How to Make a Celebration Card

Just about anything can be cause for celebration, whether it is a special occasion or just a day-to-day activity that makes you feel like reveling. When it comes to that particular celebration, there's no need for generic, store-bought cards when you can make your own on the computer. A variety of graphics software programs can help you make different cards to celebrate just about anything. With a couple of quick clicks, you'll have cards ready for the festivities.

Things You'll Need

• Windows Paint
• Digital image
• Microsoft Publisher
• Adobe Photoshop

Instructions

Using Paint

1. Open Paint. Click on the Paint button in the top left corner of the screen and selecting "Open." Browse to a photo and double-click it so it opens in the Paint work space. Click the "Select" button, which looks like a rectangle, and select "Rectangular Selection." Draw an outline around the picture and press the "Ctrl" and "C" keys to copy it.

2. Click the Paint button again and select "New." Click the Paint button and select "Properties," then type the new card dimensions, such as 4 inches by 6 inches for a photo card, and click "OK." The Paint work space automatically adjusts. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys to paste in your photo and drag it into place on the card.

3. Click the "Text" tool, which looks like an "A," on the toolbar. Select a font, size and color, then type the main card greeting, such as "Happy Mother's Day!" Reduce the font, click lower on the card and type the rest of the card's message.

4. Give the card a colored background by clicking the "Fill with Color" tool, which looks like a paint can, and clicking the "Color 1" button. Select a color and click "OK." Click the white space of the card, which fills with the background color behind your photo and the text.

5. Click the Paint button and select "Save As." Type a name for the card and save it to your computer.

Using Publisher

1. Open Publisher and scroll to the "Greeting Cards" menu. Scroll through the occasion templates, such as "birthday," "event," "anniversary" or "sympathy." You can use any card type and change the text to suit your celebration. Double-click a card to open it in the Publisher work space.

2. Click the text box on the front cover of the card and type your new greeting directly over the text, such as "Welcome Home, Max!" Highlight the text and use the toolbar at the top of the page to change the words' font, size and color. Repeat this to change the text on the rest of the card.

3. Right-click the graphic on the front of the card and select "Change Picture." Choose "Clip Art" and type a word or phrase into the "Search for" box. Click "Go," scroll through the images and double-click one, which will take the place of the original on the card. Repeat this for the rest of the images on the card.

4. Click the "Color Schemes" link on the "Greeting Card Options" pane on the left side of the screen. Scroll through the color groups and double-click one, which automatically updates the card to the new colors.

5. Pull down the "File" menu and click "Save As." Give the card a name and select a destination to save it to your computer.

Using Photoshop

1. Draw a card from scratch by opening Photoshop, clicking "File" and selecting "New." Name the file "CelebrationCard" and set the dimensions, such as 5 inches by 7 inches, and click "OK." When the Photoshop blank card space appears, pull down the "View" menu and click "Fit on Screen," which gives you more room to draw.

2. Click the "Type" tool, which looks like a "T," on the "Tools" palette. Select a font, size and color from the toolbar at the top of the page and click the top of the card box. Type the greeting, such as "Congratulations on losing your first tooth!" Move the cursor to the bottom of the card box and type the rest of the card message.

3. Double-click the top left square of the "Color Picker," which looks like two overlapping colored boxes, on the "Tools" palette. Select a paint color and click "OK."

4. Click the "Paintbrush" tool, pull down the "Brush" head at the top of the screen and select a small, round brush head, such as No. 9. Draw the outline of the card design, such as a tooth shape, balloon or flower. Click the "Paint Bucket" tool, and click inside the design to fill it with color. Switch back to the "Paintbrush" tool, change paint colors and add designs to the drawing.

5. Click the right-pointing triangle in a circle icon or the three small lines icon at the top right of the "Layers" palette and select "Flatten Image." Pull down the "File" menu, click "Save As" and save the file to your computer.

References

• Windows: Using Paint
• In Pictures: Microsoft Publisher 2007
• University of Washington: Photoshop Type Tool