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Post by classicalstamps on Dec 6, 2022 22:04:01 GMT
Finished a couple of Danish pages today. A4 duplex, with information to the left, stamps to the right. Like all other countries I collect, I'm collecting Denmark "selectively" specialised, with the intention that the pages should not be easy to complete.   |
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renden
Member 
Posts: 9,162 
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Dec 6, 2022 22:13:42 GMT
Great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
René
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BermudaSailor
Member
Posts: 102
What I collect: British colonies, primary Bermuda
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Post by BermudaSailor on Dec 7, 2022 13:46:13 GMT
Very Impressive!
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 1, 2023 3:40:22 GMT
I'm not sure I'm completely ready to post this because it isn't done. But I couldn't wait any longer. This is a page I tossed together yesterday using Office Publisher 2013. I made the border but it needs some fine tuning as you can see where the corners are not connected and the dark black lines are not the same distance apart all the way around along side the light gray lines. Heck...I haven't even printed this yet because my inkjet printer is down and I didn't want to stop and clean the printhead right now. I also need to work on the spacing for the text between the bottom of the images and the text. They are not uniform.
But I'm not quite over the hump on the learning curve on Publisher. I'm still trying to figure out the dimensions and once I get that figured out then I'll be able to just use math to place all my blocks and some rough blocking out to get things about where they need to go.
I tried AlbumGen and while it is a nice program, I found there were too many things that it didn't do that Office (and LibreOffice Draw) did and I kept missing those features...like having more control on my text boxes. And having more control on my borders. Plus it would be a monetary investment that could go towards stamps whereas I already own Publisher and Draw and I am towards the top of the learning curve on both programs.
Here is another page that I drew up in LibreOffice Draw:
Here is another page I made...again...rough draft...borders are a bit wonky because I threw it together. But it was something I did just to get a feel for the work. I'm not planning on putting a lot of artwork in my album pages. I prefer to let the stamps tell the story. But these two stamps will have a page to call their own so there needed to be something to fill the space. I suppose I should make sure any artwork is public domain before I dump it in my album but for this practice run, I thought why not.
I have another page set up in both programs with the Showgard mount sizes and then I set up the blocks using those sizes for the outlines. On the actual pages, I am going to go about a mm or two under that size so as not to get a border showing through.
I've been contemplating whether to post thumbnail images of the stamps or not and if I do, should I post color or grayscale. I am leaning towards posting thumbnails and grayscale...but man...does that add more work!
If I was any good at macros, I could probably automate some of this. But I'm not. At least not yet. I've messed around with doing this in a Microsoft Access database but I can't figure out how to get a block from a form into a report. I'm still thinking about that one...
Paper is going to be Staples cream or gray. I just got a ream of each in a couple of days ago but I haven't unboxed them yet. I got 62gsm and 110gsm (is that the right acronym??) to see which one I like better. I also received some some samples of cardstock from Paperworks.com.
Stay tuned. Same bat channel. Same bat time! Mike
Feedback is welcome.
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stanley64
Member
Posts: 1,979
What I collect: Canada, USA, Netherlands, Portugal & Colonies, Antarctic Territories and anything that catches my eye...
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Post by stanley64 on Feb 1, 2023 11:36:34 GMT
Well done brookbam and talk about jumping in with both feet :-) The first page shared is well-balanced and definitely pleasant to these eyes. You could probably play with the spacing a bit, but adapting Pareto's law, in order to achieve perfection, the extra 20% of effort will take 80% of the time and is the extra minutes or hours worth it? As for your draft of the second page with the 1847 5 and 10 cent issues, that is a bit of fun. The artwork included is in the public domain, but if you are going to use it, it should probably be cited if only for your own reference: Alonzo Chappel, “Drafting the Declaration of Independence”. 1857, engraving Alexander Hay Ritchie, “Washington and his Generals with Key”. 1856, engraving. Given these issues though, do you need the art work, why not just double frame the stamps, give them some room to breathe and provide the printing details as you see fit. Overall though, I like the pages and find too, that the components of LibreOffice offer more than is necessary for creating one's own album pages...
