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Anyone using decent calendar software?

mjm6

Member
Hi folks,

I'm looking to make a limited run of calendars for friends and family from a trip I took last year to Italy (I think I got 12 'good-enough' images!).

I've never done one before so I was looking around and find some software out there to lay them out with. Some are capable of printing on my machine here (epson 4800), and some also permit printing through a service.

I'm not really interested in printing through a service because the paper and general printing is not going to be up to the quality I want (I shoot for B&W mostly), so I was looking for one that I can print here.

Anyone have any advice on good products? I'd like to be able to print images that are good enough that the people will be able to keep the images after the year is done if they wish to, so that sets the bar pretty high for performance (to satisfy me).


Thanks.

---Michael
 

mjm6

Member
I should mention that I am on a Mac, which limits my options somewhat.


Thanks,


---Michael
 

TRSmith

Subscriber Member
If you have almost any version of the Adobe Creative Suite, you can download free scripts that will allow you to design and produce calendar pages to any degree of sophistication you want. The one I use is called "Calendar Wizard" and I think I found it on the Adobe site for InDesign users, in the area that posts free extensions etc.

You need to be at least familiar with InDesign, but if you are, you can create a calendar grid for any year and specify holidays and many other options. Once you've chosen what get's included, it lays out the year's worth of grids for you. Just insert a page in front of each for an image, or manipulate the grid and combine images and dates however you want.

Tim
 

Leigh

New member
As Scott said, iPhoto includes a calendar generator, at least in my Snow Leopard version.

Just type calendar in the help search box to bring up instructions.

- Leigh
 

mjm6

Member
Thanks for the notes...

iPhoto seems nice, but you have few options for layout, etc. It may work though, in a semi-hybrid manner using the calendar part in PDF into a layout program or illustrator...

I'll look into the Adobe calendar wizard. I wasn't aware of that option. Thanks.

The one external program that I've seen is this one:

http://www.digi-labs.net/index.shtml

I need to download it and see what it can do for me. I like to print my B&W through QTR, so I'm thinking that what I really need is the ability to print the calendar part, and then run it through a second time using QTR.


---m
 

mjm6

Member
We tried the iPhoto, exporting it to PDF. Then, we brought the PDF into Illustrator, and all the elements are editable, so it is easy to adjust the calendar pieces to work for my needs.

Finally, I am going to print the calendar part through Illustrator, and the images will be printed through QTR.

I think that is a pretty reasonable solution, and allows me the QTR quality that I prefer to have for the images.

---Michael
 
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