PrinterFilter

May 21, 2008 10:25 AM

I have pages of cardstock that are perforated such that one can print on them and rip them apart to produce 10 business cards. What software on these?

To be a bit more precise, I'm designing a card game and wish to rapidly prototype the cards. I have a particular layout in mind that I'd like to test, but my first priority is printing these.

posted by LSK to technology (11 comments total)

You should be able to make a table in MS Word (or another word processor) that will do the trick.
posted by winston at 10:32 AM on May 21, 2008

You can use MS Word templates that are sometimes provided by the maker of the card stock. For instance, if yours is from Avery, you can download templates here.
posted by nightwood at 10:35 AM on May 21, 2008

Eek, part of the post here got cut off. By what means may it be edited?
posted by LSK at 10:49 AM on May 21, 2008

No edit button here, you'll need to just add the rest of the question in the comments for us to read.

And yes, MS Word should allow you to choose from popular templates or you could go old school and break out a ruler and input the dimensions on your own. It's not terribly time consuming and might be a bit more accurate.
posted by genial at 10:53 AM on May 21, 2008

Easiest way is to go to avery.com and find the numeric code for your template. Go to Envelopes and Labels in Word, and find that number (you may have to specify Avery)
posted by wongcorgi at 11:03 AM on May 21, 2008

I have the Avery 10-ups, they use Avery template No. 8371 at www.avery.com/brc. No need to use Word if you like the Avery styles.
posted by beagle at 11:28 AM on May 21, 2008

Be advised that, while convenient, these DIY cards rarely line-up accurately when put through the printer. Whatever you're printing will tend to migrate south as the paper goes through the printer.

For instance, let's say you have small circle centered on each card. As the paper goes through the printer, the circle will print centered on the top two cards. One the next two, the circle will print just a bit lower. The next two, even lower, etc. I've rarely been able to get a full sheet of acceptable cards printed, no matter which printer I've sent them through.

I'm just tossing this in, in case your project relies on exact registration.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:05 PM on May 21, 2008

Same thing as the other posters, ten up business cards is a very common style and you'll find them on the Avery website without too much trouble. Avery templates can be pretty well customized in Word with a little finicking.

However, if you have access to Adobe InDesign and know how to use it, I'd recommend that as a more efficient alternative. It'll go much quicker to set up new cards once you have the initial printing dimensions set. I'm particularly thinking in terms of graphics and such since you said it's for a game, but obviously if you don't have access to InDesign then ignore this advice.

As far as printer accuracy goes, if you make finished pdf files of the different cards you want you can take them into most copy places, who can then in turn outsource them to a professional press where they'll come back crisp, glossy and clean cut. But what you have now should be fine until you want a finished product like that.
posted by CheshireCat at 12:19 PM on May 21, 2008

You probably don't even need the template if you're just going to do them in Word. In MS Word, open a new blank document, go to the Tools toolbar, click on Letters & Mailings, click on Envelopes & Labels. In the Labels tab on the lower right hand side there will be a box where you can click, producing another box wherein you can select from pretty much every size label & business card in the known universe. Hint, even if your business cards are generic brand, like Office Depot or something, their (actual, physical) box will usually say Same Size as Avery 8376 or whatever on it somewhere. Having selected the right size, you can either build your cards right there in the label box OR click New Document and voila, you'll have a template that will fit your cards and you can work from there. MS Publisher (aiyeee! The pain!) also has the label option and it's somewhat more user friendly (if limited) and accessible than InDesign, which can have a pretty steep learning curve if you're unfamiliar with layout programs in general.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:42 PM on May 21, 2008

MS Visio, if you have access to a copy, is also good. I have stopped using all Avery templates as the integrated formatting can be a hassle to deal with. Visio is more "what you see is what you get."
posted by Raybun at 3:20 PM on May 21, 2008

I had the same problem Thorzdad mentioned when running perforated card stock through my printer. I solved it by printing my template onto a regular sheet of bond paper, and then putting the card stock in the tray of our copy machine at work and made copies off the template. (Our copier was the type that ran the paper straight through, it didn't have to curve or detour like it does in a printer.)
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:05 AM on May 22, 2008