Have fun and happy collecting! |
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 1, 2023 14:07:54 GMT
Oh My...
Now you are giving me something more to think about...and I saw this in some of the other pages too but I just didn't think I'd like it with the heavy borders on my own pages.
But I like the rearranged artwork with the stamp on each side. That really filled in nicely...but...
I really like the second page without any artwork and the heavy borders. This will look more like an art gallery collection as the pages are turned. And honestly, other than that first page, I didn't plan on having any other artwork in the album so that was going to be a weird page then.
I have some more playing to do.
I'll be back with the results.
Mike
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Post by uppercanadian on Feb 1, 2023 15:00:38 GMT
Hi Brookbam,
I really like the artwork on the pages. There are a number of reasons why people collect and mount stamps. For some, they are fascinated by the technical aspects of the printing of the stamps and get all excited 'flyspecking' and plating. Others, consider stamps more in the artistic sense - small little pieces of artwork to be displayed and enjoyed. Myself, I am very much attracted to the historical aspect of the stamp. So for commemorative stamps, I always have a paragraph or two on my album pages discussing what is being commemorated and why it is an important legacy.
I have had many fellow collectors grimace when they seem my albums. But as long as I like them, there is no issue. I guess the reason why I like to mount stamps in albums, but do not like exhibiting.
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REL1948
Member
Posts: 778
What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, British Empire Postal History, Switzerland Postal History
Member is Online
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Post by REL1948 on Feb 1, 2023 15:38:10 GMT
Hello Mike (brookbam),
Very nice page layout; however, I'd be a little wary of the proportions of your rectangular frames. I personally would avoid the white spaces that are showing to the left and right or top and bottom of the stamps shown. If you use hinges it wouldn't be as much of an issue but if you use hinge-less mounts like Showgard for example, they won't look right within the frame. Compare the proportions of your frames with those of commercial album pages and you'll see that the commercial frames are tighter and more accomodating to a hingeless mount. Here's a page from my Algeria collection showing the symmetry between vertical and horizontal stamps in proportional frames. Just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.
Rob
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clivel
Member
Posts: 386
What I collect: Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Rhodesias, South Africa, Swaziland, Israel to 1980, Ireland predecimal, Palestine Mandate
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Post by clivel on Feb 1, 2023 17:16:54 GMT
Mike, nice looking pages  I've been contemplating whether to post thumbnail images of the stamps or not and if I do, should I post color or grayscale. I am leaning towards posting thumbnails and grayscale...but man...does that add more work! My preference is to not include thumbnails in stamp boxes as they are going to be covered up anyway. Commercial albums include them to aid the collector in knowing what to place in each box. But, as the creator of an album I already know what a box is supposed to contain, so just a catalogue number, and/or text giving colour and denomination should be sufficient. However many people do like to include thumbnails, and, especially for a page that is possibly not going to be filled for ages it can look very nice. In which case I suggest something more subtle than full-size stamps in colour.
Perhaps something like this:  (not my page, it is from the US Classic album downloaded from www.thestampweb.com/albums/free-downloads) Ironically, the most stunning albums filled with full-colour thumbnails and at first glance have the most visual impact, I feel turn out to be the least useful in the end. Not only do the thumbnails detract from the actual stamps, but the stamps seem almost superfluous. Clive |
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JeffS
Member
Posts: 2,838
What I collect: Oranges Philately, US Slogan Cancels, Cape of Good Hope Triangulars, and Texas poster stamps and cinderellas
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Post by JeffS on Feb 1, 2023 17:31:01 GMT
Mike, nice looking pages I've been contemplating whether to post thumbnail images of the stamps or not and if I do, should I post color or grayscale. I am leaning towards posting thumbnails and grayscale...but man...does that add more work! My preference is to not include thumbnails in stamp boxes as they are going to be covered up anyway. Ironically, the most stunning albums filled with full-colour thumbnails and at first glance have the most visual impact, I feel turn out to be the least useful in the end. Not only do the thumbnails detract from the actual stamps, but the stamps seem almost superfluous. Clivel I agree! |
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 1, 2023 18:10:29 GMT
Hello Mike (brookbam),
Very nice page layout; however, I'd be a little wary of the proportions of your rectangular frames. I personally would avoid the white spaces that are showing to the left and right or top and bottom of the stamps shown. If you use hinges it wouldn't be as much of an issue but if you use hinge-less mounts like Showgard for example, they won't look right within the frame. Compare the proportions of your frames with those of commercial album pages and you'll see that the commercial frames are tighter and more accomodating to a hingeless mount. Here's a page from my Algeria collection showing the symmetry between vertical and horizontal stamps in proportional frames. Just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.
