Monogram help...any artistic people out there?

[sera]

stylized

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/22/2007 2:31:03 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
I have this embosser. The check places also offer economical embossers.

http://internetrubberstamps.com/monem.html

Look at this ladys work. Monograminc She is incredible. On the last page there is one that is a double W but one on top of the other...sorta like a reflection. I love that. What if you did the same...but the bottom v was smaller and was actually pulled up into the big v and your other letters flank the union of the two v''s.

Look at the ones with vines aren''t they lovely. Some are so intricate you can''t believe you are actually looking at letters. She is pricey to hire...but admiring her work is free!

DKS

DKS,

I really like those embosssers, and they are very reasonably priced! Thanks for sharing!

And that Monogramic website...where''s SDL when we need her??? OH MY STARS does she do beautiful work! I think I may just have to get at least one thing from her, just to have something that gorgeous with my new initials! Wowzers!

Thanks for sharing, Twinkie!

 

[Harleigh]

Happy,

Thank you! Just sent you an email! Hope to chat with you soon!

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/22/2007 8:19:51 AM
Author: sera
I believe if you download a free trial version of Adobe Illustrator (or Photoshop), it is a full version for a limited number of uses (or time). The ''layering'' and the ability to lock objects and rearrange them is helpful when overlapping. You can also take an existing font and tweak it.

Also, at DaFont.com, there are free fonts... pretty much whatever you need and I''ve never had any problem downloading from there. The fonts are from various designers, so some are better than others (not necessarily just in style but that the characters are properly spaced, etc.) Before sending your monogram file to the printer, either send the font files with it or ''create outlines'' of the text so that they are vector based images rather than font files because not all fonts can be embedded in the file.

What style of font did you want? Like a tradtitional serif font? something fancy? or quirky? The font needs to match your wedding style... e.g. it shouldn''t be totally ornate for a beach wedding, etc.

I''ll post some ideas for you... have fun playing around with fonts, arrangement, color variations, etc.

Hi Sera,

Wow! You really did a lot of work, thank you! I really like the flow of the Script ones, and I love the smaller V inside the larger V...I don''t know why I like that since in his name they are both capitals, but usually you wouldn''t actually put both, so I guess that''s why he might think it''s cool!

I love the flow of the one happyinlove posted, which I of course have no idea on the font, but though I wasn''t sure I''d like the green and pink mixed together, I do like that, too. I swear I always thought I was a creative peron (I make and sell my own jewelry, do all sorts of crafts, etc...) but put me here to design something on the computer and I''m at a loss!

Last year I bought these round photo boxes for the kids to make Father''s Day gifts in my class...had a grand idea of how to get the writing to go around the outside edge in a circle, etc... For the life of me, couldn''t figure out how on earth to get the Happy Father''s Day to curve around the top and then the date to curve around the bottom so that it was all going the correct direction for reading...finally had a parent say, "I''ll do that for you!" So, off she goes...she couldn''t get it to work either, so we cut and pasted the actual examples and went from there, but at least I was redeemed in the fact that it wasn''t JUST me who didn''t have a clue! Made me feel a little bit better!

Thanks for all of the great tips, too! I am on my FI''s dinosaur of a computer until Sunday, so I will look into yours and the other suggestions when I get home tomorrow evening. Thanks again for all of your help!

You gals here at PS are the BEST!!!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I think for what you have in mind it might help to be able to do it yourself. You said you learned to do it in powerpoint but don''t have it. If you go to openoffice.org, you can download open office which is the same as the programs in microsoft except they are free. I have used both microsoft''s and open offices'' powerpoint programs and for what you are doing they are exactly the same. I hope that helps.

 

[april diamonds]

Hey Harleigh,

I just saw your post and I''m trying to figure out how to upload the word document for you...think I will have to msg PS admin to help me out. hope I can get it to you soon!

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/22/2007 10:19:09 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
I think for what you have in mind it might help to be able to do it yourself. You said you learned to do it in powerpoint but don''t have it. If you go to openoffice.org, you can download open office which is the same as the programs in microsoft except they are free. I have used both microsoft''s and open offices'' powerpoint programs and for what you are doing they are exactly the same. I hope that helps.

Hi there, bih, thanks so much for the ideas...I am also going to try this! I appreciate your help!

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/22/2007 11:24:08 PM
Author: April Diamonds
Hey Harleigh,

I just saw your post and I''m trying to figure out how to upload the word document for you...think I will have to msg PS admin to help me out. hope I can get it to you soon!

Thanks, April, that would be awesome!

 

[jcrow]

here''s one shot at it.

 

[jcrow]

another

 

[jcrow]

and another.

 

[Harleigh]

Thanks, ladies! I love all of your ideas! I saw some of the ones you posted for Mandarine, too, and I can''t believe all of your creativity! Thanks for sharing it with both of us!

And many thanks to happyinlove as she has been working really hard to help me find "the" perfect monogram! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[april diamonds]

Hey Harleigh,

I will explain as best as I can how I''ve been doing them in word because really I''ve kinda just been figure it out as I go along, haha.

