How Can I Make My Own Postcards?

Make your own postcards with computer programs.

To fill a mailbox with a custom note shorter than a letter and a bit more personal than an email, consider a postcard. Instead of buying touristy postcards at a shop, make your own on the computer. Take advantage of a number of different computer programs to create your own custom cards, ready to send out through the United States postal system and greet your recipients with a personalized message.

Things You'll Need

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

Instructions

Using Paint

1. Open Paint, click the Paint button in the top-left corner of the screen and select "Properties." Type "6" and "4" into the "Width" and "Height" boxes respectively. Click the "OK" button; Paint will automatically change the workspace size.

2. Select a colored square in the "Colors" section of the toolbar. Click the "Text" tool, which looks like an "A" in the "Tools" section of the toolbar. Click the postcard and select a font and text size. Type the postcard message, such as "Wish you were here."

3. Click a different colored square. Click the "Brushes" button and select the first option, "Brush." Draw a design on the postcard, such as a heart or palm tree. Change paint colors and add more brush strokes to the design.

4. Select a colored square not yet used on the postcard. Click the "Fill with color" tool and click the white space of the postcard, giving it a colored background behind the text and drawing.

5. Click the Paint button, select "Save As," type a name for the postcard and save it to the computer.

Using Publisher

1. Open Publisher and click the "Postcards" button in the middle of the "Available Templates pane. Scroll through the preset postcard designs and sizes. Double-click a postcard. After a few moments, the postcard opens in the Publisher window.

2. Click into a placeholder textbox on the postcard. The text becomes highlighted. Type over it with your own text, such as "We're moving!" Repeat the step to type over additional text boxes on the card.

3. Click once on a placeholder graphic on the postcard. Press the "Delete" key on the keyboard to remove it from the postcard. Click the "Insert" tab at the top of the screen. Click the "Clip Art" button below the tab.

4. Type a word or phrase that goes with the postcard, such as "flowers," "moving boxes," "beach" or "balloons" into the "Search for" box and click "Go." Scroll through the images and double-click one to add it to the card.

5. Click the "File" tab at the top of the screen. Click "Save As," give the postcard a name and save it to the computer.

Using Photoshop

1. Open Photoshop, click the "File" menu and select "New." Type "postcard" into the "Name" box. Type "6" and "4" into the "Width" and "Height" boxes respectively. Pull down the dimensions drop-down menus for each and select "inches." Click the "OK" button and the postcard workspace will appear.

2. Click the "File" menu again and select "Open." Browse to a picture to use for the postcard and double-click it, opening it in the Photoshop workspace. Press and hold down the "Ctrl" key on the keyboard and drag and drop the picture onto the "postcard" box. To resize it, click the "Edit" menu, click "Transform," select "Scale" and shrink the image to fit the postcard size.

3. Click the "Type" tool, which looks like a "T" on the "Tools" palette. Select a font, text size and text color from the toolbar at the top of the page.

4. Position the cursor on the "postcard" box, click and type the postcard message, such as "Greetings from Raleigh, North Carolina!"

5. Click the "File" menu, click "Save As" and save the postcard to the computer.

References

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