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Before I start, I'd like to make a request. If you decide to use this card on your profile, please include a link to this page with it. If you do, and anon-email me, I'll add your name with a profile link to the bottom of this page. Additionally, if you make a unique looking card and want to share it, send me a blank copy and I'll add it here too. Now, to the instructional part:
The following info takes into account those among us that know almost nothing about how to save, or alter image files. Those of you that do, can safely disregard about 99% of the text on this page.
Step 1: Saving the image
Right click when your mouse pointer is over the image of the blank card, and select 'Save Image As'. In that window, you'll see the name of the image file, in this case 'blanktable.png'. You can rename it to anything you like, and change the image type (not recommended). From that same window, find a place on your hard-drive that you'll remember, and highlight that location on the left. You might need to scroll up, or click 'My Computer', though saving it on your desktop is much easier for the novice. Click the save button.
Step 2: Getting Ready to Alter
Before you start editing the original, right-click on the picture file that you just saved, select copy. Now right-click on your desktop (or anywhere else) and select paste to save a spare blank copy in case you mess up the next few steps really badly. It'll save it as the same name as the original, and add a (2) to the end of it.
Step 3: Deciding on a Color Scheme
You will notice that the card is for the most part blank. If you open the file as it is, you wont be able to alter anything on it. Windows generally defaults to a standard picture viewer, which doesnt allow altering things. In order to add your own color choices to the legend, and update your own bingo status, you'll need to use an image editing tool. The easiest to use for beginners is Paint, which conveniently enough is included in your Windows operating system. I'm pretty sure Mac users have something similar, but I have no idea what, or where, it is.
The next step is to open Paint. To do this, click the 'start' button on your desktop, go to 'programs' then 'accessories'. Click on Paint. When Paint is open, at the top of the window, look for 'File' and click it. Select open from the menu (fig 1), and open the blank Bingo Card. It will help in the editing process if you maximize the Paint window.
Before you begin, try to decide what colors you want to use for a standard hit, a Capital hit, and denomination indicators (if you choose to use all three). Select the color at the top (Fig 2A), then click the icon on the left sidebar that looks like a tipping paint bucket (Fig 2B). Use that tool to fill in the box in the legend for hit. Repeat for the Capital box with the second color.
For the denomination indicator be sure to pick a color that can be easily read against both of the previous colors. Then click the 'A' icon on the left sidebar (Fig 2D). It should open up a text window when you click somewhere on the table. Don't try to line it up exact yet.
A dotted box should open when you click somewhere on the image (fig 3). There will also be a second item that opens with it, which will allow you to change the fonts face and size. You can change the colors of the font by clicking a color at the top of the Paint window. This font change box works basically the same as the one in the forums, just with more size and font choices. Pick a font you'll remember, and a size that can fit in each state box 7 times clearly...you want room for all the denominations available. Make sure you click the 'clear background' icon on the left sidebar (fig 3). A few nice clear fonts to use are Verdana, New Times, or Arial
Next, click near where you want the indicator to be in the the legend. Make sure you have the color clicked, and type the '1' in. Once the '1' is there, you can switch font face, color and size to see which combination works the best. If you place your mouse pointer right over the dotted line border of the text box, then left-click and hold, you can drag the box around and align it how you want. Click outside the dotted lines to set it down.
You can replace the label at the top of the card by selecting the dotted box at the top of the tool column, and using it to surround the text I have. Hit the delete key on your keyboard, and you'll erase the text...and the background color. To replace the background color, select the tipping bucket tool, select whatever color you want to use, and then left-clicking over the newly erased area and the black area (if you changed colors). Use the same method for labeling your denomination legend to type a new title for the card. You can also use the same method to replace the legend instructions to the left of Wyoming.
Further, you can replace the red outlines I used around the states by selecting a color, the tipping bucket, and left-clicking in the new color anywhere along the red line. I made it so it will 'flow' all the way around replacing the entire border.
When you've got your blank card set up with your color scheme, click 'File' again, and then click 'save'. It'll update the PNG file with your new data. If you didn't mess up your first attempt at setting a color scheme, you can delete the second blank copy, and use your new color scheme as your master copy.
Step 4: Filling It In (AKA Mind Numbing Tediousness):
Note: Some of the FRB letter have tiny sections that are hard to color using the bucket. Click 'View', and select zoom...usually 200% or 400% gets it big enough to aim the bucket (fig 4). If you make a mistake at any point, before you make it worse, hit and hold the 'CTRL' key on your keyboard, and tap the 'Z' key at the same time to undo your last move. Sometimes it'll only let you undo the last few moves, so dont wait too long to undo something that isn't going right.
Now you can start filling in the states and FRB's that you have hits in. If you're doing a large update, save periodically to avoid losing anything if your computer hiccups. Once you've chosen the colors you want to use, you can then use the eye-dropper tool from the left toolbar (fig 2C) to pick up the color from the legend, and use the paint bucket to fill that exact shade in the states or FRB spaces. This comes in handy if you chose a custom color (which I wont get into) to use, or just cant remember which shade of color you chose.
Conclusion and Extras
If you want to try your hand at piecing together your own card, heres a blank square without state letters:
I hope you enjoy using this card for keeping track of some of your bingos, and I would love it if you dropped me an anon-email with any suggestions to make this tutorial better!
bravenet.com