Wedding What software do you use for DIY Projects?

[violet02]

My friend isn''t back from vacation so I can''t pick her brain. I want to get a head start though on the menu and program layout.

What software do you use to make yours? It can be freeware or something you bought, doesn''t matter. I''d love to hear what''s best and how easy/hard it was to use.

Also did you work off of a template for the menu or program or did you make it up as you went?

Thanks!

 

[Pandora II]

I use CorelDraw.

It''s a vector-based design software package.

I LOVE using it, but it takes a while to learn it, especially if you''re not used to vector graphics (once you''ve tried them you''ll be hooked!)

I make up all my own templates.

 

[violet02]

Is it similar to Illustrator? I don''t know how to use that really. I have photoshop and publisher. I was thinking publisher would be easy to use. Tried it once, bleh. My main problem is knowing how to lay the page out when I want to cut it into thirds... there has to be an easy way to know how much space I have to work with.

 

[buttercup80]

I''ve used Pulblisher for our save the dates and our programs and am happy with it. . .

 

[ladyciel]

I've mainly used Adobe Illustrator (For invitations, because they were heavy on the vector graphics) and Adobe InDesign (programs and the cards for our favors). I have access to illustrator through school, and I just got the 30 day free trial of InDesign from adobe's website. I've been working w/o templates, although for the ceremony programs I did cheat and put my design together based off of one I saw online that I really liked.

ETA: I think the hardest thing about InDesign is figuring out where everything is in the menus. If you're used to how adobe organizes things in photoshop then you'll probably be used to this.

 

[misspinky]

Date: 8/24/2008 10:26:36 AM
Author: ladyciel
I''ve mainly used Adobe Illustrator (For invitations, because they were heavy on the vector graphics) and Adobe InDesign (programs and the cards for our favors). I have access to illustrator through school, and I just got the 30 day free trial of InDesign from adobe''s website. I''ve been working w/o templates, although for the ceremony programs I did cheat and put my design together based off of one I saw online that I really liked.


ETA: I think the hardest thing about InDesign is figuring out where everything is in the menus. If you''re used to how adobe organizes things in photoshop then you''ll probably be used to this.

I used Illustrator for our save the dates, invitations, and reply cards. I thought it was the easiest to work with.

 

[violet02]

Date: 8/24/2008 9:54:24 AM
Author: buttercup80
I''ve used Pulblisher for our save the dates and our programs and am happy with it. . .

Is there a special template you use in publisher were you can do three column layouts etc? I had a hard time finding that. I may be able to get a copy of illustrator.

Any menu and program templates out there?

 

[taovandel]

I use Microsoft programs. I use them at work all the time, so I''m familiar with them. Sometimes I find a few different ideas on the internet and kind of make them my own with different changes or what not. Or they just come from out of my own head with no help. I plan on using Publisher/Word for my programs, place cards, table numbers, and the invite.

 

[violet02]

are there special publisher templates you can use for wedding stuff? do you have a smaple layout that you use?

When you first launch publisher what template do you work with? Do they have some in the program? They all seem so brochure and business like to me. I have yet to find one I like. There must be a template download somewhere that I'm missing! Frustrating!

 

[jackieomy]

I echo the sentiments for Adobe CS -- I used a combination of Photoshop and InDesign for all my DIY projects. There are some awesome downloadable Photoshop brushes that are so beautiful and make things incredibly easy to "prettify."

I think they''re by a design firm named Designfruit. But, any search of photoshop brushes will produce some amazing finds.

 

[Amandine]

I can''t speak specifically to the programs you are using...but I have used the free templates on the main Microsoft website numerous times. They may have one that you can change and work with to make what you want. Good luck!