Designing your own greeting cards will add a personal touch to any occasion, including Father’s Day. If you like expressing yourself in images and words, PaintShop Pro is just the tool you need. Whether you need a special card for Dad, or a personal note for a loved one, you can create it yourself using PaintShop Pro.

Creating a card simply involves putting together various elements that fit well. You can create your own designs and elements from scratch, use some already loaded into your PaintShop Pro or use other products available on the internet, either as free downloads or purchased digital goods.

The foundation to creating a card starts with a template. You can find templates online, you can draw your own or use a tool to help you create a custom-sized one. A simple card just requires two rectangles, side by side, of the same size.

This is what the finished product will look like.

Embellish the right side (the front), and add whatever details you want to show on the left (the back). It’s that easy. Graphics and scrapbooking elements add life to your cards; they are varied and available for numerous themes.

In addition to creating the card to your own taste, you can also create a matching envelope, allowing you to have an unusual size or shape of card. And of course, with Paintshop Pro, you can also decorate your envelope in a way that will complement the card. No more boring solid-color envelope for your custom card!

The finished envelope.

The steps to create a custom card are simple:

• Create your basic template
• Decorate the template
• Print on cardstock from your own printer
• Cut, fold, glue
• Enjoy!

Have a look at how this card and envelope set was created using PaintShop Pro, and a few other supplies:

The script used to create the custom card and envelope templates is available HERE. The graphics are from Sweet Digi Scraps.

Once you’ve completed your card, you can enter it in my Father’s Day Card Contest for your chance to win a copy of PaintShop Pro X5!

Whether you are an artist and can create your own designs (maybe with Painter) or just a fan of digital crafts, card-making is easy, fun and lets your creativity go wild. And even better, you get to share that pleasure with someone who will know how much they mean to you. Like your Dad!

Have you designed a greeting card before? Who was it for? Tell us in the comments below.