You don’t have to invest in an expensive home-publishing program to give it a try. Most greeting-card software sells for about $30 and you’re not just limited to cards. You can also make your own labels and stationery and can send electronic greetings via e-mail. How do you know which program is best for you? We’ve tested several of the most popular to make your choice easier. If you’re a novice, don’t be intimidated by all the options listed on the box. Most programs let you unleash your creativity at your own pace. Start with ready-made designs until you’re prepared to move on. Soon you’ll be scanning in personal photos, composing the layout and even writing the verses yourself.
GREETINGS WORKSHOP
(MICROSOFT, STREET PRICE: $29.95; 800-426-9400): Hallmark wanted to give computer users a new way to send the very best. How? By teaming up with Microsoft to create a package offering more than 10,000 graphics, 4,000 messages and 125 fonts. Once you install the huge collection, your whole family will want to take turns with this easy-to-use program. If you’re a first-timer, let Rocky, your host dog, guide you. More adventurous types can start from scratch. Just mix and match clip art, backgrounds and text until you have the perfect card. Stumped for ideas? Consult the Hallmark Idea Book. Have the card ready but fear you might forget to send it? Program a reminder. If you exhaust the thousands of images, Hallmark’s Web site (http://GreetingsWork shop.msn.com) offers add-on packs for about $6. Greetings Workshop is great for kids and fun for adults, and there’s no mistaking Hallmark’s trademark. The few sophisticated designs are hidden among the kittens and teddy bears. Some additional projects you may pursue: banners, calendars, awards and stickers. One drawback: it doesn’t do envelopes.
SIGNATURE GREETINGS
(BRODERBUND, STREET PRICE: $29.95; 800-521-6263): Broderbund likes to emphasize the look and feel of Signature Greetings–with good reason. From the moment you enter the main interface, a lifelike desk strewn with cards, you know it’s not a cartoony program from a greeting-card titan, but a sophisticated offshoot of an established desktop-publishing program. Use the Windows-like interface to combine one of the 5,000 designs (many of them from Marcel Schurman Fine Papers; the company’s high-quality cards can be found at Papyrus retail stores). Signature Greetings has limited flexibility. You won’t find clip art on this disc, and don’t expect to make cute banners and fliers. But you can still put together elegant stationery sets and postcards or scan in your photo and craft a frame for it. With Signature Greetings, what you see is what you get: no tempting add-on packs, seasonal upgrades or brand-name papers to buy. But remember that more content doesn’t equal better quality. Depending on your greeting-card needs, this package of distinctive designs is a bargain.
AMERICAN GREETINGS CREATACARD PLUS
(MICROGRAFX, STREET PRICE: $29.95; 800-676-3110): This program is accessible to all ages, and mastering it is a snap. CreataCard–named after the selfservice card-making machines that sprouted up in retail stores five years ago-lets you make signs, stationery, certificates and, of course, cards. You can order card stock and embossed American Greetings envelopes from CreataCard, but we recommend stocking up at Staples to make your home project economical. If you can’t be bothered with the U.S. Postal Service or haven’t yet invested in a color printer, have American Greetings print and send your personalized card for a small fee. Choose from an ample 7,000 designs and 8,500 pieces of clip art to customize your message, or dip into additional card packs at about $12.95 a pop (content addicts: hide your credit cards). If it’s within your budget, you can personalize messages from licensed characters like Beavis and Butt-head, Betty Boop or the Three Stooges. Or use NFL and Major League Baseball logos on your communiques. Don’t be afraid to buy the “For Adults Only” set–CreataCard comes with a kidlock function in case your customized greetings turn too risque for young eyes.
PRINT ARTIST 4.0 PLATINUM
(SIERRA, STREET PRICE: $49.95; 800-757-7707): For those willing to pay more for their desktop-publishing product, Print Artist is the most comprehensive package of the group. With 32,000 graphics and more than 300 fonts, you’re assured of never creating the same greeting card twice. If you’re not feeling creative, choose from the 2,500 ready-to-print layouts. Most importantly, Print Artist includes two photo-manipulation programs: Ulead’s Photo Express and Kai’s Power GOOSE. Photo Express allows you to crop, re-size, recolor, shade or retouch your photos, and Power GOO allows you to twist, squeeze and stretch your photos. But don’t be fooled: Print Artist is not just for making Christmas cards fun. The breadth and style of this four-CD publisher make it serious enough for small businesses to create letterhead, fliers and invitations to the company Christmas party.
