If there's one thing every home and office must have, it is a calendar. Although we live in a world of computer calendars and organizers, online calendars, PDAs and mobile phone alerts, nothing will ever replace the printed calendar. One glance at it will tell you where you are in time and the notes you have made on it will remind you of important dates and things to be done. Nothing to switch on or buttons to press - it's just there.
Calendars are of two basic types, the small self supporting desk types and the larger wall ones. There are many variations in these types - one page per week or one per month; just days and dates or space for noting things down. Whatever type you prefer, the one thing that will influence your choice is the artwork or photographs on the calendar. Since this is such a major factor in a calendar's appeal, why not try making your own photo calendar? It's easy.
The first thing to do is to choose the pictures you want to use. It's normally a good idea to choose a theme such as the family, holidays, the home, children, pets and so on and select your pictures around this theme. If the calendar is meant for personal use, choose pictures that bring back happy memories. If you want to present the calendar to family and friends, choose pictures that speak for themselves. After you choose your photographs, copy them to a CD (scan old film prints) so they are ready for use.
Use your photo editing software to modify and enhance the picture so it is exactly as you would like it to appear on the calendar. Add captions if you want to but keep them short. The picture should speak for itself. If you haven't learned how to use photo editing software, now is the time to learn. Most digital cameras come with their own editing programs and there is also the option of using one of the many available for both free and paid download.
Once your pictures are ready, find a calendar making software. Again, there are a multitude of both free and paid for programs available and most are easy to use. Some standard programs like Microsoft Word have calendar making templates with which you can create simple calendars. Be ready to allocate some time to this so you can experiment and find what you like best.
The next step is printing the calendar. The quality of paper you use will have a huge impact on the final look of the calendar so don't try to cut costs here. Of course, your printer needs not just to be good enough to produce top class prints but to support the quality and size of the paper you choose. If your printer can't handle the job, get it printed professionally. There are many shops to whom you can send your calendar format and who will print and send it back to you. Many photo labs nowadays offer your own personalized calendars, so that's an option too.
The finals step is to have your calendar bound - it could be either spiral binding or tear off sheet. Any stationery shop will be able to do this for you.
And that's it. Your personalized photo calendar is ready.
You'll learn even more with Proud Photography - one of the best online photography schools available today at http://www.proudphotography.com/
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