Posted by Tara Smithberg
At the National Stationery Show in New York City a few weeks ago, our Pinnovation stationery dies were a big hit! It's so much fun to see people's eyes light up when they see how easy it is to create gorgeous custom invitations and announcements. I asked designer Traci Armbrust to demonstrate how to use the Pinnovation dies--step by step.
We chose to create an invitation using the A7 Dress Cards die. This die is great because you can use the dress shape on its own or layer it on top of another A7 card. It's two-up so you can cut multiples in a snap. Here are a few sample projects using this die to show you how a finished design looks.
So, to begin, we started by laying out our text with the templates provided on our website. Here's what it looks like when you use our PDF template. PDF templates can be used in page layout and graphic programs such as Adobe® InDesign®, Illustrator® and Photoshop®, QuarkXPress® and others. Here, we are using Adobe Adobe® InDesign®. If you don't have any of these programs, have no fear! We also have a Microsoft Word template that works just as well.
Here's what the Microsoft Word template looks with the text placed in the appropriate spot. Keep in mind you may have to do a few test prints just to be sure you've got it exactly where you want it.
Next, print out a test sheet. We give you a transparency with each Pinnovation die to make sure your text is exactly where you want it. Just place the die transparency on top of the printed test sheet to determine if any adjustments need to be made to your design. You may need to move elements due to shifting caused by your printer. Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the location of your design.
And now comes the best part. With your die in the GrandeMARK machine, place your test sheet face-down on the die, making sure the paper is fitting inside the pins. Place the cutting mat on top of the die, making sure all of the pins are covered. Roll the die through the machine and... drum roll please... your invitations are perfectly cut!
Here's the final product. We layered the dress card on top of an A7 card using the Rounded A7 Cards die. By the way, this die is also a Pinnovation die if you wanted to print a design on that shape as well.
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