Printing and presenting your poem
A good poem on ordinary printer paper is still a good poem. But a poem that looks as if it came out of Sint's sack gets a different reception before the first line has even been read. It costs little time and little money. Here is a practical route from screen to scroll, in the order you should do it.
Choosing paper
The paper does most of the work. Ordinary copy paper of 80 gsm feels thin and office-like. Choose something heavier, roughly 120 to 160 gsm, and the poem immediately feels special. If you have a home printer, first check that it can handle that weight. Many printers take thick paper fine, but some jam. Test with one sheet.
For colour, cream and a light parchment yellow are the safest choice. They give a warm, old-fashioned look without becoming fake. White is fine too, but avoid bright white and loud colours.
Font and size
Choose a font that is old-fashioned and readable. A classic serif font, like the one used in many books, gives the best look. Ornate handwriting fonts look nice in a heading, but are tiring to read for a whole poem. Use them at most for a title or the signature, and even then sparingly.
- Font size: 14 to 16 points. Larger than you would choose for a letter, because a poem is often read aloud in changing light.
- Line spacing: generous, about one and a half times the normal spacing. Every line needs room to breathe.
- Alignment: left aligned. Do not justify, because that stretches the spaces between words unevenly and hides the rhythm.
- One font for the whole poem, at most a second one for the title.
Margins and layout
A poem deserves white space. Use generous margins of at least three centimetres left and right and a little more at the top than at the bottom. Separate each verse from the next with a blank line. Keep each verse together on the same page. A verse that is broken off halfway breaks the rhythm.
If the poem does not fit on one sheet, first see whether it is too long. Read common mistakes for cutting verses. If it still does not fit, reduce the line spacing slightly rather than the font size.
Put the title, if you have one, at the top in a slightly larger size. Put the signature at the bottom, right aligned, so that it stands apart from the last verse.
Rolling it up with a ribbon
A rolled-up poem with a ribbon is the classic picture. Roll the sheet loosely, with the text on the inside, so that the recipient has to open it themselves. Use a ribbon one or two centimetres wide in red, gold or dark green. Do not tie it too tight, or it will leave dents in the paper. A simple bow or double knot is enough.
If you want to hide the poem inside the surprise itself (a surprise is the traditional handmade gift, often a papier-mâché disguise that hides the present), roll it up and slide it into a small tube or an empty paper roll. How to work that into the story of the surprise is covered in a poem for a surprise.
Wax seal
A wax seal is optional, but it adds the final touch. You need sealing wax, a seal stamp and a surface. A few tips:
- Practise first on a scrap of paper. The amount of wax and the pressure of the stamp determine the shape.
- Let the wax settle for a moment before you press the seal. Too runny gives a blob.
- Press the stamp straight down and lift it straight up, without twisting.
- Let the seal harden completely before you move the poem.
Reading aloud
The presentation does not end with the paper. The poem gets read, so how it is read is at least as important. A few practical tips:
- Read it aloud once beforehand, so that you know where to pause.
- Read more slowly than you think is needed. Nerves make you faster.
- Leave a short silence after each joke, so that people can laugh before you continue.
- Look up at the recipient now and then. A poem read with eye contact works much better.
- Make the last line softer and slower, and then leave a moment of silence.
Still need to finish the poem itself? You do that in the writing studio. Only print afterwards, when the final version really is the final one.