The two that I did for you were really basic. All you have to do is make a text box for each letter and then you can move then around as you please. But you have to right click on each choose "Format Text Box" and then in the "Colors and Lines" tab make the transparency 100%. That way when the boxes overlap it won''t cover the letters.

Be sure that when you select the letters to move them you''re not in "text mode"...basically when the line is flashing in the text box. You want to make sure that you''re selecting the outside of the box (there should be no flashing line where the text would go). And you can use the arrow keys to move it slightly.

When you overlap text boxes, right click the box that you want to be on top, choose "Ordering" and select "Bring to Front".

I think that are all the pieces that you need in order to play around with your own monogram.

Adding a background like I did to Mandarine''s is a tad more complicated. What I did there was first choose a clipart graphic from the Word collection. And then you have to select "Edit Picture" but depending on how complicated the graphic is it will break up into different "autoshapes" that you can then edit separately if you want. However this is super hard because you could move pieces around and alter the graphic if you''re not careful. I find it easiest to just selecting the whole thing and making it one color after you''ve chosen to "edit picture".

After you edit picture right click on the graphic (you need to select all all the pieces if you''ve chosen a graphic that is mutliple "autoshapes") and change the color and then move the transparency bar to wathever percentage gives you the right shade of color. It should change as you drag the bar back and forth. this gives the "watermark" effect. Then you can drag and drop your individual text box letters on top of the backgroun.

I don''t actually know if you''ll be able to follow any of that. You probably need to just try it out and then whatever parts of my windy explanation you don''t understand just ask and I''ll try to explain better.

Hope that helps!! (I''m still waiting for PS admin to get back to me so I can send you the word doc. )

 

[Mandarine]

Nice explanation April!!!

For the backgrounds I''ve been using fonts.
This website has a bunch of fonts with designs: http://www.houseoflime.com/

Then you start typing letters and seeing all the cute pictures come up, once you see one you like you can increase the font to 200 or something like that and put it on top of your letters. Right click on it and select "Order", "Send to back". That way your monogram is still on the top of the "design".

Your wedding is at the bexh, right?. I saw some really cure designs with beach realted elements in the back.
I could try something for you, let me know what you''re thinking...

M~

 

[TravelingGal]

Still having a little fun...

 

[Harleigh]

Oh, T-Gal! That is just too cool! Can you try it in fuschia and light green for me? I personally like the pink, but I think FI might want the green to be the standout color...what do you think? Thanks for helping!

I love everyone''s creative ideas...keep ''em comin''!

 

[Harleigh]

Ooohh...since we''re getting married in Hawaii, any thoughts on trying to throw some tropical flowers in there???

 

[TravelingGal]

Harleigh, I had to change the font design, since the initial one is very dark with the shading and the colors would not come out. The layout remains the same. Not sure if these are the right colors???

 

[TravelingGal]

and in reverse (I prefer the initial one.)

 

[april diamonds]

Date: 9/24/2007 8:56:48 PM
Author: Harleigh
Ooohh...since we''re getting married in Hawaii, any thoughts on trying to throw some tropical flowers in there???

Harleigh, I was JUST thinking the same thing! I guess great minds do think alike...haha

I just put this one together it''s a hibiscus flower. what do you think??

 

[Harleigh]

T Gal...that''s awesome! I actually like the first one better, too...how about putting the large V in black? And the colors are a bright pink and a really light lime green...they all look so different on each monitor it''s hard to tell. The pink color Happy in love posted is the exact pink color and the light green sera posted is almost the same as the green we have. Any thought with that? Thanks again!

 

[sera]

Here's the info... hope it helps!

LOCATING THE FONT
I use Firefox (I just open up the Downloads window from within Firefox; I do not use IE so I can't tell you where the IE downloaded files save to... maybe your Desktop or My Downloads file?

If you can't find them, click START >then> SEARCH >then run a search for the file with the filename of the font you downloaded which will have a .TTF extension. On DaFont, if you click on the image of what the font looks like, it will open up a page with the full font displayed and it will also show the exact file name.

UNZIPPING THE FONT
When you download the font, they are in a Zip file. You need to unzip it. You can unzip it using WinZip which you can get free >HEREurl] by clicking the try first button. download and install it.

"Right Click" your zipped font file. Select "WinZip" then "Extract to Here."
When the WinZip window pops up, just click "Use Evaluation Version" (note: the more times you use the program, the longer you have to wait for that button to be clickable).

INSTALLING THE FONT
"Right Click" the font .TTF file you want to install and select "Copy" from the submenu. The extracted font file will most likely have a TT icon (some may have an O or an A).

Go to START > MY COMPUTER > C: DRIVE (or whatever your main drive is) > double-click the WINDOWS folder > double-click the FONTS folder

In the open Fonts window, select EDIT at the top and then PASTE from the submenu. This will paste the font and it will be installed. You can copy/paste more than one font at a time. Just make sure they are TrueType Files and not the zipped file.

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/24/2007 9:28:38 PM
Author: April Diamonds

Date: 9/24/2007 8:56:48 PM
Author: Harleigh
Ooohh...since we''re getting married in Hawaii, any thoughts on trying to throw some tropical flowers in there???

