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Here are the tips and tools you might find helpful for printing and producing your card.
Materials needed:
A Photo Printer
The printer I use is Canon Pixma Pro 100, but your favorite inkjet photo printer should work fine.
Ink jet ink cartridges
If you have a Canon Pixma Pro 100 also, the compatible ink cartridge is Canon CLI-42. Ink is expensive. Someone once told me that ink jet ink literally costs more in it's weight than gold does. I've never tested the theory but I believe it. There are cheaper third-party inks available, however, I cannot in good faith recommend those as you risk clogging your print heads with cheap ink. Printer problems are never fun so I prefer to avoid them at all costs, but if you are a brave soul and want to take risks with third-party inks, let me know how it goes and if you have success :) Paper
My favorite paper choice is a this thick matte finish by Canon. Staples also creates a fantastic matte finish paper option. Pro tip: dust off your matte paper to avoid dusting up your printer rollers. The very coating that makes fabulous matte paper so fabulous also can make your rubber printer rollers dusty. When the rollers get dusty they won't grip the paper properly and you will have paper feeding problems. Dusting off both sides of matte paper before you feed it through slows down this inevitable problem. If your rollers need cleaning, check out this fix.
How about these lovely gold ones. And if you want to step up your game, forget the scissors and go with the triple threat combo:
An X-ACTO knife, a metal ruler, and a cutting mat.
Bone Folder (Optional)
Craft A2 Envelopes (Optional)
Steps for production:
Step 1 - Print
Print out your design file on your preferred 8.5x11 paper.
Step 2 - Score (Optional, but super professional.)
Line your metal ruler up with your dotted score lines. Lightly lightly lightly drag your X-Acto knife from score line to score line. You are not cutting through the paper, think of it like you are just cutting through 25% of the thickness of the paper. This with give you a PERFECT fold for Step 4.
Step 3 - Cut
If using scissors, do your best to cut out (with straight lines) your design following the crop marks as a guide. If using the triple threat (X-Acto knife, metal ruler, and cutting mat) line your ruler up with the blue crop marks, and carefully (don't use too much pressure that you cannot safely control your knife) cut out your card from crop mark to crop mark. READ THESE TIPS: A. Don't cut past the crop marks, as you don't want to cut off the crop marks for the next side. B. If your paper is so thick that you cannot cut through it in one swipe, DON'T PUSH HARDER. Instead, you can cut multiple times along the same cutting line provided you don't move your ruler. This is the safest way to cut thick paper. Believe me, multiple fellow design students in my classes cut through their thumbs. DON'T BE THEM. KEEP YOUR THUMBS. C. Always cut on the OUTSIDE of your design. This ensures that if your cut strays away from the ruler, you are not cutting into your design or artwork, and you can just readjust your cut and not have to re-print.
Step 4 - Fold
Fold your card along the score lines, or, if you followed Step 2, fold along your fancy score. Optional: Use the bone folder to get your crease looking even more professional.
Step 5 - Enjoy
Congrats! Your card is ready for your own special note and to be sent forth into the universe.