Hallmark Card Studio (PC)

There seems to be an ever increasing amount of things for which cards are required, birthdays, anniversaries, thank you, get well soon to name but a few. Almost every week I find myself browsing the card aisles for yet another card. They are expensive but that didn't bother me so much as often not being able to find an image that I was happy to send (I'm very fussy) and more importantly the right message. I can't abide these generic soppy poems when I really want to say a few heartfelt words to someone special. Hence the reason why I thought I would give making my own cards a go.

This software was tested on the following PC specification:
Machine: Dell
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional, 64 bit
RAM: 4 GB
Mouse: Logic wireless
Monitor: HP 2210i

This software is supplied on a DVD and installs easily, taking up very little space on your computer. You don't need a high spec. machine to use it and it will run with XP, Vista or Windows 7.

What I first noticed about the software was how intuitive it was to use. I hate loading new software that I have to spend ages learning how to use it; I tend to be one of those 'have a play and see what it does' person. If you prefer to have an introduction or a bit of help then a comprehensive help section is included which will answer your questions and guide you through making your first card. Once you have done one you will not have a problem making a variety of other cards.

There are in the region of 3,000 templates that you can use so you have plenty of choice. These can also be adapted to suit your own needs so in reality the number of combinations and choices are infinite. What is good is that the image you use resizes automatically to whatever size card you are making. This is great because you don't need a specialist graphic package to reduce the size beforehand. It also means that the image will stay in the correct proportions and you won't get any weird effects such as long skinny bodies or strange looking circles.

The software comes with a large selection of clip art images so if you want to send a cartoony style of card then these are perfect. You can also use your own images so you can get the exact look and feel that you are after. The software also has a photo editor include which you can use to make small corrections to your photographs, for example cropping an area, removing red eye.

You can easily add your own messages, choose the font style, size and colour you want and position them exactly where you would like them to be on the card. If you can't think of the right thing to say there is a library included in the package which contains a good selection of ready made verses from which you can select something appropriate.

The only slightly fiddly bit is the printing. It is worth using a good quality cardboard to get the best results, I have tried photographic paper and that gives a beautiful, high gloss, expensive looking finish, but it does put the price up per card. You also need to make sure that your printer paper is exactly straight in the printer. If it is even slightly offset the card can look skewed, especially if it has boarders - your eye picks this up very easily.

Overall, a easy to use, intuitive piece of software that makes it a doddle to create personalised, professional looking cards.

A really good value product.
For several years I have used Microsoft Greetings which came with an old Windows98 and thought it was good but would not work with Windows 7. This
Hallmark is even better, and for the price amazing. If you don't want to make your own designs the ones provided are a nice selection and the whole package very versatile. Highly recommended and with usual Amazon speedy delivery you cant go wrong. (One review says you cant save your creations, this is wrong there is a SAVE button on the main screen )

Installation of the software was quick and straightforward and does not occupy much space on the hard drive. The user interface is quite reasonable and comes with a comprehensive 'help' option to guide new users through the basics of card production. The print setup has a good graphical option to help orientate the card/paper correctly for double sided printing.

The software includes a comprehensive set of designs and categories for quick and easy card production with minimum effort, and also includes multiple clip art libraries for more adventurous card design. A nice touch is the inclusion of various verses and eulogies to provide inspiration.

Music clips are also included for e-cards for those occasions when a printed card is not necessary.

Photographs can be used in the card design and a photo editor is included in the software to assist with manipulating the image (red-eye reduction etc.) when necessary.

The only area which needed some thought was the interface between the product and the printing software on the PC. Initially, any attempt to print anything other than an A4 size card produced results which were offset on the page or printed off the edges. By trial and error we fixed this by changing some of the defaults for the printer in the printer software on the PC.

Overall, this is a well designed piece of software which allows creative production of professional looking greetings cards (and other items such as Calendars, Gift boxes, Photo frames etc.) quickly and with minimum effort, in a user-friendly way.