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HOME · MOUNTAINCOW
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER (MAY 2009)
As summer approaches and we begin dreaming of warm weather, grilling and days at the beach, someone special comes to mind: Dad! We have groovy new personalized stationery designed with him in mind. To get a head start on summer entertaining, try our summer dinner party invitations. If your wedding day is just around the corner, our gorgeous ceremony programs will make sure everyone knows who’s who. And if your son or daughter is getting ready for their Torah reading, we have fabulous Bar / Bat Mitzvah invitations that work with any color scheme.
Check out tips on downloading projects, borderless printing and more in our Newsletter
Notes section.
        

Daddy’o
Fathers are silent supporters who are always there for us to guide us with their wisdom, give us freedom to make mistakes and then catch us if we fall. This Father’s Day, show Dad how much he means to you by making him personalized stationery. Just like when you were a kid, the gifts that you make yourself are the ones that he cherishes the most. All of our designs feature his return address printed on the back flap of the envelopes so that he just needs to write the address and drop it in the mail.
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For the modern dad, try our PrintingPress design. We used White cards and envelopes for a clean slate. We added a simple blue paper clip to the upper left corner of the White A7 card and then added Dad’s name in all lowercase letters using the Arial font. We wrote the first name in green and then the last name in the same blue as the paper clip and did not leave a space between the names. We used the same design to the front of the White A2 folded note card and lined the envelopes in Sky for a coordinated look.
If your dad is handy around the house, then our PrintingPress Platinum design may be just right. We added an image of a red multi-function pocket knife to the bottom right corner of a White A7 card. Next we used a floating text box to add Dad’s name as if it were engraved onto the handle of the pocket knife. We set the text color to off-white and used the Times New Roman font. For tips on using off-white text with PrintingPress Platinum, see the April 2004 issue. Extreme users can add a 0.25 point red outline and turn on the “engrave” text style to give Dad’s name a cool 3D look. We added the “engraved” pocket knife to the front of the White A2 folded card and lined the Deep Red envelopes in Sky. For a more traditional handyman, use Slate liners instead.
Our PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 design exudes modern elegance with a Hamptons color scheme. We added a custom border to a White A7 card with the border shape set to Line (Bottom). We filled the border in chartreuse and set the border width to 0.75 inches. Next we added Dad’s name in grey using the Arial font in all lowercase letters. We set the text alignment to Right and Bottom to place the name in the bottom right corner of the card. Next we increased the character spacing to spread out the letters for an airy look. Then we used a floating text box to add Dad’s initials in light blue hovering on the horizon of the chartreuse border. We added the initials on the back flap of the White A7 envelope along with the return address. We repeated the same design for the 4-bar folded note card and lined the envelopes in Powder Blue. Because the design bleeds all the way to the edge of the card, we used our printer’s borderless printing feature to print the cards.



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PrintingPress sample
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PrintingPress Platinum sample
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PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 sample
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PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 sample
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The great outdoors
It’s time to dust off the patio furniture and fire up the grill! Summer may not be here yet, but we’re ready for some outdoor dining, and our fun PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 invitations will work with a casual afternoon get-together with kids or a more refined evening affair.
We started by adding a custom border to a White A7 card. We set the border shape to Line (Top) and set the width to 2.08 inches. Next we filled the border with a new summer flower pattern in blue and green. We used the Sample Color tool to add an inner pen using the same green that is used in the pattern. For tips on using the Sample Color tool, see the February 2006 issue. We adjusted the card’s top margin so that the text would not overlap the border and then added the invitation in blue text using the Times New Roman font with the Small Caps advanced text style. We increased the character and line spacing for an airy look and set the vertical alignment to Align Text Middle to center the text vertically on the card. Since the border runs all the way to the edge of the card, we used our printer’s borderless printing feature to print the cards. We lined the Clover envelopes in Sky for a bright, summery look.

