Please help with some techincial know-how...need to scan and manipulate a painting to make a card....no idea where to start!

[Tobermory]

My DD has painted (with a LOT of helo from MUMMY) a picture for us to make into Xmas cards. Now i need a bit of technical know-how...

I need to get the picture into my computer so i can maipulate it...add text, change size, etc...but how?
We dont have a scanner, would somewhere like staples be able to to do it for me?

Then when it is scanned which programme would be best to use for maipulating and fiddling - have a Mac and no publisher.

Help please!

[NotQuiteCockney]

Don't know about manipulating - you can probably make cards using a site like Photobucket or something?

Re: scanning - most printers are scanners these days, maybe someone you know could do it? Otherwise, yes, maybe Staples, or any copier shop. You'd need to bring a USB stick to put the image on, or maybe they'd let you mail it to yourself ...

[MrVibrating]

If you have a Mac, then you should have iPhoto.

I am not sure where you could get the picture scanned: this is not generally available as a service. Jessops do a walk-in 35mm negative scanning service (film scanners are more expensive than ordinary flat-bed document scanners, so not many people have one) so they might do it for you.

You would probably get a good result just by taking a photograph though - can you borrow a decent digital camera?

[Tobermory]

Thanks both.
MrV, a photograph...great idea which would have never occured to me. Have tried it and with a bit of fiddling with settings, colouring etc looks fab.

Next question....have been using pages to create the card but need to print in colour, we dont have a colour printer....any great ideas~?

[MrVibrating]

If you are really in Tobermory you need to use an online service like VistaPrint .

If you live on Wimbledon Common though, you could walk in to a local print shop and ask them. You will get a lot more help and advice, and the end results will probably be better because of that, but they will cost more per card than online, and may require a large minimum order.

[Tobermory]

Where else would i live MrV?

Don't want a glossy finish. really just want them printing onto thick white card/paper.
Will a copy shop be able to print it from a memory stick given that it is a PAGES document?

[MrVibrating]

Still not sure - Mull or SW19?

If you are planning on using a local independent copy shop, go in and ask them. You will probably find they use Macs, although not the same software as you!

When I say you will get a better end result, I don't mean shinier paper, I mean a good local printer should put the effort in to get something that looks good printed. An online service will just print what you send them, and because printing works differently to displaying things on a screen, the end result may not be as satisfactory.