ABM Template Tutorial Video Series: Photoshop Elements

We had so much fun and received such a positive response for our Button Making How-To Series that we decided it was time to bring you, our loyal readers and customers, another video series.

And so here we are this morning, excited to unveil the first video in our exciting Template Tutorial Video Series.

The goal of this series is quite simple: we want to show you how to create perfectly sized graphics for button making. Each video post will include two primary tools to accomplish this:

1. A video that takes you through the step-by-step process for creating your graphic
2. A downloadable template for the graphics program being discussed.

Today we are going to deal with Photoshop Elements, one of the most popular graphics programs available today.

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Use 4,571 for Buttons: Encapsulating Someone’s Life Story

Do not be fooled by the specificity of the number in the title.  There is no finite number of uses for buttons, nor are we sure that what we are about to describe would fall in the exact 4,571th slot even if such a list existed.

The main idea is that there are tons of uses for buttons, and I just came across another one today.

On NPR.org, they have chosen to use political campaign buttons of recently deceased U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy to encapsulate his life. The good (his Senator elections), the bad (references to Chappaquidick), and the failed (his runs for President) are all represented in the ten-button cross section chosen by NPR.

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So Many Names, So Many Uses, So Many Possibilities!

One question that we get asked a lot by potential customers and people who are just curious about button making is: “What is the difference between a button machine, a button maker, and a button press?”

Well, I am afraid that the answer is quite complicated. In fact, it is so complicated that it will require all of one word, two syllables, and seven letters to explain:

NOTHING!

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Photo Circle Cutter Comparison: Photo Punch and Graphic Punch

Among the many, many questions that we receive on a daily basis are:

• How awesome is it being immersed in the wonderful world of buttons on a daily basis? (Answer: awesome!)
• Can you make fabric-covered buttons with your button machines? (Answer: yes!)
• What is the meaning of life? (Answer: we don’t know, but when we find out we will make custom pinback buttons and send one to all of our past, present, and future customers!)

Those, of course, are just three of the myriad questions we get asked. Another of the common queries revolves around two different types of cutters that we offer: the 2.25″ photo punch cutter and the 2.25″ graphic punch cutter. 

The primary difference between the two cutters is the size of the circle they cut out, and there is a very specific reason why this is the case.  You see, a 2.25″ button machine can’t use true photo paper because it is too thick. Thus, the photo punch cutter actually cuts a circle that is slightly smaller than the standard graphic punch cutter.

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Summer Uses for Buttons!

Now that we are smack-dab in the middle of the summer, this seems like as good a time as any to discuss a few summertime uses for buttons…and even a Fall back-to-school use or two.

So what are some ways that button making especially useful during the summer?

Summer Camp

Do you help run a summer camp or know someone who does?  Do your kids attend summer camp?  If so, think about how useful a button machine and some pinback button supplies could be.  Whether for use as nametags for camp counselors, or as nametags for kids so the counselors can quickly learn their names, personalized ID buttons are both fun and functional.

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The Joy of Button Making: Pinback Buttons, Fabric Buttons, and Photo Buttons

When you first hear the term “button making” you may not immediately think of the word “fun.” But guess what…you should!

Making buttons is an engaging and entertaining experience, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that you end up with useful products once you are done. Whether you are looking to fundraise for a cause you believe in, promote a campaign, or show support for a person, band, or team, buttons are a terrific solution.

In this article, we are going to highlight three fun and useful types of buttons, each of which make button making a truly joyful and productive pastime.

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Ceramic Magnets v Peel and Stick Magnets: Which One Is Right For You?

Magnets are great, and they are great for a variety of reasons:

1. They are fun and functional.
2. They can be great memory keepsakes.
3. They are easy to make.
4. They are inexpensive mementos.
5. They are typically rich with extraordinarily large net worths.

Oops…I seem to have mixed up magnet with magnate.

But those two words are not as unrelated as you might think. Check out the Wikipedia definition of a magnate:

Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus ‘great’, designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities.

Hmm, so a magnate is somebody great. Then that must mean that a magnet is something great! Do you follow my etymylogical reasoning here? No? Okay, good…because there is no etymylogical reasoning going on. This is just my long and drawn out way of saying what I already said in the first line of this post: magnets are great!

So, with that being said, the next question you must ask yourself is which type of magnet is greater for the purposes of whatever project you are working on. And that is why today we are going to break down the differences between two very distinct types of magnets:

1. Peel and stick magnets
2. Ceramic magnets

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Button University Lesson 2: Button Sizes – Choosing the Right One

On Friday, we introduced you to our new series of posts that highlight some of the information available at the Button University resource of our main website. The first post in the series provided step-by-step instructions for any button making project. Today, we delve into an important decision that must be made when you are making buttons: with all of the different button sizes available, which one should you use for your project?

Over at our main website, we have a handy-dandy table that you can use for quick reference regarding decisions on button sizes. While we could simply repost that table here, what would be the fun in that? Plus, we know that some people don’t always like looking at tables and charts. So we will use our space here to outline, in a little more detailed fashion, which button sizes and button machine options work best for producing different button types and styles.

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Using Adjustable Circle Cutters for Buttons, Crafts, Projects

At American Button Machines we pride ourselves on being a one-stop shop for any supply you may need for a wide range of button making projects. What a lot of our visitors and customers do not realize is that many of our products also have useful functions outside the realm of button making.

While our usual focus on this blog is to revel in the wonderful world of buttons, we are actually going to – don’t be alarmed – take a brief step outside of button making to discuss the most versatile product that we sell: adjustable circle cutters.

Obviously the circle cutter tool is a prominent product in our overall line of button making supplies and accessories because it is perfect for cutting circular graphics and photos for making pinback buttons. However, the purpose of this post is to help you step outside the button making box and understand the wide variety of additional projects for which a circle cutter tool can be a perfect tool.

In addition to cutting graphics for pinback buttons, many arts and crafts aficionados use circle cutters to cut numerous items other than paper, and have found tremendous benefits. Schools, arts and crafts lovers, companies, and families have purchased our adjustable circle cutter to cut circles out of paper, thin plastic, construction paper, poster board, and fabric.

Here is a quick video to show you how a circle cutter tool works:

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Sports Photo Buttons – Why Sports Buttons are Great Fundraisers for High Schools

In an article earlier this week, we discussed some creative fundraising ideas for schools. The response to this post was so positive that we wanted to break out a few of the ideas and deal with them individually. So today we are going to discuss the wonderful world of sports photo buttons; and specifically, why sports buttons are great fundraisers for high schools.

If you have ever gone to a high school football or basketball game, you have probably seen multitudes of women covered in decorative photo buttons. Typically, the buttons will have either the school logo, or pictures of athletes or cheerleaders, which are presumably their children. The photo buttons are usually brightly colored and feature close-up shots of the athletes and are a great way to show support for a school or child.

What many savvy high school athletic departments have found out, but that others may not realize, is that these sports photo buttons are easy and cheap to make and can return a very nice ROI as a fundraising product.

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