ACOT Message Board

Don't you hate it when you are using sticker letters and they don't have backing on them so you can't move them around, and your title ends up off center or with gaps between the letters, or worse, just doesnt fit the space?

This is an "oldie but a goodie" tip - use a ruler to line up your letters before adhering to your page. Simply place the letters ON the ruler so that just the bottom is sticking to the ruler, then once your whole title is on the ruler you can move it around on the page (holding it up so the letters dont get stuck) until you find a spot where it fits. Or you can adjust the spacing of the letters, since only a small portion are attached to the ruler, they are easier to reposition. Worried about the sizing getting messed up when you transfer them? unless the letters are chipboard you can usually just lay the ruler down where you want it and push the tops of the letters onto the paper then sort of bend the bottoms up to get the ruler off before pushing the bottoms down too!

Here is a layout where I used this technique. I really hate this layout, and I dont like how the title looks, but you can see that the T in sunset is perfectly aligned with the edge of the photo. I did that on purpose, and the way I got that is using the ruler technique, otherwise I couldnt have known where to start the S so that the T lined up correctly.


now here is another tip for you. do you love those little alphas? I know I do! I use them all the time. Sometimes I use the ruler trick for them but it is a little tougher since they are so small and sometimes I have a different problem altogether. I love to use those little alphas on die cuts and frames, but sometimes the word that I want to use doesnt fit, or fits just barely and I have to do some manipulation of the stickers to get it to fit. In this case, I pull out an older sheet of tiny alphas - one that has big spaces of the backing showing, and I place my letters on that so that I can move them around easily.

Look at the 'Princesses' in this layout. I REALLY wanted the second part of the title in that glimmer glass frame, but the word princesses was too long.
I tried my usual trick of smooshing the letters closer together so they overlap, but that still didnt help. (sometimes if they are smooshed together and I just need a tiny bit of space I will cut the edges of a few of the stickers closer to the letters so that I can overlap them more. I did that on a layout today. I only needed to cut two letters then it fit. ) But on this princess layout there was just was no way that the letters were going to fit straight across, so I had them on the empty backing and I just sort of treated the word like one long sticker and bent it until the curve was enough to make it fit the frame. Then I just picked the whole thing up and laid it down on the frame. Since the letters were overlapped it all kind of stuck together. But without having that non sticky backing paper, I couldnt have pushed the letters around to get the nice uniform curve of the word.

That is a good trick! I usually put my letters/stickers on wax paper and move it around for good placement. You can see through the wax paper so you can see if they'll look good in a particular spot, then I can peel them off the wax paper and place them on the layout. Your way would work better though because once you figure out where to put them you can just press them down!

wonderful tip!

great tips - TFS

Another trick...I bought a laser level at the hardware store. Use it to project a straight line across your layout, and start with the middle letter if you want to center a word, or with the last letter if you want it to line up at the end or with the first letter if you want it to line up at the beginning.

Great tip!! Thanks!!

Thanks for sharing the tips with the LOs handy. Love the ruler tip. can't trust my eyes anymore to space them evenly

Good tips! CM had special "Journaltopia" guides that helped align letters in curves or around shapes; I used to use it all the time, I'll have to get it back out!! I usually just make them 'jumbled' on purpose so they don't have to line up, and I can usually eyeball them pretty well if I do want them straight, but sometimes you just have to use a ruler!

Love the ruler tip! Now if I could just get my pictures to be straight when I cut them...I use a paper or picture cutter but somehow they are NEVER straight!

Thanks for the tip, this saves me from accidentally tearing my paper and or having to put the letters back through the Xyron.

PezKat wrote:Good tips! CM had special "Journaltopia" guides that helped align letters in curves or around shapes; I used to use it all the time, I'll have to get it back out!! I usually just make them 'jumbled' on purpose so they don't have to line up, and I can usually eyeball them pretty well if I do want them straight, but sometimes you just have to use a ruler!

I have the CM Titletopia too... and I LOVE it! I use it all the time.

Another tip? Beth introduced me to my beloved plastic t-square. Only about 2 bucks from AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, Mikes, etc... The top of the "t" sort of hooks onto the side of your paper, so you know the ruler is parallel to the top and bottom of your page. I actually sat on my t-square, and it's now an "L" square.


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Art_Teacher wrote:Another trick...I bought a laser level at the hardware store. Use it to project a straight line across your layout, and start with the middle letter if you want to center a word, or with the last letter if you want it to line up at the end or with the first letter if you want it to line up at the beginning.

I think we have one of those laser levels downstairs somewhere. I will have to try this. I am also going to keep the ruler and wax paper idea in mind. Thanks ladies.

I love using my clear ruler to set my letter stickers down. I am certain I bought DH a laser level - don't think he has ever used it - love that idea and I am going to confiscate!!!
Another thing I do - once I get a few letters down on the plain, or imaginary line I want them to follow (because not all letter stickers come off your ruler in perfect alignment) I grab a strip of PP or CS and use as a guide.

I have a tall glass on my work space and in it are all sorts of strips of PP, usually ranging from 1/8" to 1+" wide (I often grab these for cardmaking or to punch a quick border) - I utilze one of the skinnier ones and place it underneath 2 letter stickers that are in position, butting up against the bottom. I then use the top of the paper strip as my baseline, and place my remaining letters down so the bottoms of the letters "sit" upon the strip. This works great for me - and I always have plenty of paper strips on hand.

Great tips!

megamay wrote:Here is a layout where I used this technique. I really hate this layout, and I dont like how the title looks, but you can see that the T in sunset is perfectly aligned with the edge of the photo. I did that on purpose, and the way I got that is using the ruler technique, otherwise I couldnt have known where to start the S so that the T lined up correctly.

Using a ruler is a great tip! I love the idea of using a ruler to keep the spacing even!

If I want the title to line up on the right, and don't really care where it ends up on the left, I'll put the letters right to left, last one first, and line them up as I go.

My CM lady told me once, as a tip, to place just the edge of the letters on a long piece of the backing left from adhesive splits. Once you have them placed on there in a nice straight line, place on your page and carefully press down. I don't worry about my letters being straight, tho' I have done layouts where I wished they looked better. I usually have them "dance" around, which is, crooked but making it look like it was on purpose.

thanks for all the tips ladies.