Rob
My frames (as of the practice pieces) are scaled to the same size as the Showgard mount. So for most of the 50s and 60 commemoratives that would be either a 25x40 or a 40x25. That is what I set up for parameters in Draw and Publisher. I haven't printed either page yet and unfortunately I don't even have any mounts here to even see how things would look (I have some coming).
I've been contemplating the heavy border but I'm now not sure how that would look with the Showgard mount black border and a heavy black border printed on the page going all the way around the Showgard mount.
On the actual pages, I was going to set the parameters a millimeter or two under the Showgard dimensions so the Showgard mount would cover the outline.
My personal preference is the grayscale thumbnails. I just haven't gotten a good *feel* for the pages without the thumbnail picture. With the grayscale, at least I can see a representation of what I am missing. But the negative on using the thumbnail is that it involves a *LOT* of work!
Thanks for all the feedback! Mike
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philatelia
Member
Captain Jack - my best kiloware find ever!
Posts: 3,654
What I collect: Ireland, Japan, Scandy, USA, Venezuela, Vatican, Bermuda, Austria
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Post by philatelia on Feb 1, 2023 18:11:02 GMT
I don’t use printed album pages - I use Hagnar & Vario sheets but I do use thumbnails for a few collections just to make it easier to remember what they look like, which one goes where, etc. They are particularly helpful to me for long Japan sets and save me from having to drag out a heavy catalog or bring up Colnect. I print out the thumbnail pics of my Colnect wishlist, scissor them apart and place in the empty Hagnar space. They also help with sheet layout and keep me from forgetting to save a spot for a missing stamp.
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REL1948
Member
Posts: 778
What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, British Empire Postal History, Switzerland Postal History
Member is Online
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Post by REL1948 on Feb 1, 2023 18:16:00 GMT
clivel, I totally agree.
I posted about this once before regarding colored thumbnails vs blank w/ catalogue numbers. I purchased a complete set of pages for French Colonial Africa afew years ago. At the time I had the choice of colored thumbnails or blank with just the color and denomination listed. Without giving it much thought, I chose the colored thumbnail. I soon discovered that I had made a mistake for the simple reason, I couldn't immediately tell which stamps were missing from a page. It also struck me as being somewhat deceptive in that someone looking at my pages for the first time would assume I had every stamp on every page (wish wish).
In retrospect, I prefer color and denomination in a properly proportioned frame. Just my two cents.
The following page illustrates my point. The high values of the set look like they're included (for a moment) until you stare.
Rob
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 1, 2023 18:19:06 GMT
A quick question:
Where do you find info on a stamp? Like the Scott 1 and 2. Obviously "1847 10c George Washington, black, imperforate" is pretty easy. But what about some of the other stamps that have watermarks or different perforates? Different shades of green? I don't have a Scott US Stamp Catalog yet so I don't know what kind of info I can get from there (I was going to go with the digital version). Is there any other sites I can go to?
That is something else I am struggling with on especially the 1800s and early 1900s.
Thanks
Mike
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philatelia
Member
Captain Jack - my best kiloware find ever!
