This may be too late now, but maybe for 2006?

You could always use Graphic Converter or Photoshop Elements to enhance the photo so it looks sharp, good colors, etc., and then import the photo into a MS Word document, or maybe Appleworks. First you would have to size the image to perhaps 3"x5" (or even smaller) since you want to have some text at one side of the photo, and then save the photo on the Desktop. Launch Word or similar, and "insert" the photo into the document. Move the photo to the center, left, or right, and then type some fancy text to one side of the photo. Print the document on glossy photo paper, and don't forget to set the printer to print the document on the high quality photo paper.

Give that a try and see what happens.

-Isshi,
As -Ram mentioned: Using a different software might work out better than AW. You'd have much more control over the photo w/o losing the integrity of the photo. But you can use AW, and there is also a template for that purpose called postcard in the templates selection. I'd first drag the original photo from iPhoto to the desktop which will make a copy. If you don't use AW's template just create your own in the Draw program. Drag your '.jpg' into your AW document (show rulers from the menu), but make sure you have the arrow in the tools selected so the photo is inserted as an object, and NOT text. If you want to resize the photo use the menu and scale by percent-->not the shift key, and the pointer. If the size doesn't come out right just UN-do (Command+Z), and try a different percent. For the text click on the Text icon in the tools, and Option drag a rectangle to type in. You can always move the text around by clicking on the Arrow icon in tools and it becomes an object like the photo. To retype click the Arrow key, and click on the text to format if need be, ie. bold, color, whatever. I personally don't like AW for postcards due to the low resolution output for the photos even if you insert a 150dpi pix. But quality paper, along w/ quality print does help.

There are tons of AW tips on the net by doing a Google search:
Tips


You might have a better marriage if you have them made ::just kidding::

---

-doug

I don't understand why your photos would be blurry in AW. I do transfers to AW documents all the time, resize them to fit my needs and print them with great quality. All of the cameras I've owned and used have provided pics to do this, from my original Sony with 1.3 MP to my current Canon with 5 MP. Of course, more pixels makes for a better shot, but, at 4x6 or so, even the small MP rated camera would be OK.

In iPhoto, you can constrain your crop of a photo to a certain size in the menu, that will help. Also, it works best if your original pic is properly oriented for your postcard use.

I'll have to check the templates in AW to see if that might be an option, sounds like a start on something easier. One note, sometimes when I'm trying to be very careful about the size of the photo I'm going to print in AW, I turn on the grid lines and line up my picture on the lines to give a true measuring stick. That works pretty well.

Good luck, Isshi. Bob.

Printshop looks pretty nice. Do you feel that it's been worth the money?

Yes, I think Print Shop is worth it because it's so easy to use and the quality is very good. Plus, it has a lot of additional graphics and photos, in case you need something beyond what you have in your iPhoto library.