Today we are focusing is on creating a calendar with Apple iWork’s Pages.
Hey PC users: check out yesterday’s post about using Microsoft Word, or check back tomorrow to see how to use MagCloud’s Flickr Uploadr to create a super cool calendar with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Let’s get started with Pages.
I’m a new fan of Pages, (Apple’s design tool that comes in their iWork productivity suite) and if you are Mac user looking to do some basic design without spending a ton (iWork retails for just $79 at store.apple.com) it’s an easy program to use, and is great for projects like a family calendar.
You can create a lot of great looking calendars using the exact same template, just by making a few changes to fonts, color and pictures.
GETTING STARTED:
The template is already set up with 28 pages, so making a few customizations and saving the file as a PDF should be quick and easy!
Download the basic calendar template that I designed here, or at the bottom of this post, you can preview and download some of the variations that I created using the same template, by making a few modifications to the style sheet.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN:
Because I designed this template for use with MagCloud, it’s already formatted to accomodate bleed and trim settings. This means you can just start modifying the style to fit your needs. Because this Pages template has a built-in Paragraph style sheet, it will be easy to keep a consistent style throughout your calendar.
Change view to “Facing pages”
This not only helps with visualizing layout, but also will help you keep the orientation of your photos straight when placing them in the document.
Styling your Calendar
Not making a family calendar? Then go through each page and make the necessary adjustments to layout and fonts. As I mentioned before, all of the above calendars use the exact same layout, with slight tweaks to the fonts and colors. It’s amazing how simple style changes can make a template your own. There are 3 styles in the template: “Title,” “Days of the Week” and “Numbers of the Month;” so changing these styles will transform the look of your calendar. Let’s get started!
Adjusting a Paragraph Style:
1. Expose the “Font Window” by selecting the “A” icon in the Toolbar (If for some reason you don’t see the toolbar at the top of your application frame, then Select VIEW >> Show Toolbar, then select the “A” icon)
2. Select a block of text that you wish to modify
3. Make desired changes to font, size, weight and color using the “Font Window.” As you make selections, you should see the font change on the page.
4. Expose the “Styles Drawer”
5. Select the block of text again–notice how it highlights the selected style in the “Styles Drawer.”
5. Update your paragraph style sheet so that all of the subsequent uses of this style reflect the style changes. You can do this by either “right-clicking” or “ctrl+ click” on the name of the font style in your “Styles Drawer”, then select “Redefine Style from Selection.”
Adding Special Dates to the Calendar:
Half the fun of making your own calendar, is including special dates that are important to you. So, whether you are creating a calendar for your child’s sports team, and you want to include their match dates; or if you are creating a calendar for your family, and you want to include Birthdays and Anniversaries; or if you want to create a calendar for your business and include special events and sales– it’s easy to do.
Because the numbers of the month are dependent on one another, typing directly in the square won’t work. Instead, follow the instructions below to add text boxes to your calendar. (Tip: You can also use these steps to add captions to your photos)
1. Select the Text Box Icon from the Toolbar (it looks like a “T” in a box)–
this will create a small box that you can move around the page
2. Type the information (ie. “Mom’s Birthday” or”Ladybugs vs. ‘Lil Giants”)
3. Grabbing the corner of the text box, adjust the size of the box to 1.4 x 1.0 (this way you can see how it will fit in the day’s square)
4. Adjust the size if the text so that it fits well inside the box and select your desired color and font.
5. Highlight the text again.
6. In the Styles Drawer, hold down the “+” at the bottom of the menu and select “Create New Paragraph Style from Selection” (You can also select FORMAT >> “Create New Paragraph Style from Selection” from the application menu bar)
7. Name your new style. This makes it possible fro you to use this style for other dates as you add them to your calendar.
8. With the text box selected, go to the “Metrics” tab in the Inspector window; use the rotation settings to rotate the text 90º.
9. Drag the box to the appropriate date on the calendar page.
Tip: Save yourself some extra steps by copying and pasting this text box throughout the document. (Select the text box and use “command+ C ” and “command+ V” to copy/paste) Then you can change the text, but it will maintain the style, size and rotation.
