How to Make a Birthday Card in DesignScape

Do you want to make a quick and easy birthday card in DesignScape? We will show you how to make an awesome birthday card so you can save and send it to loved ones. DesignScape, available to Gold Plus members, is a great alternative to Photoshop and Illustrator.

If you’re not a member yet, why not sign up for a free 30 day Gold Plus Membership today?

In the mockup above we used a scene creator in DesignScape to show off our birthday card.

We will be using these happy birthday dragons and a birthday pattern PAT file from the Plus Hub. You can access Plus Hub products with the Gold Plus Membership.

We are also using two crafty fonts called Splash and Bluebird.

Step 1 - Create a New Document

Open DesignScape and create a new project or document. We used the following dimensions for our card size.

Width: 7 inches

Height: 10 inches

DPI: 300

Step 2 - Import PAT File for Birthday Card

For our pattern background we chose to use a PAT file with a cute birthday theme.

Change the Pattern

Once the PAT file has loaded, go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Pattern Fill. A new layer will automatically fill with a yellow design.

In the Properties panel that opens on the right side, click on the Pattern drop down menu. The latest uploaded files should be at the bottom of the list. Scroll down to the bottom then select from your uploaded PAT files.

Adjust the PAT File

Now, let us change the look of the pattern by adjusting the Angle to -17° and Scale to 230%. For our birthday card, we also want to lower the opacity of the pattern.

At the top of the Layers Panel, adjust the Opacity down to 20%. You can now close out of the Properties panel by clicking on the Properties icon.

Step 3 - Create the Happy Birthday Text

For this step we are going to add our text to the birthday card.

Add the First Row of Text

Begin by typing out the text “Happy” and apply the font Bluebird. You can use the color you want but we chose to go with black. Position the text towards the center and top of the card. We will center this more accurately a bit later.

Now add an Offset Stroke to the text. Under the Stroke option in the Layer Style panel, click on the Color Picker box. Change the color to what you want. We used a cream color with HEX code #fae3a2.

Type in Second Row of Text

For the next row of text, you will need to create a new text object. So click back on the Text Tool, then start typing. We typed in “Birthday” and used the Splash font.

As before, we positioned it towards the top and center, but just below the text ”Happy”.

To get the Splash font effect, we typed the text in lowercase. We are going to be adding an Offset Stroke in black to the text. However, to see the text better, let’s change the color for now.

With the Birthday text selected, click on the Text Tool, then the Color Picker at the top toolbar. Change it to any color you want.

Next, add an Offset Stroke like we did with the “Happy” text, except this time use black. This will make the text stand out more.

Create a Smart Object

Creating a Smart Object is a non-destructive way of editing specific layers. So, let’s create a Smart Object from the text objects. Click on the top text layer then hold Shift + click on the second text layer. Now right click > Convert to Smart Object.

Both text objects will be combined into one. However, if you double click the thumbnail, a new window will open with each text on its own layer.

We can freely edit both text layers without affecting the rest of the project. Click on the Birthday text layer, then highlight one of the letters. At the top toolbar, click on the Color Picker box and choose a color.

Carry on to change the color for each letter in the text. Next, select both layers then go to the top toolbar and click on Center Horizontally.

Now, go to File > Save (Smart Object).

Click back on your project document to see the updated changes. You can keep editing but remember to save the Smart Object each time.

If needed, you can transform and scale the Smart Object text up or down. Here we increased the size.

Step 4 - Import then Edit Birthday Design

We chose a cute and fun pair of dragons carrying gifts for the main element design.

Drag and Drop Image into DesignScape

Drag and drop the PNG file into the document. You can use the SVG file if you want to change the individual colors.

The PNG image will be imported as a Smart Object layer. Under the Layers Panel, double click the layer name, then rename it to Dragons.

Arrange Layer Order

Resize as needed or follow the image below for a visual guide. We wanted part of the design to sit behind the bottom text layer. So, with the Dragon layer selected, go to Layer > Arrange > Send Backward. This will move it down one layer.

Edit Dragon Design Element

To give the dragons a little more punch, we are going to use a filter in DesignScape. Double click the Dragons layer thumbnail to edit the Smart Object. In the new window, go to Filter > Filter Gallery.

Now, don’t worry about how the image looks when opening the Filter Gallery. The Glowing Edges filter is automatically selected.

Click on the Poster Edges filter under the Artistic Category and the automatic filter will change. We used the following settings but you can experiment until you are happy with the result.

Edge Thickness: 5

Edge Intensity: 5

Posterization: 5

You can turn the filter on and off by clicking on the eye icon. Once you are done, click OK.

Remember to go to File > Save (Smart Object) to see the changes in your project.

Go ahead and explore the creative opportunities of your birthday card design. You can easily edit the colors of the text by double clicking the Smart Object thumbnail. Why not flip the image for a different look?

Step 5 - Save your Birthday Card in DesignScape

If you want to create an entire card, check out how to make a card template in DesignScape. A template is great for quickly creating and editing cards in no time.

We are going to first save our file as a PDF, so we can edit it later if needed. Then, save it as a JPG format so we can share with family and friends.

Here is the final result of our super cute and fun Birthday Card.

Don’t you just love those comical dragons? They are sure to make that special birthday even brighter. Now that you know how to make a birthday card in DesignScape, you can make customized cards for anyone!