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Order of the day
There are so many details to attend to when you are preparing for your big day, and ceremony programs are an important element in the ceremony itself. Our designs are fun and elegant and easy to print in a flash.
For a traditional ceremony, try our PrintingPress design. We created a classic booklet using a Dark Chocolate A7 folded card as the “cover” for the program. We added a delicate weeping cherry tree to an Ecru 2 x 2 inch card. We added the bride and groom’s names beneath the tree in brown using the Alyssa font from Fonts & Graphics for Weddings and added the wedding date using the Benjamin font. We used the 4-up feature in PrintingPress to print the 2 x 2 inch seals onto 4 x 4 inch custom cut Ecru cards. Next we used a double-stick tape gun to adhere the seal to a Pink Lemonade 2.25 x 2.25 inch custom cut card and then mounted the set onto the program cover. We used Ecru A7 folded paper for the interior of the program and tied the pieces together using a pink ribbon.
If you are having a seaside affair, our PrintingPress Platinum design may be the one for you. We added a background image of a small white rowboat on a sea of blue to a White A7 card. We used the Arial font using all lowercase letters to add all of the text to the program card. We used floating text boxes to add the names of the people involved in the ceremony in two columns at the bottom of the card. We set the text color to off-white, but we recommend changing the text color to black in the main text area of the card in order to add your own text and change it back to off-white once you have completed the layout. For tips on using off-white text with PrintingPress Platinum, see the April 2004 issue. Since the water runs all the way to the edge of the card, we used our printer’s borderless printing feature to print the program cards. Next we used a double-stick tape gun to mount the program card to a Dark Chocolate 5.25 x 7.25 inch custom cut card, then adhered the pair to a White 5.5 x 7.5 inch custom cut card.
For a fun and flirty look, try our PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 design. We used the Label stationery type in PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 to print three programs onto a single 8.5 x 11 inch sheet. We added a spray of flowers in blue, green and brown to the bottom of the 3.5 x 8.5 inch card. Next we added the text to the card using the same blue and brown as used in the flowers. We used floating text boxes to add the names of the people involved in the ceremony in two columns at the bottom of the card. The flowers run off the bottom of the program, so we used our printer’s borderless printing feature to print the full sheet of three cards. Next we used a rotary cutter to trim the programs down to size and used a double-stick tape gun to mount the program card to a Dark Chocolate 3.75 x 8.75 inch custom cut card.



