1- I needed to set up guides of 2" by 3.5". To do this, I went into VIEW and clicked on SHOW RULERS. Then I took my selection tool and pulled out guides both horizontally and vertically.
2- I selected the PLACE command from the FILE menu and selected a scene that I had previously created in Adobe Photoshop 4. It was in the form of a TIFF and titled Desert.tif.
3- Since Illustrator 7 has the ability to modify bitmap or raster images, I chose FILTERS, COLORS, and SATURATE; then, I adjusted the saturation level until the image was dim enough for text to cover it. Prior to this, I had modified Desert.tif in Photoshop to create more yellow and red areas rather than browns and other deep shades of color.
4- I opened the text dialogue box by going to TYPE on the main tool bar and clicking on CHARACTER; then, I Chose a style of type that gave me the options of: regular, bold, italics, and italics bold.
5- I experimenter with type size starting with the largest size that would appear on the card. This turned out to be 18 point. I then arranged all my lines of type to my satisfaction.
6- I did a test print to see how the text looked over the image and to see if I had to adjust either.
7- Adobe Illustrator 7 has the ability to merge layers. While I could have created the card on one layer or one two layers and not merged them, I decided to create the text on one layer and leave the TIFF file on another until the card was finished. To do this. I selected WINDOWS from the tool bar, and then LAYERS. The TIFF file was already on layer one. In order to create a new layer, in this case a text layer, I clicked on the arrow on the right side of the LAYER s palette and selected NEW LAYER. I, then, named the new layer text . I now had two layers. I could have kept the file in this format and it would have printed fine, but I decided to merge the layers instead.
8- To merge the layers, I selected both layers by clicking on each while holding down the shift button. I then clicked on the right arrow on the box and selected MERGE LAYERS.
9- So as not to worry about not moving all the elements of the card together, I chose EDIT and SELECT ALL. Once all items were selected, I chose OBJECT, GROUP. Everything would now behave as a unit.
10- To finish the business cards, I selected the card with the SELECTION TOOL and then hit ctrl C (for copy) and then ctrl V (for paste). I hit ctrl V as many times as I had blank spaces delineated by the guide lines.
11- I then, dragged them to line up with the guide lines with the SELECTION TOOL.
Unfortunately, since the I/O Port is printed in black and white, I did not include a picture of the finished product for the text and the colors would not have been sufficiently different in b & w. To see the finished product, see the image on the TCS web site. Go to: www.tcs.org/ioport/bcdrtsn.htm to see the article from the August edition of the I/O Port.
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