How to Make a New Driver Card with a LetterPress
- Read time: 4 minutes
- Written by: Crafter's Companion
Celebrate a newly passed driver with a handmade card that's clean, modern, and full of personality. Using the Letterpress system, you'll achieve beautifully crisp impressions before adding colour and simple paper accents for a professional-looking finish.
What You'll Need
- Kraft card blank
- Alcohol Marker Card
- Black cardstock
- Red, green, and yellow (Retro Christmas Linen Card)
- Gold Glitter Card
- LetterPress
- LetterPress Milestone Press Plate - Car and 'You've Passed'
- Gemini II
- Alcohol Proof Ink Pad – Noir Black
- Low-tack tape
- Tape Pen
- Tacky Glue Pen (or Dotted Tape Pen)
- Scissors
- Illustrator Pens: TB3, TB4, TB6, DR2, IG1, IG2, GB2
- Star Shaker Tags Dies
Step 1 – Prepare Your Cardstock
Begin by trimming your cardstock to size. Cut the Alcohol Marker Card to 5" x 5" and Black Card to 5⅛" x 5⅛"
Next, cut two strips from each of the red, green, and yellow linen card. Each strip should measure ½" wide.
Set these aside, ready for decorating later.
Step 2 – Position Your Card in the Letterpress
Open your Letterpress and place the 5" x 5" Alcohol Marker Card onto the clear side.
Using the printed 5" x 5" guidelines, position the cardstock accurately before securing it with low-tack tape to prevent movement during pressing.
Step 3 – Arrange the Press Plates
Using the same guidelines on the magnetic side of the Letterpress, position the Car and 'You've Passed' press plates in the centre of the platform.
Once you're happy with the placement, apply a generous, even coating of Black Alcohol Proof Ink across both.
Step 4 – Letterpress Your Design
Close the LetterPress and run it through your Gemini II machine.
When you remove the cardstock, you'll reveal a beautifully inked and debossed design with crisp detail, ready for colouring.
Step 5 – Colour the Car
Bring the design to life using your Illustrator Pens. For this sample, we've used : TB3, TB4, TB6, DR2, IG1, IG2, GB2
Layer the colours to create depth and shading, giving the blue car a polished, realistic finish.
Step 6 – Add Colourful Paper Strips
Take the coloured paper strips you prepared earlier. Using a Tape Pen, adhere the strips vertically above and below the car, alternating the Green, Yellow and Red colours to create a bold decorative border that resembles traffic lights
Trim away any excess cardstock so the strips sit flush with the edges of the white card.
Step 7 – Add Star Details
Using the Star Shaker Tags Dies, die-cut several small stars from Gold Glitter Card. Scatter them around the design and adhere them using either a Dotted Tape Pen or Tacky Glue Pen.
Step 8 – Assemble the Card
Once your design is complete, it's time to build your finished card.
Using your Tape Pen:
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Adhere the decorated 5" x 5" panel onto the 5⅛" x 5⅛" black mat layer.
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Then adhere the completed black panel onto the 5¾" x 5¾" kraft card blank.
This layered finish frames the design beautifully and gives the card a premium look.
Your Card Is Complete!
You now have a stylish handmade card that's perfect for congratulating someone who has just passed their driving test. The crisp letterpress detail, vibrant colouring, and simple layered embellishments combine to create a card that's both elegant and heartfelt.
The best part? This layout can easily be adapted across the entire Letterpress collection. Simply swap the dies, experiment with different colour palettes and embellishments, and you'll have a versatile design suitable for birthdays, new homes, graduations, celebrations, and so much more.
