Learning Center Postcards

When traveling, why send the folks back home postcards featuring someone else’s photography? Thanks to compact digital technology, you can make your own postcards while on vacation!

I’m always one to travel light, especially when flying. I usually check one suitcase and carry on a rolling bag. The suitcase contains my clothing, the carry-on my essentials: a Mac PowerBook G4, an Epson Picture Mate, a Nikon D70 and my three favorite Tamron zoom lenses – the versatile 28-75mm, the amazing 28-300mm, and the spectacular 17-35mm. Oh, and my toothbrush…just in case my checked bag gets lost. Thus equipped, I’m ready for just about anything – including a long flight with a movie I’ve already seen. I’ve got everything I need to keep me happy!

A Photoshop junkie, once immersed in my journey, I love to make my own postcards and also keep a real-time travel journal. In my book, the perfect way to end “just another day in Paradise” – or anywhere for that matter – is to browse through the day’s photos, delete the junk, and then play with my favorites.

Here’s how to make a postcard template. Once you’ve created a template, you can use it again and again in your travels, even adapting it to the language of the place you’re visiting. For an African version I made to complement photos I took in Kenya, I simply dropped in “Jambo!” which means “Hello!” in Swahili. Likewise “Bonjour,” “Hola,” “Ni hao,” and “Buon giorno”!

Before beginning, here are some Photoshop features that will assist you in using this tutorial:

Under the View menu, make sure Rulers is checked, and check the Snap feature. This will aid in using Guides, which are dragged out from the Rulers – essential for accurately aligned layouts. Although Guides show on your monitor, they don’t print. You can turn them on and off under the View menu in the Show submenu.

Under the Window menu, make sure Layers is checked.

In the Toolbox, click on the Move tool and in the Move tool options bar, check Auto Select Layer. Now you can click on any pixel in an open window to activate the particular layer.

To create your template:

Step 1. Choose File > New and create a custom size of 6” x 4 ¼” (300 ppi). Save the file as “Postcard Template.”

Step 2. Select the Type tool (T) and add the text elements as shown, each on a separate layer so that you can move them around and edit them independently. I’ve listed the fonts I used, but of course you can choose your own:

- Type “Postcard” and “To:” (Font: Arial)

- Type “Aloha” (Font: Mistral)

- Type “Airmail” (Font: Arial Italic)

- Hold down the Shift key and draw a vertical line separating the message area from the address area. Address lines – Hold down the Shift key as you draw with a small Brush (B); use the Rulers and Guides to help with alignment.

- (opt.) Type “Postage Stamp Here” - Optional because it’s not going to show once you adhere a postage stamp. (Font: Arial)

- (opt.) Add a line or two of descriptive text using a small font size at the top or bottom of the message area. Or, instead of drawing a center line, center a line of vertical text containing the image details and your copyright info. To make the copyright symbol, hold down Alt/Option and press G. To create vertical text, type as usual, then go to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90° clockwise.

TIP: To reformat text, make sure its layer is highlighted in the Layers palette. Click on the Type tool and drag across the text to highlight it, or double-click on the T next to the appropriate layer. You can then choose a different font, point size, and/or color.

Step 3. Toggle the layer visibility icons to hide the layers temporarily.

Step 4. Open an image file (horizontal shots work best for postcards) and, if necessary, resize or crop it to 6” x 4 ¼” (300 ppi), then copy and paste or click and drag it into the open template. Close the original image file without saving it.

Step 5. Print. In the Layers palette, toggle the layer visibility icons to show only the front layers, turn the sheet of paper over (but do not rotate) and print the other side of the sheet.

Step 6. Trim postcards to size.

Of course, you could also use the keyboard to type your message, but I prefer to write it by hand for a more personal touch. Once you have the basics down, you can get really creative – include multiple images on the front, apply Photoshop or NIK filters, play with fun fonts, add captions, borders and backgrounds, create digital collages – the sky’s the limit!

To create a travel journal, lay out pages with photos and text (be sure to allow a narrow margin along the left edge for binding), then print. For mixed media collage, add mementoes such as ticket stubs, matchbooks, paper umbrellas, and other found objects, then add hand journaling, sketches, and/or doodles. Bind the pages when you get home in one of several fashions:

1. Attach pages using black binder clips; squeeze and remove the silver prongs to render the clips “permanent.”
2. Punch holes in all pages and bind with ribbon, twine, or metal rings.
3. Stitch pages together along one side.
4. Tape pages together to form an accordion book.

 

Barbara Smith is a freelance writer, photographer, and instructor based in Los Angeles. She is the author of “The Art & Craft of Keepsake Photography: Engagements & Weddings” (2007 - Watson-Guptill/Amphoto). Her second book, “Baby Face: Celebrating Your Pregnancy and Baby with Beautiful Photo Crafts”) will be published in the spring of 2008.