Moorpark College Graphic Design

This is the infamous missing post on the steps for creating the greeting card layout in InDesign.

1. In the “new document” dialog turn off facing pages. Your greeting card will have an outside front and back which print on the same page, unfolded. If your card opens to a verse, add a second page. Turn off “facing pages.”
2. A horizontal, greeting card when opened flat has a horizontal fold down the middle, a vertical card has a vertical fold down the middle. When setting up the new document, take into account that the card width will double on a vertical card, while the length will double on a horizontal card.
3. Set appropriate margins if your card is going to have a white border or if you need a guide for your type.
4. If your card is going to bleed, make sure to indicate .125″ bleeds in the document setup dialog before clicking ok. If you don’t see the settings for bleed, check the “more options” button.
5. With the new document open, go to the Layout menu>Create Guides. You can divide the page in half vertically (2 columns with 0 gutter) or horizontally (two rows with 0 gutter).
6. To import an image from Illustrator or Photoshop, go to File>place.
7. Size the image appropriately
8. Add type and logo or other graphic to back of card.
9. Create a second page in the page palette by dragging a blank page from the top of the panel just below the icon for page one, and add type for greeting if desired.

Set of 4 cards Due Nov. 12th, printed and stuffed in envelopes.

Filed under: GRM23 Visual Technologies |