Classic Computer Magazine Archive ANTIC VOL. 6, NO. 8 / DECEMBER 1987

P.S. Envelop Maker

Just right for your Print Shop cards

by TODD THEDELL

Print envelope diagrams and cut along the dotted lines. Now you can make an endless supply of custom-addressed envelopes just the right size for your Print Shop holiday greeting cards. This BASIC program works on 8-bit Atari computers with minimum 48K memory and disk drive.

Easy page-design programs such as Print Shop are among the most widely-used programs available for 8-bit bit Atari computers. In fact, Print Shop is one of the few programs that my wife regularly uses. Our friends have marveled at the "cute" greeting cards we make.

My wife complained that our cards wouldn't fit in conventional envelopes and that it looked "tacky" to fold them. Thus was born Print Shop Envelopes. If you can cut and fold paper, you can make custom-sized envelopes for Print Shop cards.

You can even use the Print Shop Envelopes program to address your cards. Type in as many as four lines for the addressee and make edits before you print. Your return address is also stored inside the program so you don't need to type it in each time. You can change the return address whenever wish or use none at all.

The program will run on any 80-column printer that works with Print Shop. (Antic would be interested in publishing the first good programming patch we receive that enables Print Shop Envelopes to use mailing lists set up in ASCII textfiles. The patch should run with Mighty Mailer from the Sept. 1987 issue.--ANTIC ED)

GETTINC STARTED

Mail your Print Shop cards in the custom-made envelopes they deserve. Type in Listing 1, ENVELOPE.BAS, check it with TYPO II and SAVE a copy before you RUN it. When you type it in, be sure to put your own name and address into the DATA statements in lines 210-230. Be sure to use inverse characters, which lets you include commas in your address.

To use the program, simply type answers to the prompts, turn on your printer and print away. After an envelope is printed, remove the form feed guides from the paper (if you're not using single sheets) and cut along the dotted lines. (See Figure 1) Fold the bottom flap and then the top flap. Fold the side flaps under and glue them to make the envelope pocket. Insert your card and then glue or tape the upper flap shut for mailing.

The whole process is just as simple as anything else you do with Print Shop. Just don't forget to attach a stamp before you put your Print Shop greeting into the mail.

Todd Thedell is a computer science teacher for the U.S. Military Dependent Schools in Europe, where he was recentIy transferred from Norway to Germany.

Listing:ENVELOPE.BAS Download