X2 problem with print templates

[hipshot13]

I am trying to print photo business cards. The Avery templates supplied with X2 are not borderless as the cards are. They leave a white space between cards which the real Avery template does not. Is there a way I can import the Avery templates I downlosd from the Avery site or create my own within X2?

[LeviFiction]

Well....all of the templates in PSP are actually created using scripts. So I don't think downloading the Avery templates will work. That is unless Avery supplies the templates in PSPScript format for you.

It is possible to make your own templates, my only problem is that drawing them up in the layout editor doesn't seem very intuitive or helpful. So I'm afraid I've never gotten around to learning how to properly organize and make the templates. Though the help files do have an entire section on creating a template and editing and saving templates.

If I were going to make the template I'd make them myself following the examples found in the Print Templates folder. I could easily make my own script in notepad and then use that all I wanted. It's all pretty straight forward.....technically. Familiarity with Python makes things a lot easier of course.

[wds937]

Like LeviFiction, I have never bothered learning how to edit print templates from within PSP. Looking through my user defined print templates, I found a couple that were for a business card project I did in the last year or two. I manually edited one of them (using Notepad), and I changed it for printing business cards without the white spaces between them. Testing this on my Canon ink jet printer seems to work, but YMMV.

This template was originally based on the Avery 5871 template supplied with PSP X2 Ultimate. User defined templates are located in the Print Templates folder within the My PSP Files folder, which is within your (My) Documents folder. This print template is named 5871 Test Card, which means that its file name is MIPTemplate_Print_5871 Test Card.PspScript; it looks for an image file named Test.pspimage, located in the Shared Documents folder.

The contents of the file are as follows:

Code: Select all

from PSPApp import *

def ScriptProperties():
    return {
        'Author': u'',
        'Copyright': u'',
        'Description': u'',
        'Host': u'Paint Shop Pro Photo',
        'Host Version': u'12.50'
        }

def MIPTemplate_Print():
    return {
        'PrintingOptions': {
            'PrinterName': None, 
            'Orientation': 0, 
            'NumCopies': 1, 
            'Negative': False, 
            'Background': False, 
            'BackgroundColor': (255,255,255), 
            'OutputOption': 0, 
            'CornerCropmarks': False, 
            'CenterCropmarks': False, 
            'RegistrationMarks': False, 
            'ImageLabels': False, 
            'Header': False, 
            'HeaderText': u'', 
            'Footer': False, 
            'FooterText': u'', 
            'CMYKLabels': False, 
            'PrintQuality': 600, 
            'PaperSize': 1
            }, 
        'MIPCmdFile': u'', 
        'TemplateMetric': False, 
        'PageDimensions': (8.5,11), 
        'TemplateCategory': u'User Defined', 
        'TemplateDescription': u'Laser Clean Edge Business Cards 2" x 3-1/2"', 
        'Template': [{
            'CellPosition': (0.7500,0.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (0.750000,0.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (0.7500,2.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (0.750000,2.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (0.7500,4.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (0.750000,4.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (0.7500,6.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (0.750000,6.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (0.7500,8.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (0.750000,8.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (4.2500,0.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (4.25000,0.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (4.2500,2.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (4.25000,2.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (4.2500,4.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (4.25000,4.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (4.2500,6.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (4.25000,6.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            },{
            'CellPosition': (4.2500,8.5000), 
            'CellSize': (3.500,2.000), 
            'ImagePlacement': 2, 
            'EllipticalCell': False, 
            'ImagePath': u'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Documents\\Test
Card\\Test.pspi'\
                u'mage', 
            'RotationAngle': 0, 
            'ImagePosition': (4.25000,8.50000), 
            'ImageSize': (3.50000,2.00000)
            }], 
        'TextFieldList': []
        }

def Do(Environment):
    # Print
    App.Do( Environment, 'Print',         MIPTemplate_Print())

Because alignment is never perfect, you could have a very small white edge at the left side of the left-most cards and at the right side of the right-most cards. Similar issues could appear at the top of the top-most cards and at the bottom of the bottom-most cards. If this is a problem, these issues can be solved by reducing the left and right margins by a small fraction of an inch and making corresponding increases in the width of the cards. For example, if you take away 0.050 inches from the left and right margins, make the cards 3.55 inches wide (instead of 3.50). You could make similar changes to the top and bottom margins, compensating in the heights of the top-most and bottom-most (only) cards.

Again, because alignment is never perfect, you should avoid placing text or important graphics within the outside tenth of an inch, or so, of each card. Test your card design and template by using plain paper first, and hold this paper up to your actual card stock to check alignment. This is faster and less expensive than testing using actual card stock.

[hipshot13]

Thanks guys, For now I find it easier to make up the card image in PSP X2 and then import it into Avery Design pro to print it. It is sad though that whoever did the PSP templates didn't get it right in the first place.

[LeviFiction]

Does Avery make changes to a current template and just re-release the template? If this happens then it's possible the one in PSP once matched and they just never bothered to go through and make sure everything was up to date. That could easily be wishful thinking though. XD