Birth Announcement Art - Step by Step Tutorial

I have received so many wonderful comments on the wedding date art I did last October I thought I would share with you exactly how I created it. Rather then recreating something I have already done, I thought I would share how to create a birth announcement version of the wedding date art.

So I created a step by step tutorial on how to create these in Publisher.

Here is exactly how I make these in Publisher. Be prepared there are a lot of photos...but I found that to be the easiest way to explain how to make them.

Open Microsoft Publisher and select your desired size. I have used an 8x10 size in this tutorial.
Select 'Insert' and 'Picture'.

Locate the image you want to use and re-size it to be approximately 5 inches wide.  To center the image, slowly drag it to the middle of the page and a light pink line will appear when it is in the center of the page. I put the image in the upper third of the page.

To create a border around the image, select 'Insert' and then 'Shape'. Select rectangle and create a box that is a little larger than the photo image.

To make the border thicker, click on the border and select 'Format', 'Shape Outline', and 'Weight'. I used a 3 point weight line in black to surround the photo.

To center the border around the photo, slowly move it around the photo and a light pink hashed line will show you when you have it centered around the photo.

 Insert the three date images you have selected. (To find the links for the free date photos go here)

Be sure the dates are all the same size (you can right click on each image and select 'format picture' and then 'size' to do this) and then line up all three. Again a light pink line will show you when the top and bottom are lined up.

 I grouped the three date images together so when I move one, they will all move. To do this, select all three by either clicking on each one while holding the control key held down or click slightly off to one corner with the mouse, and while holding the mouse down, drag over all three images.

 Right click on the grouped images and select 'Group'.

 Center the date with the photo.

To create the double border around the numbers, I inserted two separate rectangles around the three dates. The inner rectangle is a 1.5 point black line and the outer is a 3 point black line.

 Again, align the two border rectangles so they are centered.

 

 To enter the name and birth information, I inserted text boxes. To do this, select 'Insert' and then 'Text Box'.

Create a text box over the bottom of the two number border lines. Type the baby's  birth information and select the desired font and size. Use the same technique to align the name with the photo. In order for the lines not to be visible through the box, select 'Format', 'Shape Fill' and then select the color white. This will fill in the text box with white, so you will not see the border lines through the typed.

Create a second text box for the baby's name. This one does not need to be filled in white. Use the same technique of slowly moving the box around to center it with the other images.

To change the images to black and white or sepia, select the image and then 'Format', 'Recolor' and either black and white or sepia. You will also need to do this for each of the three date images. This can always be changed back to color by selecting 'No Recolor', so don't be afraid to play around.

You can also insert a digital scrapbook paper (same way as inserting an image) for the background. This dramatically changes the look and can also be changed to black and white.

 Save the image first as a Publisher file. To then save the image as a high resolution JPEG image to have it printed, select 'Save As', pull down 'Save as Type'.

 Select 'JPEG File Interchange Format'.

 Then click on 'Change' to alter the level of resolution. Select 'High quality printing' and then 'Save'.

That is it! As my kids say Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy!

I am not sure which of the four are my favorite but I really do like these two. What do you think? Which of the four at the top are your favorite?

So for $0 to create and under $1 to print you can create an amazing gift. You can buy similar items on Etsy for loads of money, so no one will have to know it cost you next to nothing!

Please leave me a comment if you have any questions or if you need any help. I am still emailing out the wedding date template, so leave a comment with your email address if you want that one sent to you.

Have a great week.
Stephanie