Most speeches start life in a word processor, so it is natural to try to make the cue cards there too. All three tools below can do it. The catch is that none of them knows what a card is: you decide where each card starts and ends, and you fix the breaks by hand every time the speech changes.
Menu names below are from recent versions and can differ on your device.
Microsoft Word
Option 1: one card per page
- Set a card-sized page Go to Layout, Size, More Paper Sizes, and enter the card size, for example 5 in × 3 in (127 × 76 mm). Set narrow margins.
- Type one card per page Insert a page break (Ctrl+Enter, or Cmd+Enter on a Mac) between cards so each one starts on a new page.
- Print on card stock Only if your printer can feed card-sized paper. Otherwise use option 2.
Option 2: several cards on an A4 or Letter page
- Insert a table A 2 × 4 table on a portrait page gives eight palm-card-sized cells, or 2 × 2 for larger cue cards.
- Fix the row height In Table Properties, set each row to an exact height so the cells stay the same size as you type.
- Type one card per cell, then print and cut Use the table borders as cut lines.
The usual problem: with an exact row height, text that does not fit is hidden rather than moved to the next cell. Check every card in the print preview.
Google Docs
Open File, Page setup. If your version offers a custom paper size, enter the card dimensions and add a page break between cards. Otherwise, use the table method: Insert, Table, then set a minimum row height in Table properties.
In Docs the row height is a minimum, so a cell grows when the text is too long and pushes the rest of the table down. Your cards end up different sizes unless you trim each one by hand. When the speech is final, you can also download it as a Word file and import it into EasyPalmCards instead.
Canva
Canva works best when the cards need to look designed, such as prompt cards for a ceremony or a classroom display. Create a design at your card size (or search the templates for cue or note cards), add one page per card, type your text, and download as a PDF for printing.
The trade-off is speed. Each card is a separate design page and text does not flow from one card to the next, so a five-minute speech means copying and pasting every section across by hand, and editing the speech means doing it again. To print several cards on one sheet you need to set that up in your printer settings or layout.
Side by side
| Task | Word or Docs | Canva | EasyPalmCards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split a speech into cards | By hand | By hand, one page each | Automatic, at sentence breaks |
| Text too long for a card | Hidden (Word) or card grows (Docs) | Resize or move by hand | Moves to the next card |
| Edit the speech later | Re-check every break | Re-paste affected cards | Smart Reflow fixes the breaks |
| Cards per page with cut lines | Table borders | Set up yourself | Built in, A4 or US Letter |
| Card numbers | Type them | Type them | Optional, added for you |
| Practise from the cards | No | Not built for it | Rehearse mode with a timer |
| Design freedom | High | Highest | Fonts, colours, sizes; no images |
Which should you use?
- Stay in Word or Docs if you only need a few cards, your teacher wants the file in that format, or you need to work offline in a program you already know.
- Use Canva if the cards are a visual piece in their own right and the amount of text is small.
- Use EasyPalmCards if you have a full speech to turn into cards, expect to keep editing it, or want every card the same size without checking each one.
You do not have to choose up front. Write the speech wherever you like, then import the file into the editor: Word, PowerPoint, PDF, Pages and plain text are supported. If you would rather write by hand, print a sheet from the free index card template.