Creative exercises
Aquarell illustrated cards: arrange a title, drawing and empty space
Plan the text area, illustration and margins of a portrait greeting card, using the text and font controls to make a readable small card.
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Reserve space for text before drawing decoration. When making a hand-drawn card in Aquarell, the common problem is not an insufficiently rich illustration, but discovering afterward that the title must squeeze into a corner. Planning the layout first helps text and illustration work together.
This tutorial uses a portrait card saying “Take it slowly today, too” to practice layout, text hierarchy, and hand-drawn decoration. Substitute your own message and choose a font actually available on your device.
1. Divide the layout into three areas
Create a 1200 × 1600-pixel canvas and leave about 100 pixels around all edges. Use roughly the upper quarter for the title, the middle half for the illustration, and the bottom for a date or short signature. Adjust the proportions as needed, but decide each area's purpose first.
Mark the rough boundaries with very light lines on the sketch layer, and hide that layer before the final export. For a relaxed feel, you can place the heading slightly to the left and the illustration slightly to the right, while balancing their visual weight. Avoid pushing every element to the edges or filling every gap: empty space is part of the layout.
2. Write the heading first and check its length
Open the text tool and add your title. Choose a readable font and a clear dark color, then see how much fits on one line. On this canvas, start around font size 80–100 and adjust to the actual units and appearance. Different fonts at the same size can look very different.
Try “Take it slowly today, too” on one line and on two, then compare the layouts. Break at meaningful points rather than leave one character stranded. For a long title, shorten it or rewrap it instead of shrinking it until unreadable on a phone.
3. Check complete character shapes before choosing a font
Aquarell publicly supports text and font import. Start with an available font that can display all the Chinese characters you need, and check for missing-character boxes or unexpected substitute glyphs. If you need to import a font, use a font file you have the right to use, then select it through “Import Font.”
Successful font installation and permission to use it are separate matters. For commercial publication, check the font's license; this article does not guarantee any particular font package's rights. If import fails, do not simply change the extension. Check that it is a valid font and examine any interface restrictions.
4. Draw an illustration that suits the layout
Draw a cup, leaf, or flower in the middle area. Plan its size on a separate sketch layer, then finish it with color and detail layers. Start with an illustration about two-thirds of the content area's width, leaving a gap below the title.
Limit the palette—for example, cream background, gray-green subject, dark-brown text, and a little orange decoration. The title and illustration can share a dark color to connect them visually. Coloring every character differently interrupts reading.
5. Add secondary text and a little decoration
Add a date or a note no longer than the title at the bottom. Make secondary text clearly smaller—try half the title size first—and check readability on a phone. Align it with the title's left edge or centerline to avoid arbitrary offsets.
Decorations can be two or three small dots, a short line, or a little leafy branch. Add one first, then decide whether a second is needed. A heavy border can draw attention away from the heading. When using dotted textures, also check whether they become a messy gray edge at a smaller size.
Completion check: what does the reader notice first?
Reduce the canvas to an ordinary phone-card size and ask what you read first. Ideally, the title comes first, the illustration second, and secondary details last. If the title requires zooming, adjust its size, contrast, and line breaks first.
Check whether decorations cover the edges of the text, whether the sentence contains typos, and whether the font is missing any characters. After using a custom font, reopen the native artwork and check its appearance. An import screen showing no error does not mean that every character is displayed correctly.
Saving and sharing
After exporting PNG or JPEG, open the result and reread it. Text is now part of an image; editing it is not like changing a message in a chat app. Keep the native Aquarell artwork separately if you may need to change the title later.
PSD exports preserve pixel layers; the native artwork remains the reference for editable text. For a card series, keep a layout master and save a separate copy or file for each card to avoid overwriting the previous message and illustration.
Check the tone against the actual recipient
The recipient affects the relationship between text and illustration. A greeting to a friend can be relaxed; an event notice needs a clear date and location. Check completeness first, then decoration. An attractive layout cannot replace necessary information, and stylistic consistency is no reason to shrink important details excessively.
Questions and limitations
Why does the title no longer fit after changing the Chinese font?
Fonts differ in character width, punctuation, and line height. Recheck wrapping and margins rather than assume the previous font size will fit. Check every card individually in a series.
Some characters still appear as boxes after importing a font. What should I do?
The font may lack those glyphs. Switch to a font that covers the required characters or use an available system font. Do not replace the correct text with similar-looking characters to hide missing glyphs; an accurate heading matters more than a special typeface.
How can I keep the card from looking crowded?
Remove one decoration, increase the gap between title and illustration, and reconsider whether the bottom note is necessary. Insufficient empty space usually requires rethinking hierarchy, not shrinking everything.
Can I give someone a PSD to change the title?
Do not assume so. Aquarell exports PSD pixel layers, which do not establish whether another app can edit text in its original structure. Keep the native artwork for continued editing in Aquarell and explain the intended handoff separately.
Sources and applicable version
Information checked on October 22, 2026, for Aquarell 1.0.5 (iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or later). See the official description and Apple release lookup; the interface may change with the version.