How to Create Custom Gift Wrap Using Photo Editing Software

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Pick the image you want (ideally themed to match the gift or card).

   Make sure you own the rights to use the image.
   
   This example uses a little cartoon of a baby:thumb
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   Step 2: Change size and resolution - approximately 1” square at 300 dpi works OK to fill an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet

   ,,,,, 8 1/2 x 11 @ 300 dpi.
   
   Make it either portrait or landscape orientation as desired. , In Photoshop(TM) select Edit\FillPatternthumb ,,,, It's a good idea to "Print Preview" just to check that it is going to come out the way you expect.
   
   Check for Landscape/Portrait, paper size/quality, etc. "Draft" or "High Speed" print quality works for a faint 'watermark' effect (uses less ink too) You can also adjust Brightness and Contrast in your image editing program to get a similar effect.
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   Step 3: If using Photoshop

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   Step 4: make sure that Constrain Proportions and Resample Image are both checked

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   Step 5: otherwise you might squeeze your image or end up with an image way too big or too small (basically what we are trying to do at this step is to make an image just the right size to fill a sheet of paper when repeated as a pattern).

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   Step 6: Just for good housekeeping

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   Step 7: and in case you want to use it again later

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   Step 8: save this smaller version as a new file (rename it and save it where you can find it easily)

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   Step 9: Select All (Control+A) and Copy to clipboard ( \Edit\Copy )

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    Step 10: Now to make this into a pattern that you can repeat

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    Step 11: in Adobe Photoshop(TM) this is done by selecting \Edit\Define Pattern (GIMP

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    Step 12: Imageforge and other free image editing software have similar features)

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    Step 13: Now create a new blank file of the the required size and resolution

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    Step 14: Now comes the clever part

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    Step 15: in the new file Select All (Control+A) and we are simply going to fill the entire sheet with a repeating pattern of the image copied above.

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    Step 16: Click on the drop down box for Custom pattern thumb

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    Step 17: All available patterns should then appear

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    Step 18: and the item you just added should now be the last one in the list:thumb

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    Step 19: Click OK and your blank sheet should magically fill with repeating images:thumb

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    Step 20: Then just print on regular paper.

Detailed Guide

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