How to Make Homemade Decals With Adobe Photoshop
Decals can be used on automobiles, helmets, bicycles and book bags to display a personal message or promote a small business. Creating custom decals can be expensive when using a brick-and-mortar printing company; however, you can create your own personalized decals inexpensively with Photoshop and an online print-on-demand company. Using these methods eliminates set-up fees, and allows you to print as few or as many decals as you need.
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Instructions
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Install Adobe Photoshop software, which will enable you to create customized images that can be uploaded to an online print-on-demand company. Photoshop can be purchased at a software store, online or at an office supply store. The software package contains an installation guide and disc. The guide will walk you through the process of installing the program. Follow the prompts for installation and open the program once installation is complete.
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Open a new image file by clicking on the "File" tab in the menu at the top of the screen. A drop down box will appear. Enter the dimensions of the decal image. For a medium-sized decal, use 5 inches for the width, and 3 inches for the height. To keep the decal crisp and not blurry, type in at least 300 DPI for the resolution, then click "OK."
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Add custom text to your decal by clicking on the "Text" tool inside the "Tool Box." The tool looks like a capital "T." The "Tool Box" is a narrow, vertical box that can be found on the right side of the screen. Once the "T" is selected, click and drag a marquee box onto your image. Click inside the marquee, and begin typing your message. When finished, change the look of the text by using the font tools, which can be found at the top of the screen when the "Text" tool is selected. You can change the size, color and font type.
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To save your image file so that it can be uploaded to a print-on-demand website, click on the "File" tab and select "Save As" from the menu. A window will appear. Name your file. Different file types are available; select the file type "JPEG" and click "OK." The file is now ready to be uploaded.
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Upload your image file to a print-on-demand website. There are many online websites, such as CafePress and Zazzle, that can print your decals quickly and inexpensively. Follow the simple guides on these websites to upload your image. Once your image has been successfully uploaded, you can place your image onto a decal, and purchase as many decals as you would like.
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References
- Photo Credit laptop image by martini from Fotolia.com
