I have a stash of really cute and not-quite-age-appropriate stationery. I collected a lot of it when I was in Taiwan, ignoring the fact that technology already made it obsolete. I still like to use it though, especially when I'm sending packages to out-of-town friends. However, it always bothers me when my poor spelling and sloppy handwriting 'ruin' the stationery. Unhappy with cross-outs and
bad kerning, I conceived a high-tech solution for a low-tech medium.
 |
| [A relic, ripe for modernization] |
Scan the stationery and set up an InDesign file. Place the image on the Master page, and keep it on a non-printing layer.
Then I set up a text box on the master page and drew shapes over the areas where I don't want text. By selecting the Text Wrap option, the text will avoid those areas.
One thing I really like about this solution is that I can use the same template again and again until I finish a pack of stationery. And it feels much more natural to be able to type a message rather than write by hand (evolution or de-evolution?). Lastly, I think this is one of the few cases where a 'handwriting' font makes sense (Apple Casual in this example).
I realize this whole process is really obsessive and this tip might not be very useful to a wide audience*, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.
*Here's a Venn diagram of the audience that I imagine will appreciate this post:
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