Stacked armor
- This process was developed by individuals based on their own technical stacks. Please do not simply argue about which method or software is better, or which one appears less professional. This is not the correct way to recommend solutions.
- The cards are indeed very simple and lack any particular features; the hand-cut effect is also average. I admit this upfront, and we'll improve them in the next version.
There was no further card exchange; a landlord who had given me a mailbox was threatening to harm me in the group.
- The "experience points" will be listed after each heading, while the rest are just notes that can be skipped over.
Finished product display
Collecting communication records
- It is recommended to use forms to collect logs from the communication system.
One personal device: IC705 + UVK5. The IC705 stays at home, while the UVK5 is taken out when I go away.
Initially, I would use my personal computer to create Excel spreadsheets and then send messages via WeChat to record communication information.
Problem：
It's a bit counterintuitive to directly record in an Excel spreadsheet; when recording, you have to switch columns, and it's easy to get confused about which column you're writing in. I've experienced this myself.
The phone, on the other hand, is used to record the process. However, typing with one hand at a time limits the speed, so the notes become increasingly brief and abbreviated. After several months, when I went back to review them, I found that the information was starting to overlap and connect. It's also difficult to determine who gave what to whom, and displaying accurate times on WeChat is also cumbersome.
After some thought, it seems that the Tonglian records are actually in a structured table format, and using forms to collect table data is quite user-friendly.
Therefore, I created the following page using a Macform form, and then downloaded it to my local machine for copying into the main table.
QSL design
- If you're not very familiar with Photoshop, PowerPoint is definitely a good option for creating simple QSL cards; even if the results aren't perfect, they won't be significantly worse.
- Currently, there are no plans to place colored photos on the front; I will ask my family to do it for me if we decide to do so later.
- For formal printing, do not use the print function in PowerPoint. The advanced options are limited, and it has been simplified by Microsoft too much. I prefer to save as a PDF file and then print.
I tried creating a QSL card using PS with the assistance of my family members.
However, PS is a professional software and requires some learning curve. If you don't have time for formal training, using it half-heartedly can be frustrating, and even finding answers to basic questions on Baidu can be difficult for beginners.
During this period, my family members looked down on and dismissed me. When I tried to explain the design language to them, they told me that it was incomprehensible and that communication was inefficient, and then they left me to go back to their own activities.
Frustrated, I went back and chose to create a PPT, completing the following simple color effect cards in about half an hour.
Print QSL cards
- It's very difficult to dry copper-plated paper after printing with an inkjet printer, and multiple sheets printed in bulk will definitely stick together. I finally chose white card stock.
- The difficulty in printing QSL cards on a home printer lies in whether the front and back sides can be aligned correctly. The solution is described in the main text.
- QSL cards are typically made of thick paper, which is difficult to cut with a home-use paper cutter that can only handle one or two sheets at a time. Additionally, a standard home printer cannot guarantee that all the cut lines will align perfectly when multiple QSL cards are stacked and cut – therefore, it's not practical to use a home paper cutter to create multiple QSL cards.
However, each QSL card is meticulously crafted by hand, reflecting a sincere effort.）
I am using a Canon G3810 printer, and when I bought it, I checked that it could handle thicker paper.
(This part is questionable, not professional) Furthermore, color laser printers are already expensive, and it's difficult for laser printers to use thick cardstock because the toner needs to be applied to a drum. If compatibility with thick cardstock is required, the printer would become even more expensive, so I decided to buy a visually appealing model instead.
Head-to-head, side-by-side：
Initially, when I tried to print, I found that after manually flipping the paper for double-sided printing, the front and back sides were not aligned. This was true regardless of whether I printed left to right or top to bottom; the distance between them was very large.
I tested using the calibration method described in this video, and my G3810 performed well.
[A solution for perfectly aligning the front and back pages of a DIY printed journal] https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1da4y1V7hb/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source = 84b99774f29eae141d3f949d151c43a5
- In the print settings, select "no scaling" (i.e., 1:1). Pay attention to settings such as paper feed direction. Be aware that there are areas on the edges that cannot be printed on. The layout should avoid these areas.
- Taking my printer as an example, for A4 paper, feed the short edge first, and when flipping to print on the other side, use the side where the paper was fed (the long edge).
This is because the non-printable areas on the top and bottom of a sheet of paper have different widths. To ensure that the non-printable areas are aligned, the paper must be turned over on its non-printing side.
- When printing, print the front and back separately. First, print the entire front side in bulk, then print the back side. Do not use the printer's manual double-sided printing function.
When the automatic program finishes printing the front side, the printer may repeatedly attempt to feed paper. If paper suddenly gets stuck at this point, it could potentially cause misfeeding and skewing.
Ensure that the printer is in a stopped state each time, and neatly insert the paper to the bottom limit.
- For left and right limits, first adjust the limit slider so that it is slightly narrower than the paper. Then, insert the paper and gently press down to open the limit slider. If you do not do this, the limit slider will move back and forth due to the gap between the slider and the edge of the paper.
Correct example
Example problem
QSL card layout and cutting.
- This chapter seems to be out of order in relation to the rest of the article. It needs to be read alongside the printing practice described above, and multiple tests are necessary for optimal results.
Of course, if your printer cannot perfectly print both sides of thick cardstock, you could consider going out and having someone else make the cards or replacing your printer.
- When designing and laying out, be sure to reserve the cross lines in each of the four corners for subsequent cutting and positioning. Only one side needs to have these lines.
- The guillotine-style paper cutter is not very effective; the principle of using a blunt pair of scissors makes it difficult to cut thick paper without leaving ragged edges (it might also be because I bought one that doesn't have a blade).
- I would prefer to use a blade-style cutting method directly, as the edges are acceptable, but still not perfect. I'm looking for a low-cost solution.
Big shot @BH8UTF Recommendation:
1、QSL size: 114x94mm, with text control within 140x90mm (to prevent text from being cut off)
2、The QSL card size should be 154x104mm, with the text area limited to 150x100mm (to prevent text from being cut off).
Considering my non-printable area, a small size allows me to fit 3 cards on an A4 sheet, so I chose a size of 1.
Since I made it myself, I also gained a better understanding of how to align my printer. In the end, I left a single-sided margin of 1mm for the text.
First, print the front side in bulk, then print the back side, and finally feed it into a paper cutter to cut out the desired shape.
Perhaps someone has noticed
The information on my card was directly printed inside, and the text within the layout's text box read '%XX', as if it were a variable. [Manual dog head.jpg]
Now, please allow me to introduce the benefits of using PowerPoint in detail!
Using Python and MS's excellent win32com interface, I can automatically read my Tonglian logs, extract the data, modify it in PowerPoint, and then export it as a PDF.
At this point, I have found all the advantages of using Excel and PowerPoint. (I'm pleased with myself.)
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