How to Create a Four-Fold Greeting Card in a Word-Processing Program

Personalize the holidays with your own four-fold greeting card, designed on a standard word-processing program.

Open a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. From the File menu, choose New. If the program offers you a choice of template, choose Normal or Blank.

Fold a single sheet of 8.5-inch-by-11-inch paper in half (top to bottom) and then into fourths (fold side to side). Number the squares, with No. 1 on the front, No. 2 on the inside left, No. 3 on the inside right and No. 4 on the back.

Unfold the paper and lay it flat. This is how you will set up the card in the program.

Design the card and add graphics, text and banners as desired. For best results, use the program's Draw tools to create text boxes instead of typing straight to the page. Draw tools allow you to move the boxes around the page.

When you are finished, use the Flip or Rotate command to turn the objects on the front (No. 1) and back (No. 2) upside down. Consult your software program's help file for more information.

Print the page and fold it in half (top to bottom) and then into fourths (side to side), making sure the images are in the proper order. For best results, print trial sheets using the lowest-quality, black-and-white settings on your printer.

Save the completed file and print the card onto high-quality colored or white paper, using the printer's optimum settings. Fold and sign the card.