Mouse Clix

By: Hobie Lunin

What’s the buzz on business cards?

From where I sit, it appears that many people are getting on-line with the intent to send and receive e-mail as their main focus. With this in mind, it seems important to accurately communicate your e-mail address to those who want it. I particularly notice that newbies to the Internet have e-mail addresses in their possession that are inaccurate. (As an aside here remember that there are no spaces in an e-mail address, they are not case sensitive, so that they can always be typed into the computer in lower case and they always have an @ symbol in them). To alleviate the misspelling problem, I suggest that one of your first projects in a word processor is to make cards with your e-mail address on them. These can be the size of a business card.

As you will want to have these printed on heavy paper, 120# or more, I suggest that you buy pre-scored blank business cards available at many stores, including Wal-Mart, Office Max, and Staples. These packages usually contain 10 sheets. Each sheet makes 10 cards. If you want to reduce the cost involved, you can buy index or cover weight paper at 110-120# in white or a light color. If you chose this method, I suggest you buy or borrow a paper cutter so that you get even edges when cutting the cards apart. The pre-scored cards do not require a cutter as the cards easily separate from the surrounding border (½”, top and bottom, ¾” on the sides).

You can make a card in Works or Word by selecting the label program. Click Tools (in the tool bar up top) and then Envelopes and Labels in Word. In Works it is essentially the same. If you have a card program of any kind in your computer, there is a good chance that it has a place where you can make a business card. The card program will offer Business Cards in a list right after the opening page. Either follow instructions there or see below.

In Word, click on Tools and then Labels. On the next screen you can select the Avery number, which appears on your package of prescored cards or #8371, if you are using Index weight unscored paper. Look for a place to check that you want the text: Full Page of the Same Label.

Start by hitting Enter and then hitting the space bar a few times. Type in your name. Make a couple of line spaces and type in your e-mail address. It is a good idea to put the address in lower case to save time and confusion for the typist. Check and double check that you have it accurately. Below that, you may want to put your phone number.

Now center everything the way you want it using your space or backspace keys. Print out one sheet on plain paper to see how it fits on the cards. The prescored sheets come with a sheet to test print to assure that they are centered properly. You may want to Xerox this sheet so you have plenty to practice with. If you are using unscored paper, try cutting the sheet up to see how they look. Make the font size larger or move text around to make your card attractive. To change the font size on one or more words, highlight them (if it is only one word, double click on it to highlight). Then go to your tool bar and change the number in the window to a higher number by clicking the down arrowhead and the selecting a preferable font size. Changing the font itself is done similarly except you will be selecting a new font from the selection available just to the left of the font size. To change the color of the text, highlight it and then select a color from the font color button on the task bar. To add a graphic, try clicking on Insert and then pointing to Picture and then clicking on Clip Art. You will then have the opportunity to look for a graphic that you like. Most computers have a small supply of them and many are available for the taking on the Internet. To move it to your card, double click on it. When you see it again it will have a box around it with “handles“ that you can drag to change the size of the graphic to fit on the card. Click out of the card area to remove the handles when you are done playing with it. Should you want to make a change later, click on the graphic and the handles will reappear. To remove the graphic at that point you can hit the delete key on your keyboard and it will disappear.

When you are happy with your cards, start running the good paper through the printer and separate the cards from the prescored sheets. If you are not using the prescored, start cutting with a paper cutter by removing ½” from each long edge, ¾” top and bottom, and making one cut down the center of the remaining sheet and, using the ruler on the cutter, make the cards 2” x 3½”.

If you find this process daunting, you can find sites on the Internet that will print up cards for you. One of these, “www.iprint.com.” makes ordering any of their items easy.

Either way it is important to make sure that people have your e-mail correctly listed in their address book. Now you have a card to give people that ask for your e-mail address reducing the possibility of errors.

Hobie Lunin is a Computer Instructor and Consultant and will answer questions at hlunin@email.com.