Epson Web Site Offers Free Downloadable Templates and Tips from Craft Experts for Easy, Convenient, At-Home Projects
LONG BEACH, Calif., Jan. 23, 2006 – Now that the holidays have passed, most people may be surrounded by photos from their celebrations and not know how best to show them off. Rather than sticking them in a run-of-the-mill photo album or in a shoebox, why not turn them into a one-of-a-kind memento? The Epson CreativeZoneSM (www.EpsonCreativeZone.com), formerly the Print LabSM Series , offers a wide variety of craft ideas to turn individual photos into personalized keepsakes for you to enjoy or to share with loved ones. The site also features additional resources to help consumers make the most of their photos, including articles, tips and tricks from scrapbook experts. Best of all, these projects are posted and ready for anyone to download for free!
The Epson CreativeZone is simple to navigate, featuring projects listed both by number and theme so consumers can easily browse through the wide range of options and choose what to create with their photos at home. Project categories include: seasonal, patterned pages, greeting cards, home/party, scrapbooking, school tools, baby themes, and more. Current seasonal projects include colorful items to make for a Super Bowl party or Valentine’s Day, as well as unique original designs and scans to use for any type of printing project with a wintertime theme. Each project provides templates and instructions that can be downloaded right onto your desktop, and most are compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms.
For example, the Super Bowl Party projects (#118-120) feature several scrapbook page layouts (#118); a choice of themed invitations and matching envelopes (#119); and colorful photo mattes to print ahead of time upon which to mount a 4”x 6” souvenir photo for everyone who attends the party (#120) . These easy projects and the person who prints them would be a hit at any party and remembered for a long time to come!
The “Patterned Pages” category is the most flexible of all the project types provided. It includes hundreds of original designs (scans or drawings) that can be used for anything from wrapping paper to greeting cards to simply the background of anything printable, such as photo mattes, award backgrounds, posters, newsletters, and is limited only by the consumer’s imagination. The advantage to printing these backgrounds versus buying pre-printed sheets is the flexibility users have to customize the files, such as embedding someone’s name into the pattern, or importing a digital photo directly onto a photo matte so that with one sheet it is ready for a frame and one of a kind! The files are provided in some instances in jpeg format and in other instances as Word documents, making it simple for users to download and include text.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing photos come together in a way that allows you to be transported back to a special time,” said Barbara Kotsos, senior marketing manager, scrapbooking solutions, Epson America Inc. “The Epson CreativeZone gives busy people the chance to turn their ordinary photos into something truly unique and keep those memories alive without having to spend a lot of time.”
The Epson CreativeZone includes over 120 projects, each with multiple templates and options per project, and is continuously updated to include new and original craft ideas. It is also a resource for consumers who would like to learn how to use software tools they may already have. The “Articles” section offers tips and tricks from industry craft experts on topics such as “Creating Combination Color and Black & White Photos,” “Using the Cookie Cutter Tool in PhotoShop Elements 3.0,” “The Power of the PC for Scrapbooking,” and more. Visitors can also sign up to receive the free Creative Croppers newsletter for more great ideas throughout the year, as well as check out deals on products to help them create the projects they like.
For more information on craft projects for both your holiday and everyday photos visit the Epson CreativeZone at www.EpsonCreativeZone.com.
About Epson
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography, and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.
Note: Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Epson CreativeZone is a service mark of Epson America Inc. Third party brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.