Creating intricate titles is one of my favorite
techniques. If you have viewed my work, you know that most of my
layouts feature these thin, and often very delicate, titles. There
are several ways of creating ones as shown above,
but in this tutorial, I am going to share how I personally create
my titles with the use of Microsoft Works, my printer, and my favorite scissors.
1. Choose your paper -- I usually use cardstock, but pattern paper is
perfectly fine too. You will want to use a paper that your printer will
accept. Some printers don't do well taking in cardstock or thicker papers,
be sure to test yours. You will want to load your paper into your printer so
that the title is printed onto the back of your paper.
2. Choose the font you would like to use. The font I use depends on
the layout I am creating. Many of my pages feature an elegant, flowing
font such as 'Scriptina'. Another current favorite of mine is 'MA Sexy', which
is what I will be using in this tutorial (available for free at
http://www.onescrappysite.com).
There are lots of fonts available, so you should always be able to find the one
that is perfect for your page.
3. Set your font size. I usually set mine to about 100, and later decrease
or increase it as needed. You may find the highest font size the word processing
program will give you is 72 -- you can still increase this by highlighting this
number and typing in the size you wish to use. The example in tutorial uses a font
size of 150.
3. Type in your title. It is my personal preference to keep my titles
short. I tend to use one-word titles, but occasionally I may use two or
three words. Decide if your title is the size you want. I like to go to
'print preview' which is found in the 'file' area to get a view of how this
title will look after it is printed.
4. We are now ready to outline our text. I outline my text for two reasons:
first because it must easier to know where to cut when all you have is a thin
line and second because it uses much less printer ink. Highlight your text by
going to "edit" and then "select all". Click on "format", then "font".
In the 'effects' area, select 'outline'.
5. At this point, you will want to reverse your title, I am able to reverse my text
by using a "mirror" option for my printer. I simply to go to "file", then
"print", then "properties", and under "print style" I am able to select "mirror".
This option is one that is commonly used to print out iron-on's. If you don't seem
to have this option with your printer, you can mostly likely print your text in
reverse by using the "Word Art" function. You can find instructions for reversing
text using Word Art on this page:
http://www.pagesoftheheart.net/tutorials/handcutfonts/handcutfonts.php
6. Now you are ready to cut! Most scrappers who handcut intricate titles, do so with
a knife, such as an exacto knife. This is a great way to cut letters, but for me, I cut
with scissors. My favorite scissors are Fiskars Soft Touch Micro Tip. I have tried many
scissors, but these are my favorite. They are very sharp and the small tip help to get into
little areas. Occasionally I use the EK Success Cutter Bee scissors, but I have a lot of
practice with my Fiskars so I almost always use them.
7. If it isn't entirely connected, I cut apart the title where I
am able to. These smaller pieces enables me to move the paper easier.
8. When cutting the title, the key is to cut the letters by moving the paper,
not the scissors. The only movement the scissors should be doing is the opening and
closing of the blades -- they should not be moving around the paper -- the paper
should be moving around the blades. Use your free hand to guide the paper as you
slowly close the blades together to make your cuts. You also want to be sure to cut
mainly with the tips to the half way point of the blades. I don't believe there is ever
a time that I cut with the entire blade.
9. When cutting each letter, I start with the centers or smallest part of a letter. To cut very
very small areas, I start by poking a very small hole in the middle of the area. I then cut
away as much of the center area as possible, still without trimming on the line. As you can see
in the image above in the smaller area that the cutting away isn't "pretty" -- my goal at this
point is to get rid of the very middle of the area. When I cut on the lines that is when
I am making much smoother, neater cuts. After most of the center is cut away, I then
proceed to cut on the center lines, working slowly to give it a nice, even edge.
10. After cutting small areas and centers, you will then cut the outside lines of the letters.
Make very small, smooth movements with the scissors -- be sure to move the paper, not the scissors.
When you get to a sharp angle or corner, such as those in the middle of the letter "v", I generally cut
down one side and then move and cut down the opposite side. Another tip: don't worry about
cutting exactly on the lines. Of course, you want to stay at close to the lines as possible,
but no one will know if you followed them exactly. As you can see in the image above, there are
many areas that I didn't trim exactly on the line. However, as you can see in the image below,
the results are still very nice.
11. Now that your title is cut out, you will most likely want to adhere it to another piece of
paper or cardstock. My favorite glue is the Zig 2-Way Squeeze and Roll glue pen -- this glue
pen allows me to use just a dot or thin line of glue. Any other glue that allows you to
apply a small amount will also work.
Now I have taught you how to create your own intricate titles, I encourage you to
try your hand at this wonderful technique. If you are someone who likes the look of
handcut titles, but doesn't want to take the time to cut them yourself, I am more than happy
to cut any word or title for you from your choice of colors. Just visit
Elemental: Artwork for your Scrapping Enjoyment
About the Designer:
Brandie is a wife and homeschooling mom to three children,
who also works fulltime from her home designing products and
writing articles for the scrapbook industry. She is a proud design
team member of Pages of the Heart at
http://www.pagesoftheheart.net -- a free resource site for scrappers.
She also maintains her own website at:
http://scrapbookingwithbrandie.4t.com
Warning: opendir(/home/pagesoft/public_html/pinksite/test) [function.opendir]: failed to open dir: No such file or directory in /home/content/p/a/g/pagesoft/html/tutorials/footer.php on line 44
This site was last updated on December 31 1969 17:00:00.
