Graphic People - I need help!

Drea

Okay basically we have paper which is pre-made up with our company name, colours, etc. In the middle of this paper is a space for a photo.

My boss has asked me to somehow find a way to be able to print the photo straight onto this paper! That means getting it at the right place to print and making the rest of the electronic version transparent otherwise it will just print white all over the paper.

I have tried using Word to do it but it just isn't happening, have tried Paint which won't work either. I'd be able to do this if I had Photoshop or something but we have no graphics programs at all. My boss seems to think this is a simple thing to do. Or maybe I am just being daft?

Can anyone help at all?

isofa

You can do this in Word, I assume you want it faded out, when you click the picture in Word, you should have a Picture toolbar appear, you can change the brightness and contrast to get the faded version you require - that is the cheapest and "dirtiest" way to do it, but don't expect professional results! (Decrease the contrast, increase the brightness to fade.)

Make sure you set the picture to be behind the text, otherwise it'll overprint the document (right-click > format picture).

If you use Photoshop (or something like free: paint.net) you can change the levels, or the B+C here and resave the image, then import into Word or whatever and the fading will be just how you want it.

marleyboy

You could try adjusting the border of the paper to the specific size if the photo is in the centre of the page, meaning the whole of the sheet would stay blank apart from the central square which would be the size of the image to be printed. You can either adjust the settings within the printer settings or the software settings.

Drea

The problem with word is that I can't even seem to drag the photo. It just won't move when I have both pictures in there :mad:

I have tried everything to do this and can't. Said to the boss I can't work out a way to do and he just looked at me as if I was an idiot and I'm still sat here with it.

Surely even if I got the photo in the right place (which is proving impossible), the rest of the screen wouldn't be transparent?

NBE

The rest of a word document will be transparent because all (except specialist graphics printers) do not print white. So if you printed something onto blue paper, everything would have a blue background not a white background.

In regards to not being able to move the image, you need to alter the text wrapping properties of the image. If you right-click on it and click text wrapping, then change the text wrapping to Tight, this should then allow you to move the image around freely.

HTH

Drea

Okay, found a way to get the photo on, a bit squint but it will have to do. We photocopied the photo straight onto the paper.

Now, he wants writing :rotfl: I am going to scream.

macman

Do you mean you have pre-printed paper with the logo and address etc? So all you need to overprint is the photo and the relevant document text? If so, you need to make a template in Word that contains your photo to the correct size (and in the correct place). Then you create each document using that template.
I don't understand what you mean when you say 'the rest of the sceen wouldn't be transparent' (you mean white). Why wouldn't it? If the only image on the template is the photo, what else is there?
You can't print in white, only in CMYK.

Drea

macman wrote: »

Do you mean you have pre-printed paper with the logo and address etc? So all you need to overprint is the photo and the relevant document text? If so, you need to make a template in Word that contains your photo to the correct size (and in the correct place). Then you create each document using that template.
I don't undestand what you mean when you say 'the rest of the sceen wouldn't be transparent' (you mean white). Why wouldn't it? If the only image on the template is the photo, what else is there?
You can't print in white, only in CMYK.

Yes I know I need to make a template, which is what I am having trouble doing.

Well the transparent question has now been answered (thanks), but I thought that the white background would be printed unless it was made transparent.

macman

No, white is not a colour (well not in this context). It's just the colour of the paper. Only the photo and any text you add will actually overprint the existing pre-printed text/logo.

Drea

Thanks guys, I have now added the photo in Word properly.

I just can't seem to do the text now. Isn't there a way to write over a picture as I still have the original scan of the paper in the background which I will delete after everything is set in properly.

Drea

Gah when I type it just pushes the picture down! I want to cry.