Those of you lovely lot that frequent my blog (and my Instagram) regularly know that I live for writing design-based tutorials. For those of you that are new here, WELCOME, sit back and enjoy! This week I have been fortunate enough to be offered a sponsored post opportunity on behalf of Monogram Maker. Monogram maker is a free (WAHOOO) online design tool. Although the name suggests it is specific to the art of monogram making, the software can also be used to create a variety of other products, such as t-shirts, leaflets and cards. Today I will be using the software to design a Valentine’s Day card.

Yes, this is a sponsored post, but the opinions expressed are independent and very much my own!

Monogram Maker First Impression

My initial impression of monogram maker is that it appears to be extremely user-friendly, with a great variety of fonts and frames to choose from. This is especially impressive considering it’s free. The option to upload your own backgrounds is also an exciting feature. The software is super easy to access. You can use monogram maker online* without having to download anything to your desktop or even creating a login. Bonus!

Designing a Valentine’s Card Using Monogram Maker

I had a quick glance through the frames to check for hearts … because it’s valentines and all. However, I wanted to use my own artwork within the heart, so I whizzed over to Canva Pro to insert my art in one of their heart-shaped frames.

I then downloaded this as a PNG with a transparent background. It was really easy to then upload this artwork to monogram maker using the “Select a Background” option.

When you upload an external graphic monogram maker* provides you with the option to easily scale, rotate and position the image. You can also centre the image vertically or horizontally which would be helpful when creating repeat patterns. Much like Photoshop, the design is separated into clear layers. This combined with the “send to front and “send back” functions makes for a very user-friendly experience… all for FREE might I add.

Choosing a Frame

There are so many frames on offer that it’s difficult to pick…literally at least one for every season I would say! In the end, I went for a frame that I could place behind my abstract love heart that would provide some balance, but not detract too much from the art itself. I centred both elements vertically and horizontally using the aforementioned tools.

I wanted the written message on the card to be simple and inclusive of all loved ones (including friends and family)…rather than just significant others. Since my own handwriting is terrible, I’m excited by the variety of stylized fonts on offer with the software. I have chosen something that is a little Celtic looking and changed the colour from black to white so it can be clearly seen in front of the heart.

Now that I know the full potential for the fonts, I wouldn’t use a frame next time for this particular design. But I really enjoyed experimenting with the frames for my first go at the rodeo…Yeeehaw!

Downloading the image is also free which is great. You can download files in PNG, SVG, EPS, and DXF format. The only thing monogram maker asks is that you input your email address in order to download. Which I personally think is a small price to pay considering you can get a fantastic resolution for your download.

FIN

Here is my final valentines day design using monogram maker! On a side note, I went back and changed the frame colour from black to a light pink to match the art. This was a second download, once again for free!

One of my personal failings is handwriting. Now I can continue to achieve a hand scripted style using monogram maker. Yay! There is great potential to use only the elements within the software itself to create interesting logos. This is another avenue I will be exploring in the future! I can’t wait to experiment more.

* This is a sponsored blog post, any links included from the brand have been marked with a (*)