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For the Love of Pal's

© Anna Morvee

Print Artist is a wonderful program to begin with, because of its simple user interface and the ease of creating projects. There are many layouts supplied with the program to help you design projects. Once you get to know the program it won't be difficult to expand your creativity.

Print Artist was formally known as Instant Artist. Then Sierra took over and has made many enhancements and added many additional features. The feature that sets Print Artist apart from the rest is the "Graphics Grabber." This is an easy-to-use tool in the program for accessing your graphics. The search feature I use most is by keyword. Print Artist supports several popular types of graphics, including JPEG, TIFF, and WMF. Also Print Artist has its own graphic format only available to Print Artist and that is the GFX. These graphics can be manipulated without distortion, whereas JPEG's can't.

There are several categories to choose from in Print Artist. You can make cards, ½ fold, ¼ fold, business cards, signs or posters, stationery, envelopes, crafts, and labels. You can then expand on each of these categories and make booklets, boxes, bag-tags, gift cards, business card envelopes, bookmarks, magnets, key tags and buttons. This list is limited only by your imagination. There are several web sites on the Internet that have templates that you can download and use in Print Artist.

Print Artist is also unique in that it is the only software of its kind to have a yearly convention devoted to it. This year it will be in Phoenix, Arizona. Sierra is very supportive and attends the conventions, as well as gives presentations to the attendees. Print Artist Lovers or Pal's come from all over the United States and Canada to meet, compare projects, and put faces to names that they have met online through email lists devoted to Print Artist. There are demonstrations of different techniques and products, contests in several different categories are judged and awarded at a special banquet. There are also a lot of fun, hugs, renewing friendships and creating new ones.

Print Artist has come out with two new versions: Print Artist 4.5 and Print Artist Publishing Suite. Next week I will review these two products. I am very excited, as there are several new additions in the Print Artist Publishing Suite, which comes bundled with three other programs: Print Artist 4.5, Quick Publish, SnapShot and Print Artist Pro-Graphics Library.