SpringPublisher is a desktop publishing software that can be used to design and print business cards, flyers, postcards and letterheads, among others. The program is template driven, with templates available after installation and additional ones in the online store.

Users who first start the program can create a new project by starting with a blank template, or select an existing template from the local storage or the online store.

Templates can be modified easily once they have been loaded into the program. A click on text or visual elements opens the element’s properties. Here it is possible to make direct changes to the template. All it takes for instance to enter your name and address is to click on the elements and change the default text under Element Properties. You can alternatively double-click on an entry for even quicker editing.

It is furthermore possible to remove elements from the template if they are not needed or if they need to be replaced. Shapes, text and images can be inserted into each template easily with a click on one of the Insert buttons on the left sidebar.

Images need to be selected from the local system. They are initially displayed in their original size which can be altered under Element Properties. Here it is possible to change the width and height, vertical and horizontal alignment, orientation, opacity and several other parameters.

Here is an overview of what you can add, edit or remove from a design template:

• Insert Images: Load jpg, png, gif or bmp images. Edit their resolution, position, opacity, orientation, shadow and tile.
• Insert Text: Select font size and color, use formatting options like bold or underline. Select the width and height of the text and font separately.
• Insert Shapes: Insert geometric shapes, change their colors and position.
• Page Manager: Create multi-page layouts, for instance the front and back of a business card.

Projects can be saved as project files or images. The former is handy if you want to have a copy of the design on your computer, for instance to act as a template or as a backup if you need to make modifications at a later time.

The images can be saved as low (96dpi), medium (180dpi) or high (350dpi) quality images. The active design can be printed locally as well with a click on the print button.

Creating Templates

Most users are probably interested in creating their own designs and templates, and that’s relatively easy with SpringPublisher. It begins with the selection of a standard sized project, for instance a US business card or European letterhead, or a custom sized project. Selecting a standard size ensures that print shops can print out the finalized design easily.

A blank template is then generated and displayed on screen. It is then up to the user to add the contents. Since that is easy to do it should not pose any problems, even to inexperienced users.

SpringPublisher Verdict

What I really like about SpringPublisher is the ability to edit and move around all elements at the same time. While it is possible to create a blank template, I would suggest that new users start with an existing template to get to know the program and modify the design according to their needs.

The real strength of the program is the ability to design and print new templates with little effort and design experience.

SpringPublisher is offered as a Free and Professional version. The professional version comes with free template store credits, rights for commercial use and the high quality dpi output option.

Giveaway

We have ten licenses for the program that we want to give away. Winners will be drawn randomly from all users who leave a comment under this review. Good luck everyone. The giveaway ends in one week’s time.

Update:

The winners are: Guy from Canada, Jordan Humberto de Souza, Paul, Jan Wroblewski, Carl Turcotte, sunkumarspace, Ravi Lodhiya, Gerry, Don and Niroop.

Deyey is a name card and business card creator which allows you design your business card from scratch, add text, media, and pre-designed elements. It has a very easily usable drag and drop interface, a click-to-select method you see in desktop apps, but rarely in web apps and many fun elements to spice up your card.

What I really liked about it is that the logos generated by the app seem to work like vector graphics, you can scale them up or down as much as you like, without getting that pixellated feel. You can also add context to the text, since you can choose if the selected text is a phone number, a name or a fax number.

The placement of the text could really use some work, since if you click on name by accident and decide that you actually want a company name, you will need to restart typing when you click on the other checkbox. Also, if you just created a name, and want to do a number for example, you need to click somewhere to deselect the text, or else you will edit it, rather than create a new one.

Downloading options are pretty cool, the small version is 591×378, while the large is 1252×825 and you also get the bleed and crop marks. You get about 100Mb of free space, so you can create a lot of cards. If you want to be really hip and colorful, you can create and print a batch of name cards, all with different designs. If you’re a web-designer, or some other creative artist, this could be a good move if you go for interviews or job applications.

Overall, this is a pretty usable system, while it does have the usual kinks and hardships of pre-built designers. You won1t have the freedom of Photoshop, but you do get significant breathing space, it should be enough for most users.