How to print business cards in publisher portrait style

[tjisrich]

Trying to use blank template to print portrait bus. cards. Using MS Help I
then followed the guidelines for erasing wizard design stuff if you just
wanted a blank card in portrait style. Instructions are not detailed enough
ended up with wrong orientation. Need to print portrait style business cards
on business card paper that prints 2 across and 5 down. Help. I tried to
group and spin selection save and print but orientation is indescribable now.
Help. Is there an easier way?

 

[Mary Sauer]

Might be easier for you if you design your card in a separate publication. Create a
space with guides 2 x 3.5. Do your design and text. Group it all, rotate 90 degrees.
Open a new instance of Publisher, setup the business card in the normal way, copy and
paste your creation.
What version Publisher?

 

[tjisrich]

Thank you Mary, for quick response. Hubby chomping at the bit! Using
Publisher 2003. I have tried that, honestly. When I print 1/pg is fine. 10/pg
and gobledegook. I may have the whole idea of orientation backwards by now.
Also tried MS suggestion for 'create bus card w/portrait orient.'. Still
nothing. Am I to assume based on what you said that I can not create a
portrait style bus card and print on regular bus card paper? Can you explain
the print setup options, landscape vs. portrait, etc. especially since I have
taken the whole card and flipped it around (and off ;o ) so many times it
will not print correctly on 10/pg. Following MS instructions the page does
not print correctly. Will try your suggestion again for saftey sake and any
other information you have will help as we prefer the portrait style card.
You said 'seperate publication' did you mean create in publisher then save
then cut and paste then rotate?

 

[Ron Cohen]

I haven't seen the previous postings, but what I think Mary was trying to
say was to start with a blank letter size publication. If that wasn't what
she was suggesting, it is what I am suggesting. A business card is 3.5" x
2", so just create a single frame that size to use for your b/c. Make the
frame borderless so that it doesn't print. Once this is done position any
graphics, if desired, on the card. Create small text frames for names,
etc... and position them. Adjust as necessary so that the card appearance is
what you want and then group all elements on the card.
Most pre-perfed card stock has a .5" top and .5" side margin. This would
mean that this card should be positioned so the upper left corner is .5"
from the top and left margins. If you draw guidelines and position them at
..5, 4.0, 7.5 from the left margin and .5, 2.5, 4.5, 6.5 and 8.5 from the top
margin you will have a grid that makes positioning the cards a little
easier, especially if you have snap to guidelines checked. Once that is
done, copy and paste the card into each of the positions. If that isn't
where the perforations are on the card stock, then adjust the guidelines
accordingly.
What I just described applies to landscape orientation of business cards
which is the norm. However, portrait isn't a problem. In this case all you
would need to do is to create the card as 2 x 3.5 instead of 3.5 x 2. The
other steps for creating the card would be the same. Once the elements are
grouped for the first card, rotate it 90 degrees. Copy and paste to fill up
the remaining slots.
The main point to realize is that Publisher is far more than a wizard
based program that restricts usage and creativity to only predefined
templates and wizards. It is a page layout program with some excellent DTP
features that can be utilized by doing nothing more than starting with a
blank screen and adding what you want and where you want it on the page.

Ron Cohen

 

[Ron Cohen]

I didn't want to complicate the matter further. I use that method
frequently, but one of the reasons for using the method I described is when
there is a need for different info on some of the cards. When I had my print
shops, I frequently printed sheets of cards 12 up. If you turn the sheet in
a landscape direction you can get 12 per page with a .25 margin all around.
It made for some very inexpensive plate costs and eliminated having to reset
my paper feed to accommodate pre-cut strips of card stock for 4 up printing.
If someone is printing their own cards using photo paper and having to
manually cut them out, then the 12 up layout is more cost effective.

Ron