LEGO Print Creator

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LEGO Print Creator
Developer(s)The Bending Spoon
Initial release2001
Operating systemWindows 95 and later
Included withSee § Releases
TypeDesktop publishing

LEGO Print Creator is a desktop publishing application designed for children. It was developed by The Bending Spoon in 2001 and published by LEGO Software. Users can design and print images featuring art from various LEGO Media International games that were available at the time. The program was included as a free bonus with certain releases of some LEGO video games, and was also packaged with other activity programs by publishers LEGO Media worked with.

Features

LEGO Print Creator allows users to design and print stationary and labels using LEGO-related artwork and patterns. The program features a single screen with a canvas and interface; its design functions are limited to customising certain built-in templates. These templates allow for the creation of T-shirt iron-on transfers, CD labels, A4-sized posters, certificates, diary pages, calendars, bookmarks, height charts, business cards, letterheaded paper, invitations, and birthday cards.[1]

Selected templaces can be customised by changing the background, applying border patterns, selecting images, and writing custom text. Some template types also have multiple pages to customise or multiple template layouts to select from. Patterns and images can be selected from a library included with the program, or users can add custom images from their hard drive. The size and position of images and text can be adjusted, and different pre-set layouts can be selected for certain templates. Projects can be saved as Print Creator files (.pcf) to be loaded later. Completed projects can be printed if a printer is connected to the computer, or sent to others if an email client is available.[1]

Development

The Bending Spoon logo
The Lost Highway logo
Logos for The Bending Spoon (left) and The Lost Highway

LEGO Print Creator was developed and designed in 2001 by The Bending Spoon Limited,[2][3] a short-lived British software developer based in Norbury, London.[4] The company was incorporated on 8 January 2001 as AD2001 before changing to The Bending Spoon on 24 January, and it was dissolved on 29 October 2002. It was directed by producer Angela Sutherland and software engineer Andrew Stephen Fiore;[4] Sutherland had previously founded Perfect Entertainment (originally Teeny Weeny Games) in 1991.[5][6]

The program's interface art was created by The Lost Highway.[3] The LEGO image library featured in it uses art made for previous LEGO Media and Software titles.[7] These titles include LEGO Alpha Team, LEGO Chess, LEGO Creator, LEGO Creator: Knights' Kingdom, LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge, LEGO Loco, LEGO Rock Raiders, and LEGO Stunt Rally. Bionicle character posters are also included, possibly intended to represent the cancelled title LEGO Bionicle: The Legend of Mata Nui.

Releases

Encore's Creativity Club included LEGO Print Creator

The exact circumstances around the release of LEGO Print Creator are currently unknown, as no advertising for the program has been found outside of game released it was included with. The program has a copyright year of 2001, and its latest files are dated to 2 November 2001.[2] It is currently known to have been included packaged with other software, with dates ranging from late 2001 through 2002.

Currently, the following releases containing LEGO Print Creator are known:

  • Creativity Club, released by Encore Software in 2001. The release featured three creativity-based programs: Curious George Paint & Print Studio, LEGO Print Creator, and Crayola Magic 3D Coloring Book: Fanciful Friends.[8][9]
  • LEGO Island, 2002 re-release by GSP Limited (catalogue number 0775A). LEGO Print Creator's inclusion was advertised on the back of the game case and on the game disc, the latter of which is labelled as "LEGO Island Plus LEGO Print Creator".[10][7]
  • "2 Title Compilation" release by Marks & Spencer (unknown year), containing LEGO Creator and LEGO Rock Raiders. LEGO Print Creator is included on the LEGO Rock Raiders disc, which is labeled "LEGO Rock Raiders and LEGO Print Creator".[11]

Example images

  • Certificate template editing

    Certificate template editing

  • Example of a printable certificate

    Example of a printable certificate

  • Selecting a LEGO image for a poster

    Selecting a LEGO image for a poster

  • The program's text editor

    The program's text editor

  • A custom image loaded into the program

    A custom image loaded into the program

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bending Spoon (24 September 2001). LEGO Print Creator manual. LEGO Software.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Bending Spoon (2001). LEGO Print Creator. LEGO Software. File/code: LEGOPrintCreator.exe. Date modified: 02 November 2001 – File version: 1.0.0.1
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Bending Spoon (27 September 2001). LEGO Print Creator. Scene: Credits. Developed and designed by The Bending Spoon Limited. Artwork by The Lost Highway File path: graphics\intro\outrostill.bmp.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "THE BENDING SPOON LIMITED". UK Companies List. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023.
  5. ↑ De la Fuente, Derek (June 1994). "Itsy Bitsy..." 32. No. 1. Aceville Publications Limited. p. 28.
  6. ↑ De la Fuente, Derek (December 1996). "MudoDisco 2". Micro Mania (in español). No. 23. Hobby Press S.A. p. 71.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ben24x7 (18 March 2018). "LEGO Print Creator". Rock Raiders United. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Creativity Club". Encore Software. Archived from the original on 1 August 2003.
  9. ↑ "Creativity Club Legal Notice". Encore Software. Archived from the original on 14 February 2003.
  10. ↑ "PC Game Lego island - 2002 GSP e15+" (eBay listing by dayo_849416). Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Photo archives: 1, 2. 3.
  11. ↑ "Lego PC CD Bundle Creator, Rock Raiders And Racers 2" (eBay listing by midlandsretro). Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Photo archives: 1, 2, 3.

External links

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