Adobe Illustrator

8. POSTCARD: SET UP THE COLOR BASE

8a. Open the file Postcard_Template.eps. To set its colors to match the envelope, select Window → Swatch Libraries → Other Library, select your palette from Main_envelope_inside.eps, and click to open it. Now save the file as Postcards_front.eps.

8b. To make a black background, select all 4 postcard boxes, and click on black in the palette box. Deselect.

8c. Now overlay blue, leaving just a black outline (as shown below). Select the top left box, copy and paste it in front, select Object → Transform → Scale, and type 95. Select 314 in the palette box.

8d. Repeat for the other 3 boxes.

9. POSTCARD: ADD A PATTERN

9a. Open the file Main_envelope_inside.eps, and use the black arrow to select the whole center pattern. Ungroup, then deselect. Select only the blue part, then copy and paste it into the document Postcards_front.eps. Close the envelope file.

9b. Click on white in the palette box. Select the pattern, drag it to the center of the top left postcard, and resize it: Object → Transform → Scale, and type in 145.

9c. Copy and paste the pattern, then drag it to the top right postcard while holding down the shift key. Now shift-click to select both patterns, copy and paste them, then drag them to the center of the bottom 2 postcards while holding down the shift key (as shown below).

10. POSTCARD: CREATE BACKSIDE, ADDING ACCENTS AND LINES

10a. Open the file Postcard_Template.eps again. Select Window → Swatch Libraries → Other Library, and in the pop-up window select your palette Main_envelope.inside.eps and click to open it. Save the file as Postcards_back.eps.

10b. Open the file Flower_Single.eps. Select and copy the flower, then minimize the window.

Bring the Postcards_back.eps file to front. Paste the flower in, select 314 in the palette box, then select Object → Transform → Scale and type in 25.

10c. Drag the small flower to the top left postcard, about ¼" from the top of and 1¾" from the left edge. Copy the flower, paste it in front, then drag the copy to the top right postcard while holding down the shift key and place it the same as the first.

Shift-select the first flower so both are selected, then copy the pair, paste in front, and drag the new pair to the bottom postcards while holding down the shift key.

10d. With the black arrow, click in the corner of the rulers and drag out the dotted guides to the outer edges of the top left postcard so the crosshairs rest over the left corner and the top edge. This resets the zeros of the rulers to the edges of the top left postcard.

From the left ruler drag a guide to 4 1/8". This is where the divider line goes.

10e. Select the line tool from the toolbar.

Click about ¼" from the top of the postcard, and drag until you get to about ¼" from the bottom (as shown below). Make sure the outline color is set to the color you want. I used 314 here.

11. POSTCARD: ADD TEXT

11a. Select the text tool from the toolbar. Insert the cursor about ¼" in from the left. Type in your desired RSVP text.

If you'd like to add underlines so people can fill in information, use the line tool from the toolbar. I used point size 20 for the top and 13 italic for the bottom text.

11b. With the text tool, insert the cursor on the right side to type in your address information. I used point size 13.

11c. Make sure you set the outside postcard borders to No Fill before printing.

12. WEDDING INVITES: ADD ACCENTS

12a. Open the file Postcard_Template.eps again. Select Window → Swatch Libraries → Other Library, and in the pop-up window select your palette Main_envelope_inside.eps and click to open it. Save the file as Wedding_invite.eps.

12b. Open the file Flower_Single.eps, select and copy the flower, and minimize the window.

Paste the flower into the document Wedding_Invite.eps, select 314 in the palette box, then select Object → Transform → Scale and type in 22.

12c. To angle the flower, select Object → Transform → Rotate and type 225 in the pop-up box. Drag the flower into place (as shown below), lined up at the left side and the top with guides marking ¼" in.

12d. To make a mirror image of the flower, copy and paste it in front, then select Object → Transform → Reflect, and in the pop-up box select Horizontal and click OK.

Shift-drag the mirrored flower to the bottom left corner and line it up with the guides (as shown below).

12e. Shift-select the upper flower so that both are selected. Copy the pair, paste in front, then select Object → Transform → Reflect, and in the pop-up box select Vertical and click OK. Shift-drag the mirrored pair into place along the right side guides.

12f. Shift-select all 4 flowers, group them (Object → Group), copy and paste in front, then drag the new 4 to the top right postcard (as shown below).

12g. Shift-select the left group so that all 8 are selected, group them all, copy and paste in front, then shift-drag the new 8 into the bottom postcards.

13. WEDDING INVITE: ADDING TEXT

13a. Select the text tool from the toolbar, then select Type → Font → Bernhard Modern Std (or your chosen font) and choose Type → Size → 20.

Now select Window → Type → Paragraph, and select Centered.

Type in the 2 names of the intended.

13b. Insert the cursor before the second name and use the space bar to add space before the name. Use the black arrow to align with the center horizontal guide.

Insert the cursor after the second name, and press the Return key twice.

13c. Type "Request the pleasure of your company" and press Return, then type "at the celebration of their marriage" (or whatever your main text is).

Highlight this text, then select Type → Size Other, type in 19 into the Character box, and press Enter.

Insert the cursor before the second line of text and use the space bar to add space.

13d. With the text tool, click below the existing text and select Type → Bernhard Modern → Italic. Select Type → Size Other, type in 13 and press Enter. Enter the date and location information.

13e. If you want to use small caps for the reception information, highlight the text and select Small Caps from the Character box's right-hand drop-down menu.

13f. Shift-select all the text with the black arrow and select Pantone 314 in the Pantone box. Group all the text (Object → Group), then copy and paste in front, and shift-drag the copy to the next postcard to center it on the guides. Repeat to place the text in the remaining postcards.

14. PREPARE YOUR ENVELOPE FOR PRESS

You'll need to do the following for both sides of the envelope:

14a. Select → All, then select Object → Transform → Rotate, type in 30 and click Enter. This prevents edge clipping.

14b. While everything is still selected, choose Type → Create Outlines, and then File → Save. This eliminates issues with missing fonts.

15. SUGGESTED FINISHING

For closing the envelope, I used silver ribbon sealed with a square black sticker about 2¾"x2¾" with the flower pattern in white centered in it.

15a. To design the sticker, open a new document (File → New) and select Letter Size.

15b. Select the rectangle tool from the toolbar. Click on Artboard Area, and type 8.5 width and 11 height into the pop-up window.

15c. Select the fill tool from the toolbar and select black from the color box.

15d. Set up a grid of guides to your desired size (I used about 2¾"x2¾", but keep in mind that printer margins vary from computer to computer).

15e. Paste in the pattern graphic from other finished work. Recolor, to white in this case, resize, and drag to the center of a sticker, then copy into each space in your grid.

15f. Print the stickers on full-sheet label paper and cut them out.

15g. Cut out the envelopes and fold the flaps carefully. Insert the postcards.

15h. Fold each envelope as shown above and seal up with ribbon and a sticker. Place in a clear envelope so the design shows through, and add a clear address label.

Wait for the many happy returns.

Links

• Square sticker to seal the envelope template
  
• Flower_Single.eps
  
• Starter_Template.eps
  
• Postcard_Template.eps
  
• Dover Publications
  

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