[BarbaraC1977]

My favorite recipe binder, from Century Plastics, has plastic sheets that can accommodate two 4x6x, (and two on back side) and sheets that can hold 5.5x8.5" recipes. I've liked the larger size for lengthy recipes, or recipes with a long backstory, and have scrapped some here recently (My Cookbook.) I like to use type sizes that aren't tiny. I could switch to 8 1/2 x 11 for some recipes, but others are still fine at 4x6, and my kitchen counters don't have much room for a larger format binder (I've tried.)

I can print 4x6's for a bargain price, but 5.5 x 8.5 is very expensive to print commercially. I've put two of these side by side, and printed them edge to edge on my HP Photosmart printer. They look great, but never quite as glossy/spiffy as the commercial prints (and of course, I'd rather save the ink for my 8x8s.)

So, if you were me, would you simply tweak the larger format to 8"x6" and then create two 4x6's by splitting the image across the center, for frugal printing? Or should I just do two "almost matching" 4x6s, and add "Part 1 of 2" and "Part 2 of 2" to the cards?

I can rearrange and re-size larger template pieces to separate them into "sections;" that also seems to defeat the purpose of using templates for speed. Or should we ask our designers for some 4x6 recipe templates with "continuation pages" built into a set?

I'm considering all of these options, but wondering if anyone else has wrestled with this. My frugal nature has me searching for some alternatives, and I'd love to hear some suggestions here.

[angelaNussbaum]

Hmm... I have seen where ppl do a 4x6 and save it for 1/2 the recipe, then use it again to do the rest (ie the background etc stay basically the same). That is a feasible recipe card format. When you print them at 8.5 x 5.5 could you put two right next to each other and then cut them in half when you get the print? that could make it more cost effective.. 2 for the price of one..

[podiumchick]

I would probably print the recipes side by side at home and save the spiffy commercial prints for the 8x8's. If the recipes are behind a plastic cover, printing them on good paper or cardstock should suffice.

[sarabethp]

I agree with Kim. You could print two recipes on quality cardstock at home. They would look really nice and very cost effective.

[tinkerbell11]

Great thread I am thinking of taking on the monstrous job of typing all my recipes into scrap LO's! i will follow and see peoples opinions! I do agree that 4 X 6 is really not large enough for certain recipes! I different larger size template might be cool!

[elibar]

Could you put 2 on an 8 1/2 x 11? I use this size for my prayer journal, but I don't have them printed professionally. But it seems that borderless 8 1/2 x 11 might be a common size to print for business - documents and flyers and such.

[BarbaraC1977]

Sorry I didn't make this clear in the original post. Yes, I do print some side by side on 8 1/2 x 11 at home. They are very nice looking, but also use a boatload of ink. And you must wait until they are dry and hardened before putting them in a paper cutter. I'd rather reserve my ink at home for my 8x8 layouts, and do something less expensive when friends ask for a copy of a recipe.

Commercial photo places don't do 8 1/2x11, whether I use Valerie's 8 1/2 x 11 cookbook templates "as is" or resized. They do 8x10, or 11x14, and typically charge $3.99 for ONE 8x10.

Given that it's easy to pay no more than $0.20 per photo/card for 4x6, I guess it's most cost-effective to find a way to split the recipe, as I did in one recent example in My Cookbook of a recipe that was easy to split. Printing these at 5.5 x 8.5 two to a page, or 8 1/2 x 11 full page uses a lot of ink at home, and is expensive in a store or online.

The "cost/square inches" arithmetic does not make sense, but it's the way it is. I think I'm going to just try to find a way to split most recipes. One nice thing was that in using Valerie's 8.5x11 templates for an 8" high x 6" wide page with a guideline half-way down to remind me, I can make a nice "pair" of cards that will work great in my two to a page 4x6 slots. Thanks for the conversation on this; it's helped me clarify my thinking (for the moment!)

[pennynoel]

I make lengthy recipes on 8 x 6 and leave a little space in the middle for folding. This lets them fit in my recipe box which is made for 4 x 6.

[BarbaraC1977]

pennynoel, on 02 September 2009 - 06:44 PM, said:

I make lengthy recipes on 8 x 6 and leave a little space in the middle for folding. This lets them fit in my recipe box which is made for 4 x 6.

That's a good idea, too. Do you resize templates, or just "wing it" for the layout?

[podiumchick]

Barbara, my point was to save ink by printing the 8x8's commercially and do the recipes at home. I like to have the nicer prints of my LOs than my printer can do. But either way it costs. When a friend asks me for a recipe I don't usually give them a scrapped one. Or you could email them the jpg to print it out themselves.