We're now providing a new monthly feature, Tips and Tricks, for you to get more out of your fonts and dingbats.

This month, Using P22 Fonts and Extras to Make Stencils and Other Products

P22 fonts are not limited strictly to computer use! You can create a wide variety of unique items using our fonts as a starting point. Among the numerous ideas you will dream up may be cards, invitations, decals, wrapping paper, fabric painting, rubber stamps, glass etching and stencils for painting borders and other graphics on walls or other surfaces. You can use both the positive and negative space of the fonts and graphic extras:

The simplest way to use P22 products is to print directly onto the paper or card stock you will use in your design. Create any design on your computer using text and/or some of our graphic extras. Often you will want to use the largest type size possible; if this is not big enough for your purposes, you can enlarge your image further with a photocopier. Using a commercial machine at a copy shop will enable you to obtain both the exact size you require and a sharper copy. Print out your image and then simply cut along the edges using an Xacto knife. This method is great for creating artwork such as 3D pop-out cards.

Instead of using only the positive space made by your designs, try creating stencils made by using negative space. It's very simple: print out your design and then cut out the inside of the letters or graphic extras using an Xacto™ blade. Just remember to keep track of those pieces (or "counters") that make up the inner part of letters like "p" and "e". There are two ways to deal with counters. You can glue them down temporarily with a glue such as Tombo Temporary Mono® Adhesive. This method would probably work best if you are using paints. (To find out more about Tombow adhesives, visit www.tombowusa.com.) The second method is to attach the counter to the main part of the stencil in its appropriate location by using two pieces of matte finish adhesive tape. Two pieces are required--one underneath the counter and the stencil and the other directly on top of the first piece of tape--so that the color medium you are using does not adhere to the sticky tape. You can use techniques such as embossing with a stencil constructed in this way; the tape will not interfere with your process. Do not attach your counter to the main part of the letter with a thin ligature or stem as it will inevitably separate or distort the letter. Making your stencil with a transparent sheet will allow you to place the stencil more accurately. You can carry out any of the numerous projects mentioned at the beginning of this article with the stencil you have created. Just tape your stencil to the object, whether wood, fabric or some other material, and add color!

Why not create your own wrapping paper or cards! You can tape your stencil to any kind of paper, spray the cut out area with spray adhesive, and then sprinkle with glitter or other tiny objects, such as confetti or tiny glass beads. The stencil idea is an excellent solution if the paper or poster board you want to use in your final project is too thick or too large to pass through your printer. You can also use a stencil to create a personalized holiday glass ornament, a vase, or any other object using a glass etching kit purchased at a craft shop.

Another way to use P22 fonts is to make your own decals, or transfers, using a product such as Lazertran (For more information, visit www.lazertran.com), which is designed to be used with most commercial photocopiers. Once you have designed and printed your image using a computer program, you photocopy the image on Lazertran™ transfer paper and then soak the paper in water. The image slides off. You can now apply this image to virtually any relatively smooth surface such as painted or papered walls, tiles, glass, wood, stone, fabrics, candles, etc. In this way, you can use P22 fonts and graphic images to make needlepoint and tapestry canvases or etching plates.

Another product, Create Real Rubber Stamps, allows you to make rubber stamps from photographs, drawings, words, or what have you, through the process of photopolymerization. After you add a fluid to your printed image, ultraviolet light from a black light instrument or sunlight turns the image into a three dimensional mold that can be transformed into a detailed rubber stamp. For more information, visit www.artisanschoice.com.

As you may know, you can run some thin fabrics through your computer printer by temporarily fusing them to freezer paper. To do this, cut a piece of freezer paper (available in supermarkets) to the size that your printer will accept. Then cut your fabric to the same size and place it on top of the shiny side of the paper. Pass a warm (not hot) iron over the fabric. Once the fabric and paper have passed through your printer, peel the paper off and keep it for later re-use. If you will be washing your printed fabric, you will need to soak it before printing on it in a product such as Bubble Jet Set™. (For more information about Bubble Jet Set™, visit www.softexpressions.com.) After the fabric has dried, follow the procedure above.

We've given you just a few ideas to start you off. The possibilities are endless!

(Perhaps we should remind you here of the provision in your license when you purchase P22 fonts. You may use P22 products in any project, including movie titles, books, advertisements, outdoor marquees, and so on. However, if you wish to sell your products, such as decals, stencils, rubber stamps, T-shirts, etc., you need to make arrangements beforehand with P22.)