Crafts by Carolyn - Using Your Printer for images and photos

Using Your Printer - for images and photos
You can spend a fortune on equipment and materials, but if you have a printer you can make and download all sorts of items to use for card making and other papercraft projects. It might be that you just fancy trying something new and can’t get to the shops or have the right stamps, these suggestions might help you through, and you don't have to be a computer expert. Don't forget to experiment printing on other surfaces too, such as acetate and vellum. Big thank you to Jackie Okey-Dokey for all her lovely examples that she did for this article. I have put a selection of images on this page to give you more ideas and are bigger images, than shown here.
This is from the Karen Whimsies site, and I have added some colour with colouring pencils.	Changing Colours If you want to make an image lighter/darker or black & white and you are not sure how to here is a simple way, if you have some knowledge of MS Word: Open a new page, then go to insert --> picture --> from file, and find the image that you have saved on your PC. Then once there hover over the image and right click with your mouse --> format picture--> picture - then change the 'colour' and play with the slider bars on the contrast. Have a go with the many ideas on here. Images Images are ideal if you have that specific themed card, or just want to do something different. Check out the links pages for a selection of sites that offer free images, there is quite a selection. Or try searching for clip art, or putting in the type of image you would want for your card. I print my images onto good quality paper or thin card, you can always experiment with different textures and colours. You can have them already coloured, or find them as black and white images or drawings and then colour them yourself. They can be coloured with a variety of mediums, just don’t get the print too wet if using water based inks as the black may smudge.
Here is one Jackie has made from clip art	Jackie has made this from clip art.		Here is another from Jackie the Geocaching picture was from a web site
Photos Have a search through some of your photos there could be something perfect for your card. Or if not maybe you could take a specific photo by setting your own scene here are a few quick ideas: teapot, tea cup and cake; baby feet; car; the children; just have a wander around the house and see what you can find! Or search on the web for an image of what you require. When you are out and about you can always take some photos that maybe of use next time - maybe footprints in the sand, wildlife and wildflowers, snow scenes. With a digital camera it will not cost you anything to take some, and just print them when you need them. Once you have found your image you could experiment printing them in black and white, or other colours. It is not always necessary to print them onto photo card - they often work just as well on smooth card. Just check out any copyright on images and photos especially if you sell the cards. Here is a book mark from Jackie		A photo taken during the snow in Ampthill and made into a Christmas card Jackie has made this - another snow scene
Here is one that Kath from the forum has taken a photo, and then made it into a card		Jackie has made this ny printing the photo on acetate and also on the card for a 3D effect
Dingbats Dingbats are a type of font but each letter is a picture rather than a letter. There are many free fonts available, and also loads for sale that are on a few pounds/dollars. In the links section there are quite a few suggestions for sites. They will be line drawings so you can colour them in as you wish. Here are two ATCs made by Jackie using Dingbats