Posts: 3,654
What I collect: Ireland, Japan, Scandy, USA, Venezuela, Vatican, Bermuda, Austria
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Post by philatelia on Feb 1, 2023 18:30:08 GMT
That’s a big question and would make an excellent separate thread - brookbam. But my first response - depends on the country. Best all around info source for worldwide IMHO is Colnect. |
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 1, 2023 18:39:12 GMT
That’s a big question and would make an excellent separate thread - brookbam . But my first response - depends on the country. Best all around info source for worldwide IMHO is Colnect. US primarily but then that opens up a whole bunch of stuff:
All the regular issues Airmails Postage Dues BOBs (I guess the previous two would be in there) Coil line pairs PNC Plate Blocks Precancels (I know where to get that info) FDCs
I could go on and on...
But for now just the regular issues (definitives and commemorates) starting at Scott 1
I'll check out Colnect.
Thanks Mike
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Feb 1, 2023 19:35:30 GMT
Mike, nice looking pages I've been contemplating whether to post thumbnail images of the stamps or not and if I do, should I post color or grayscale. I am leaning towards posting thumbnails and grayscale...but man...does that add more work! My preference is to not include thumbnails in stamp boxes as they are going to be covered up anyway. Commercial albums include them to aid the collector in knowing what to place in each box. But, as the creator of an album I already know what a box is supposed to contain, so just a catalogue number, and/or text giving colour and denomination should be sufficient. However many people do like to include thumbnails, and, especially for a page that is possibly not going to be filled for ages it can look very nice. In which case I suggest something more subtle than full-size stamps in colour.
Clive Also totally agree with you - I used both options to find out that it is also a waste of ìnk`!! and at times the image is not really the stamp you have the number for. In this same quote, I wonder why brookbam (Mike from S) does not buy a USA classic catalog, either in paper or e-form - I am sure there are "used" ones for sale René |
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REL1948
Member
Posts: 778
What I collect: 1840-Pre-Decimal, GB and Colonies, 1840 1 penny reds, British Empire Postal History, Switzerland Postal History
Member is Online
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Post by REL1948 on Feb 1, 2023 20:42:40 GMT
Hello Mike (brookbam),
In my opinion, one of the best choices to address your questions in one volume would be the Scott "Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers". You certainly don't need a 2023 to answer your questions, look for an older used copy on eBay or AbeBook. The information you're looking for will be in all the copies for at least the past 20 years if not longer. I no longer collect US but I keep a recent copy on hand for 1000 reasons.
Rob
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 1, 2023 21:22:10 GMT
Mike, nice looking pages My preference is to not include thumbnails in stamp boxes as they are going to be covered up anyway. Commercial albums include them to aid the collector in knowing what to place in each box. But, as the creator of an album I already know what a box is supposed to contain, so just a catalogue number, and/or text giving colour and denomination should be sufficient. However many people do like to include thumbnails, and, especially for a page that is possibly not going to be filled for ages it can look very nice. In which case I suggest something more subtle than full-size stamps in colour.
Clive Also totally agree with you - I used both options to find out that it is also a waste of ìnk`!! and at times the image is not really the stamp you have the number for. In this same quote, I wonder why brookbam (Mike from S) does not buy a USA classic catalog, either in paper or e-form - I am sure there are "used" ones for sale René I was going to get the Scott Specialized Catalog like REL1948 posted . I was going to splurge on the e-form one. I also am considering the ink part. If I keep this all gray scale, I may print this out on a laserjet which will lower the cost per sheet. I might change the thin gray border to another color especially if I use a gray paper in which case I'll dig the color laser out and see if I can figure out what is wrong with it. Still a lot of decisions... |
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Feb 1, 2023 22:32:27 GMT
@brookbamdo not understand your response to the quote - A catalog is in Color - "grayscale  ?"...... Cheers - Rene |
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JeffS
Member
Posts: 2,838
What I collect: Oranges Philately, US Slogan Cancels, Cape of Good Hope Triangulars, and Texas poster stamps and cinderellas
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Post by JeffS on Feb 1, 2023 22:48:28 GMT
renden I believe he is suggesting printing pages using only black ink to save color ink.
