Printing greetings cards within Adobe Illustrator and MacBook Air

[bigdavecox90]

Not sure if this helps at all? If you look at the print preview, it even shows how it should print, which looks perfect!

 

[ferrarr]

Have you gone into the "Default Settings", under your Printer, to confirm what those settings are set to?

 

[pm-r]

View attachment 28000

Not sure if this helps at all? If you look at the print preview, it even shows how it should print, which looks perfect!

I'm having some problems trying to figure out what results you are getting from the actual printout, but if you're printing to fold-over greeting card stock, and maybe it depends on the software being used, but wouldn't the Paper Size be set to double, like A size or 8.5 x 11 etc.???

Or are you doing the fold-over before printing???

Maybe some videos like this or similar would help:
How to Print Half Fold Greeting Cards at Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4WJdsasE98
or
8 Tips for Printing Inkjet Greeting Cards
http://www.redrivercatalog.com/8-tips-for-greeting-card-printing.html

and maybe try some others:
https://www.google.ca/search?client...F-8&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=9iq5WsXCGPHe8AePyovABA

Have you got some other applications to try??

I may be mistaken but I think your problem is with your initial page setup with whatever app you're using, and then compounded with incorrect printer settings for the paper you're using.

Maybe a trip to the local print shop might help and relieve some of your frustrations.




- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

We used to do bulletins on fold over pre-printed stock. The pre-printing was on the cover page only so our data had to go into the insert and then on both sides of the back. I used two home made MS Word templates to do the printing. The difficulty was when switching printers, say, from our Color Epson to the HP LaserJet. I don't know how many fold over pre-printed stock papers I ruined experimenting. Fortunately the pre-printed stock was inexpensive and came packaged in a box of 50.

To get back to our OP's problem, he may be better off switching to Pages or Word to do the greeting cards. I've never used Adobe Illustrator but usually anything Adobe can get complicated.

 

[pm-r]

but usually anything Adobe can get complicated.

+1!! Sure won't disagree with that, but at least Abobe Reader works OK.

It seems odd that different printers could muck some printing up so badly.




- Patrick
======

 

[bigdavecox90]

We used to do bulletins on fold over pre-printed stock. The pre-printing was on the cover page only so our data had to go into the insert and then on both sides of the back. I used two home made MS Word templates to do the printing. The difficulty was when switching printers, say, from our Color Epson to the HP LaserJet. I don't know how many fold over pre-printed stock papers I ruined experimenting. Fortunately the pre-printed stock was inexpensive and came packaged in a box of 50.

To get back to our OP's problem, he may be better off switching to Pages or Word to do the greeting cards. I've never used Adobe Illustrator but usually anything Adobe can get complicated.

Thanks for the advice, so I've actually just downloaded Pages to have a look and see if this becomes any easier.

The first issue encountered however, is that all of the card templates are folded horizontally and not vertically?

Is there an easy fix to this? I'm sorry for all of the regular dumb questions!

 

[ferrarr]

Did you see my previous post (#42)? About the "Default Settings" of the printer?

 

[bigdavecox90]

Did you see my previous post (#42)? About the "Default Settings" of the printer?

Sorry to have missed your post, I have attempted to adjust the settings to 5x7 in order to make them the correct size.

 

[pm-r]

Sorry to have missed your post, I have attempted to adjust the settings to 5x7 in order to make them the correct size.

If it would make things easier for you, Avery provides a lot of templates for their cards etc. here:
Design & Print with
Apple® Pages®

Download individual templates for your specific Avery product
Start with a blank template or choose from our most popular designs
https://www.avery.com/software/partners/apple-pages




- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

Good tip Patrick. I didn't realize the Avery site had that many templates. I also might add that the Mac App Store has a number of free and paid for templates for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Here's one that is free from the Mac App Store: "TH Templates for Pages Docs Lt". It contains a number of nice greeting card templates. Perhaps our OP can use one of them?

 

[pm-r]

Good tip Patrick. I didn't realize the Avery site had that many templates.

Actually they also have some Mac software that works with their products and have had for years.

Their old DesignPro.app doesn't seem to work with my Mavericks OS X, but their newer Design&Print.app does. But it must be given some time to install and I had to uninstall my old copy that wouldn't run properly and reinstall it.

They also have some on-line software available but I've never used it. But the off—line Mac app does come with a large variety of templates and a fair bit of options with the layouts etc.





- Patrick
======

 

[bigdavecox90]

If it would make things easier for you, Avery provides a lot of templates for their cards etc. here:
Design & Print with
Apple® Pages®

Download individual templates for your specific Avery product
Start with a blank template or choose from our most popular designs
https://www.avery.com/software/partners/apple-pages




- Patrick
======

Thanks, I've checked out the templates, but nothing for 5x7 again?

 

[pm-r]

Thanks, I've checked out the templates, but nothing for 5x7 again?

OK, so what actual brand and/or number are the greetings cards on ready made 5 x 7 pre-scored card stock you have that you want to use???

