Read an Excerpt
Photocraft
By Caroline Herter Laurie Frankel Laura Lovett Bulfinch Press
Copyright © 2005 Herter Studio LLC
All right reserved. ISBN: 0-821-26195-9
Chapter One
FESTIVE VOTIVES Our custom votives glow with images printed on translucent vellum that casts a flattering pool of candlelight. They're a very quick and easy way to set the scene at any party. Wrap plain glass vases with photos of you and your partner for a romantic dinner. Light your steps with snowy scenes. Illuminate autumn color or spring blossoms. For best effect be sure to select images with strong light-and-dark contrasts or that are light overall.
IMAGES
Digital images at minimum 100 dpi or color photocopies
COMPUTER TOOLS
Image-editing software Inkjet or laser printer or photocopier
PANTRY CHECKLIST
Metal ruler
Rotary cutter
Cutting mat
Transparent tape
Pencil
1/2-in. double-sided or vellum tape
MATERIALS
8 1/2 x 11-in. sheets of translucent paper such as vellum
4 glass vases
4 votive candles (2 in. high, taller if using taller vases)
Project Dimensions: Our vases are 4 in. in diameter, and 6-10 in. high.
1) For each votive: With your image-editing software, crop and size the image to fit the size of your vellum sheets. In order to fit the image around your vase, you may need to divide the image vertically and print each half on a separate sheet of paper. To do this: Make 2 copies of the original file and save them as Left-Half and Right-Half. Select the CROPPING tool, and set the CROPPING bar options to width = 8 1/2 inches, height = the height of your glass vase (no more than 11 inches), with resolution to match the original file. Open the Left-Half file: Start from the far left edge of the image. Select the full height of your image, crop, and save it; you will be cutting off the right edge. Open the Right-Half file: Start from the right-hand edge, crop, and save. You now have two 8 1/2 x 11-inch documents in which the image overlaps. Print each half of the image onto a separate sheet of vellum.
2) Choose an inconspicuous place in the image for the 2 halves to join. Line up your ruler along the seam line on 1 print, then cut along this line with a rotary cutter and mat. Position the trimmed half over the untrimmed half, aligning the image exactly. Temporarily tape them together on the unprinted side. Now lay the ruler along the cut seam edge of the upper sheet, and using your rotary cutter, very carefully trim the sheet below. Seam the image halves together on their back sides using transparent tape.
3) Wrap the image around the vase and mark any excess paper with a pencil so that the vertical seam, when trimmed, will meet exactly, and top and bottom edges will be flush with the edges of the vase. Be very careful that no part of the paper will be exposed to the flame of the candle. Remove the image and trim away the excess paper.
4) To affix the image to the glass, apply a strip of double-sided or vellum tape to the vase vertically, running from the top edge of the vase to the bottom. Align the image flush with the top and bottom of the vase, then press 1 vertical edge in place on half of the tape. Wrap the paper around the vase and secure the other vertical edge. The cut edges of the image should meet without any gap. The votive is ready for a candle.
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Excerpted from Photocraft by Caroline Herter Laurie Frankel Laura Lovett Copyright © 2005 by Herter Studio LLC.
Excerpted by permission.
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