Harleigh, I was JUST thinking the same thing! I guess great minds do think alike...haha

I just put this one together it''s a hibiscus flower. what do you think??

Oohhh! Hibiscus is the Hawaii state flower...very nice job! Thanks for all of your efforts!

Can you try one with a script-like one like happy in love did with something flowery or beachy?

 

[Mandarine]

wow Sera, THAT is an explanation. You should see the explanation I gave on my thread. LOL. Harleigh, stick to Sera''s instructions!. Although same result, my instructions are horrible...lol.

I like having a little background...plus you have so many things you could choose from!. As I said in my thread, my creative juices are gone for today...but tomorrow I will give your monogram a try!!!!

M~

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/24/2007 10:20:04 PM
Author: sera
Here''s the info... hope it helps!

LOCATING THE FONT
I use Firefox (I just open up the Downloads window from within Firefox; I do not use IE so I can''t tell you where the IE downloaded files save to... maybe your Desktop or My Downloads file?

If you can''t find them, click START >then> SEARCH >then run a search for the file with the filename of the font you downloaded which will have a .TTF extension. On DaFont, if you click on the image of what the font looks like, it will open up a page with the full font displayed and it will also show the exact file name.

UNZIPPING THE FONT
When you download the font, they are in a Zip file. You need to unzip it. You can unzip it using WinZip which you can get free >HEREurl] by clicking the try first button. download and install it.

''Right Click'' your zipped font file. Select ''Extract to Here.''

INSTALLING THE FONT
''Right Click'' the font .TTF file you want to install and select ''Copy'' from the submenu. The extracted font file will most likely have a TT icon (some may have an O or an A).

Go to START > MY COMPUTER > C: DRIVE (or whatever your main drive is) > double-click the WINDOWS folder > double-click the FONTS folder

In the open Fonts window, select EDIT at the top and then PASTE from the submenu. This will paste the font and it will be installed. You can copy/paste more than one font at a time. Just make sure they are TrueType Files and not the zipped file.

Ah, sera, you are awesome!!! It amazes me that you ladies can just whip these beauties out like it''s nothing and I can''t even manipulate any of the ones you have created!

Thanks for the instructions...I am going to go take a quick shower, and then I''m buckling down and giving this a whirl...I think it''s going to drive me crazy to not be able to do this! I love the ones happy in love sent me, but I can''t do anything but save them to my computer...will I need to figure out how to load the program she used (Photoshop, I think) to even be able to print them out? I tried to print them out at work and was unable to...argh!

Have to hurry before "Dancing with the Stars" season 5 starts! Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/24/2007 10:22:58 PM
Author: Mandarine
wow Sera, THAT is an explanation. You should see the explanation I gave on my thread. LOL. Harleigh, stick to Sera''s instructions!. Although same result, my instructions are horrible...lol.

I like having a little background...plus you have so many things you could choose from!. As I said in my thread, my creative juices are gone for today...but tomorrow I will give your monogram a try!!!!

M~

Awe, Mandarine, you are soooo sweet! I appreciate your willingness to try to help! I saw the ones you posted, and I remember your gorgeous STD''s, so I can''t believe for an instant YOU need help! You are one of the MOST creative gals we have on here, and you have fantastic ideas! If you want to try on mine, that would be awesome! I really really like the script ones...not sure why, but I love the easy flow of those letters!

Can''t wait to see what you come up with!

 

[sera]

YW... I hope it makes sense lol... I did have to edit after posting the ''splainin in the unzipping section- I skipped 2 steps- I''m so used to doing it, it''s hard to remember all the steps lol. Kinda like when someone asks for directions to get to some place and you reply, "Well, I know how to get there when I''m driving, but I don''t the directions"

 

[april diamonds]

Here Harleigh - I used the same font that Happy used in her previous post! I do like it better with the scripty fonts!

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/24/2007 10:32:01 PM
Author: sera
YW... I hope it makes sense lol... I did have to edit after posting the ''splainin in the unzipping section- I skipped 2 steps- I''m so used to doing it, it''s hard to remember all the steps lol. Kinda like when someone asks for directions to get to some place and you reply, ''Well, I know how to get there when I''m driving, but I don''t the directions''

You''re so funny, sera...I do that ALL the time! Do you sit there, just thinking to yourself, "Why, oh why, don''t they get it???" And then you realize, they didn''t get it, cuz I didn''t TELL them all the details??? Hee hee hee...I find myself in these situations way too often, I''m sorry to say! I''ve just learned to own up to it as soon as I realize my blunder, and somehow, it''s become an endearing quality my friends just seem to accept about me...

I''m off to give your directions a try!

 

[Harleigh]

Date: 9/24/2007 10:46:44 PM
Author: April Diamonds
Here Harleigh - I used the same font that Happy used in her previous post! I do like it better with the scripty fonts!

Ooh, April, that looks great! Thanks for letting me see how it would look! I''m going to try a few myself using sera''s instructions and see how I do! Wish me luck!