Or any other dimensions or possible useful information the package may have.

I would imagine they are pretty standard at "5" x 7" Half Fold" card stock that's actually 7" horizontal x 10" vertical and would be used in Portrait Mode in the page setup of the app and the printer being used.

Like this???

And I don't know if something like this will help, or do a google search on a video or illustrated instructions that can sometime be helpful.
https://www.macworld.com/article/31...-custom-greeting-cards-in-photos-for-mac.html






- Patrick
======

 

[bigdavecox90]

OK, so what actual brand and/or number are the greetings cards on ready made 5 x 7 pre-scored card stock you have that you want to use???

Or any other dimensions or possible useful information the package may have.

I would imagine they are pretty standard at "5" x 7" Half Fold" card stock that's actually 7" horizontal x 10" vertical and would be used in Portrait Mode in the page setup of the app and the printer being used.

Like this???

And I don't know if something like this will help, or do a google search on a video or illustrated instructions that can sometime be helpful.
How to create custom greeting cards in Photos for Mac

View attachment 28008


- Patrick
======

https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/white-cards-and-envelopes-5-x-7-inches-50-pack/629143-1000

Above is what I have purchased

 

[bigdavecox90]

So I've been thinking about this further, it clearly seems to be an issue with the size of the card I'm trying to print.

Would it make more sense to try and print another size? What is the most popular size for a greeting card? Maybe go with that? Just try printing on A4 and cutting it down before investing in any more blank card?

 

[pm-r]

So I've been thinking about this further, it clearly seems to be an issue with the size of the card I'm trying to print.

Would it make more sense to try and print another size? What is the most popular size for a greeting card? Maybe go with that? Just try printing on A4 and cutting it down before investing in any more blank card?

In all cases when attempting to create and print such a project, it's best to just use cheaper letter paper, cut to size if needed, until you get everything sorted out so things print as you want.

Even if you use and set a custom page size, you can still just print to normal and cheaper letter stock.


EDIT:
I was going to suggest using Avery's free Design&Print.app but it keeps crashing on my iMac and I have to re-install it to get it to work.

Their iOS Avery Design&Print app seems to work better but I can't find any setting for Avery 5 x 7 fold-over stock, and gave up looking.

The OS X Design&Print version has a custom size option and provides the option for inside/outside printing so one doesn't have to rotate any text or images for a single print job.

Otherwise you may want to use two separate templates, one for front outer and the other for the inside on "2nd" fold-over side.

Yes, card printing can be a real PITA to get everything correct.






- Patrick
======

 

[bigdavecox90]

In all cases when attempting to create and print such a project, it's best to just use cheaper letter paper, cut to size if needed, until you get everything sorted out so things print as you want.

Even if you use and set a custom page size, you can still just print to normal and cheaper letter stock.


EDIT:
I was going to suggest using Avery's free Design&Print.app but it keeps crashing on my iMac and I have to re-install it to get it to work.

Their iOS Avery Design&Print app seems to work better but I can't find any setting for Avery 5 x 7 fold-over stock, and gave up looking.

The OS X Design&Print version has a custom size option and provides the option for inside/outside printing so one doesn't have to rotate any text or images for a single print job.

Otherwise you may want to use two separate templates, one for front outer and the other for the inside on "2nd" fold-over side.

Yes, card printing can be a real PITA to get everything correct.






- Patrick
======

What size options does it give you?

 

[pm-r]

What size options does it give you?

Probably for all their various stock they sell but it did seem to have a crude setup for custom sizes, but I can't check right now as it won't even open and just crashes and quits.

No Avary support for it either it seems. Too bad.

PS: Have you tried using iPhoto or Photos that has a rather simple method of creating and printing your own? But very little size customization from what I could see in iPhoto.

Gheese Apple, even AppleWorks had better customizations available as well as nearly all Avery and others templates!! And printing on all four sides was not a magicians PITA chore!!! And there was even an option to show rulers in variations and a lot more.




- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

As I mentioned before, there are numerous free templates for Pages that should address the problem you're having. Check in the Mac App Store for the free versions. What Patrick mentioned above about using two templates is a good idea. This is how we printed all our bulletins. You do have to consider that when you print with two templates you may have to manually rotate the stock otherwise you may wind up with overlapping printing.

 

[pm-r]

As I mentioned before, there are numerous free templates for Pages that should address the problem you're having.[Check in the Mac App Store for the free versions./QUOTE]


True, but after taking a quick look there, I'd forget the Mac App Store and give it a wide miss. Besides I don't think that's the OP's problem somehow and it's sure easy and simple enough to setup a new page in Pages page setup. It even has a single 5 x 7 template that could be used.

BTW: It seems a bit odd that this subject is into 60+ posts now to cover a topic that's supposed to be so simple on a Mac and all it's renown as a page layout platform. Hmmm…???

Something's not quite right…




- Patrick
======