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Feb 1, 2023 23:29:22 GMT
renden I believe he is suggesting printing pages using only black ink to save color ink. Got it !! René |
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 2, 2023 0:36:36 GMT
renden I believe he is suggesting printing pages using only black ink to save color ink. Got it !! René Mostly. I have a thin gray border going around my page currently. Well...one of my color choices for a page is gray. My thin gray border won't show up very good on gray paper  I'll switch that border to some sort of color and then switch to a color printer. I have a color laser here but something is wrong with the toner carts or the fuser. It prints smudges all over the pages.
Otherwise, if I use the off yellow paper, I'll leave my light gray border and then use either the inkjet or laserjet.
Either way, if I decide to print the thumbnails, those will be in grayscale. I am not printing those in color. Already got that part settled. Mike
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,697
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 2, 2023 11:58:40 GMT
Borders definitely are a personal preference. I am not a big fan of ornate borders, For one, they take up space. Since I use Steiner, I follow Steiner borders.
I will note that any work prior to 1927 is now in public domain in the US so I would think the borders used on Scott brand album pages at the time would be in public domain. Of course, the Scott trademark is not in public domain.
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 13, 2023 18:45:50 GMT
Front page. Another page will be Definitive. Another will be Plate Block...etc.... Mike
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Feb 13, 2023 18:49:41 GMT
Good start Mike
René
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 13, 2023 18:53:07 GMT
This is the 1945 commemorative page that I made in AlbumEasy. This is maybe the 7th iteration of the page. Right near one of the last ones, I found I had two of the same stamps and had to adjust the placements...again...
My personal preference is to have the b&w scaled image of the stamp. I have not printed the page out yet so I don't know how well the Showgard mount will cover the border. I may have to adjust the border around the stamp a bit. I've been contemplating taking the border out too...but it also gives me something to align the mount to that I know is straight.
Again...constructive criticism is warmly welcomed along with compliments! Mike
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 13, 2023 18:55:37 GMT
Thanks.
I'd like to use my own border...something I could draw up myself that I could call my own....but I've taken a liking to this one even though it is one of the example ones in the program. I've looked around in some of the free clipart borders and haven't found anything that I've liked better...at least yet. Mike
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Feb 13, 2023 19:03:29 GMT
Thanks.
I'd like to use my own border...something I could draw up myself that I could call my own....but I've taken a liking to this one even though it is one of the example ones in the program. I've looked around in some of the free clipart borders and haven't found anything that I've liked better...at least yet. Mike
I am one who does not fuss on borders......your choice but some are more elaborate with theirs ....just look at my recent scans of Newfounland pages - Am happy with simplicityut ...others might go in detail with their pages and I like them.....a matter of taste and how much time you have on your hands LOL ! Congrats in getting your full membership  René |
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brookbam
Member
APS 236261
Posts: 235
What I collect: US...everything until I decide what I don't want to collect! And now thanks to a TSF give-away I'm adding Space topicals!
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Post by brookbam on Feb 13, 2023 19:31:57 GMT
Thanks.
I'd like to use my own border...something I could draw up myself that I could call my own....but I've taken a liking to this one even though it is one of the example ones in the program. I've looked around in some of the free clipart borders and haven't found anything that I've liked better...at least yet. Mike
I am one who does not fuss on borders......your choice but some are more elaborate with theirs ....just look at my recent scans of Newfounland pages - Am happy with simplicityut ...others might go in detail with their pages and I like them.....a matter of taste and how much time you have on your hands LOL ! Congrats in getting your full membership René I originally just went with a three line border but it was a bit too simple for me. I wanted something a little decorative in the corners that was not overwhelming. What I found fit pretty nicely and it was already built into AlbumEasy so I don't have to really fuss with anything.
Thanks. You have a PM on that too. I'm glad to get full membership. Mike
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?"......
I'll switch that border to some sort of color and then switch to a color printer. I have a color laser here but something is wrong with the toner carts or the fuser. It prints smudges all over the pages.
