the inside of your card, into the printer with the blank side up. Then, load the top page, or the outside of the card, on top of that page to print them both. Fold the Christmas card in half, sign your name and send it.