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PrintingPress sample
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PrintingPress Platinum sample
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PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 sample
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PrintingPress sample
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PrintingPress Platinum sample
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PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 sample
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PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 sample
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Coming of age
A Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony commemorates the transition from childhood into adulthood, highlighting the acceptance of the responsibilities that come with being an adult. We’ve created elegant new designs ranging from traditional to trendy to help you invite all your friends and family to share this important day and join in the subsequent celebration. For a sit-down reception, we created coordinating place cards and menus.
For an elegant soiree, try our PrintingPress design featuring a Mountaincow Complete Pocket Invitation Set using a Metallic Navy Pocket Folder in the A8 Landscape (pointed flap) size. We added a grey Star of David to the top of the Matte Ecru invitation card. Next we added the invitation text in black using the Benjamin Caps font from Fonts & Graphics for Weddings. We added the Bar Mitzvah’s name using the Benjamin Shadow font with the size set to 28 points. We added spaces between each letter to make the name spread all the way across the card. Extreme users can adjust the character spacing to achieve the same effect. We used Paragraph settings to left align the text in the middle of the card, and then right align the text in the middle of the card. We also added vertical spacing using the Paragraph settings. To change the settings in PrintingPress, select the text that you would like to change and then choose Format Paragraph in the Stationery menu. In PrintingPress Extreme 5.0, you can use the controls on the Paragraph tab in the Text palette group. For tips on adjusting paragraph settings, see this month’s Extreme Tip. We used a double-stick tape gun to mount the invitation to the Metallic Pewter backing card. We added the same Star of David to the top of the Matte Ecru response card, paired with an Matte Ecru envelope. We used the Benjamin Shadow and Benjamin Caps fonts on the Matte Ecru directions enclosure card. Next we added additional pieces not included in the Complete Pocket Invitation Set: seals. We created 2.125 x 2.75 inch seals and used the 4-up feature to print them onto Matte Ecru A2 cards and then trimmed them using a rotary trimmer. We used a double-stick tape gun to mount the seal to a Metallic Pewter 2.375 x 3.125 inch custom cut card and mounted the set to the flap of the Pocket Folder. Send the completed invitation in Matte Ecru envelopes.
If you have a groovy gal, try our PrintingPress Platinum design featuring a Mountaincow Complete Pocket Invitation Set using a Dark Chocolate Pocket Folder in the A7 Landscape (rounded point flap) size. We added dahlia blossoms in brown, blue and green as floating images and placed them in the upper right and lower left corners of the White invitation card. We added the invitation text in blue using the Times New Roman font using all lowercase letters. We aligned the text to the left and right margins to avoid overlapping the flowers. We centered the Bat Mitzvah’s name and wrote it in brown using the Noodles font from Fonts & Graphics 3. We used a double-stick tape gun to adhere the invitation to the Celery backing card and then mounted the set onto the Pocket Folder. We added a few blossoms to the White directions enclosure card and to the White response card. We lined the Powder Blue invitation and response envelopes in Celery. We added blossoms and the Bat Mitzvah’s name and the date of the ceremony to 2 x 4 inch seals. We used the 4-up feature to print the seals onto White 4 x 8 inch custom cut cards. Next we used a double-stick tape gun to mount the seals to Celery 2.25 x 4.25 inch custom cut cards and then mounted the set to the flap of the Pocket Folder.
Our PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 design includes classic invitations with a modern twist in colors for both Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Since we used the custom background feature in PrintingPress Extreme 5.0 to add the colors, you can easily customize the design to use any color scheme. For the Bar Mitzvah, we started by adding a custom background in cool sea blue to a White A7 card. Next we added a custom border with the border shape set to Line (Top) and filled the 1.5 inch border in white. We added the Bar Mitzvah’s name in the upper left corner of the invitation in grey using the Alyssa Afternoon font from Fonts & Graphics for Weddings. We added a Star of David as a floating image in the upper right corner of the card. Since the image is off-white, we recolored it to match the blue in the background. For tips on recoloring off-white images in PrintingPress Extreme, review the Extreme Tip from the September 2008 issue. We added the invitation text in grey using the Times New Roman font with the Small Caps advanced text style and aligned the text to the right margin. Next we added a shape with the border shape set to Line (Bottom) to add two white lines to the bottom of the card. For tips on creating double lines, review the Extreme Tip from the January 2006 issue. Since the background bleeds to the edge of the card, we used our printer’s borderless printing feature to print the cards. We repeated the same design on the White 4-bar response card, menus and place cards. We lined the White envelopes in Pewter to coordinate with the grey text. For the Bat Mitzvah, we used lavender for the background of the cards and added a single dotted line to the bottom of the design.



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Alignment alterations
PrintingPress Extreme 5.0’s Paragraph palette gives you quick and easy access to the alignment controls to allow you to precisely place your text on your invitation. You can go beyond the standard Left, Center and Right horizontal alignments to nudge your text exactly where you want it. Below is our PrintingPress 2.0 Bar Mitzvah design with all of the text aligned to the center of the card.

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Next we selected the four lines of text beneath the name and clicked on the Align Text Left button in the Paragraph palette to align the text to the left. To move the text to the right, we clicked in the Indent Text Left field in the Paragraph palette and used our mouse wheel to adjust the value and nudge the text over to the right.

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(click to enlarge)
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Next we selected the next three lines of text and clicked on the Align Text Right button in the Paragraph palette to align the text to the right. Then we clicked in the Indent Text Right field in the Paragraph palette and used our mouse wheel to adjust the value and nudge the text over to the left.
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