Save your file as a “Template” for future uses
If you plan to create another calendar, be sure to save your personalized document as a template. It’s easy to do, just select “File> Save as Template.” This puts a copy of your file into the Pages Template Chooser so you can find it easily next time you launch the application.
Tip: Because your using a template to create your calendar, and have the power of HP MagCloud’s digital printing, there’s no reason you can’t personalize your calendars… Perhaps change the cover image for Aunt Margaret’s calendar? Or make one with more photos of the kids for you In-Laws? Or create calendars that cater to your clients or program sponsors… it’s up to you!
TURNING YOUR DOCUMENT INTO A PDF:
You’re done designing? Yay!
This part couldn’t be easier! Simply select “FILE>> Export.”
Leave the default settings for PDF, and save your file.
WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAGES?
PREVIEW the modified templates:
PREVIEW Template modified for a wedding photographer on MagCloud
PREVIEW Template modified for the PopWarner Team on MagCloud
PREVIEW Template modified for a business (Venetian Glass Blowers) on MagCloud
PREVIEW Template modified for Parma, Italy Calendar on MagCloud
PREVIEW Template modified for a family calendar on MagCloud
Publisher's Corner 
Hi Lauren!
Google guided me to your brilliant blogentry. Thanks for that! The template looks very nice! Just having one ugly problem – i’m still using Pages 8.
Would it be possible for you to provide the original template saved in Pages 8 format?
Best regards from the polar circle!
Henning
Hi Henning,
I have modified the files so they should all open in Pages ’08.
Thanks for the feedback and for using MagCloud!
thanks for this!
I can not seem to adjust my calendar to facing view. When I insert pictures they are side ways, whats the deal? Please help.
Hi Asa,
Unfortunately Pages doesn’t allow you to rotate the view, so you have to rotate your images or text in the file. (usually you can just drag and drop images into the frames already created and that should rotate them automatically) but otherwise you will have to use the metrics tab to rotate content 90º.
Hope that helps!
Lauren
Nope didn’t help what and where is the metrics tab how do you rotate 90 degrees, please answer step by step. Thanks for your prompt reply
Hi Asa,
The metrics tab is the sixth tab in the “Inspector Window” available by clicking on the “i” button in the upper right-hand corner of the application window (or by going to VIEW>> SHOW INSPECTOR).
In this image of the tab
you can see the tab has what looks like a little ruler on it. Select the object you wish to rotate, and then in the dialog box, you can adjust the rotation.
If you need further assistance, I suggest we take this off the comment wall and into support so I can be more prompt to assist you directly. You can reach support via http://www.magcloud.com/help/contact
Thanks!
Lauren, I’m working my way through this process now, learning how to use Pages as I go.
One thing I’ve noticed is that if I have to edit an item on the edge of the page–say, a Saturday or Sunday date, or a text area at the bottom of the back cover–when Pages flips the editing area to a horizontal view (so we can presumably see what we are doing), it actually cuts off part of the area in question. The “axis point” where the editing area is being rotated to the horizontal view is on the edge in these cases, so half of the area becomes invisible. I’m basically editing blindly because Pages does not show anything beyond the calendar page… the text either disappears behind the ruler on the left, or behind the gray blank canvas on the right.
Any solution to this, either so that the editing area will appear in the foreground or at least centered in the screen so it’s not cut off?
Thanks.
Hi Max,
Unfortunately I haven’t found one. I create my text boxes in the middle of the page, size them to fit, then drag them to where I need them to go. It’s not ideal, but it works.
I hope that helps. Otherwise I would suggest checking http://www.apple.com/support/pages/ to see if they cover it at all.
Thanks and happy publishing!
Lauren
Since mobileme and me.com no longer exist, will you be putting your template on iCloud to share?
if you already did, what’s the link?
– Rich
We haven’t moved this old template over, but we do have a new 2013 template available at https://blog.magcloud.com/2012/08/30/summer-photos-into-a-2013-calendar/