Post pobrano z: Your Complete Guide To Photograph Paper: Which Images Suit Which Paper?

If you’re new to photography it’s a little difficult to know where to start when it comes to printing your work. You have to think about paper quality, weight, finish, size, the lot. And with so many options out there it can be tough to get it right first time.

You’ve also got to think what is your work to be used for and where is it going? Naturally, many different options will have many different costs, so whether you’re printing for a business or purely for yourself, it’s worth costing up first.

You’ll find a number of price comparison and review sites to compare different brands. You can read here to find out more about those, but for the meantime, these are the factors you need to think about when it comes to printing your photographs…

Inkjet v Laser Paper

Most people will generally stick with Inkjet these days as the quality is much higher but laser will give you a speedier print and will be a little bit cheaper.

The quality won’t be anywhere near that of Inkjet however, with the levels of print less accurate and therefore lessening the definition of an image.

If you’re wanting high quality, which we’d think you are, Inkjet is most certainly the place to begin.

The Finish of Paper

The finish of the paper you buy is one of the most important things to consider when printing your photographs. There are a number of different types you can get, the most common being matt, glossy or satin.

Matt: This will have no gloss to it at all and is one of the cheaper types to buy. You’ll regularly see it in brochures and mass-produced flyers for that very reason. There’s nothing wrong with that and if you’re printing in bulk it’s probably one of the more cost-effective papers.

If you’re printing in black and white it’s a wise choice too as glossy can sometimes make an image look a little tacky and lack that bit of quality.

Glossy: Glossy prints are the most common out there and the chemical coat helps protect the image as well helping the smaller details really stand out. Do be aware though, if you’re planning on showing the images in anywhere which might have glare, the shine off them could make them difficult to see.

Satin: You’ll get a really nice finish on a satin image and sits halfway between a matt and gloss paper.

It’s a happy medium and is a little more subtle than a glossy finish, making it a good option for black and white images. If you’re not sure on whether to go matt or glossy, satin is probably a safe bet for you.

Quality of Paper

Budget will largely dictate this and it goes without saying the better quality papers will cost more. Your standard paper will have a cast coated receiving layer, which will produce less quality images than micro and nano pores receiving layers, used by professional photographers.

These will produce the best results as the ink dries instantly producing the perfect image. It’s worth paying the extra money if you plan on showcasing your photographs. If they are for your own personal collection however, there’s no reason why you can’t use standard cast coated receiving layer paper.

The same applies to paper weight. Paper is measured in GSM and the higher the GSM the weightier the paper will be. In some cases this can be really useful, for example if you’re displaying your work, but it’s not worth getting overly hung up on.

It may not have any effect on the quality of image, unless you opted for really thin paper, but it will increase the images durability which can be important. It’s probably best to think of it like this. A brochure will get thrown away at the end of a season or set period. A portfolio of work will need to last a lifetime.

Post pobrano z: How to become a better graphic designer

Everywhere we go, we engage with graphic design.  Designs speak to us through advertising, billboards, restaurant menus and Christmas and anniversary cards.  When we watch television or look up information online, designs speak to us and influence our moods.

As we engage with the world, we engage with the work of designers.  Their work motivates us and has a subconscious impact on us every single day.

No matter where you are in your design career, you are probably constantly changing, evolving and seeking to improve.  A good designer is always improving his or her skills.  This guide assists you with tips to develop your talent.  Use it and you’ll train both your eye and your aesthetic abilities in order to become a better graphic designer.

Take a reflexive approach to your recent work

Have a look at the projects you have completed in recent months. Even though you may have taken a critical eye while working on your project, you’ll still gain new insights. With a little time and distance, you’ll be able to see your work through new eyes.

Have a look at areas where you excelled.  What skills are you happy with?  Then consider what you would do differently next time, and where you think you would be able to improve.  You can use these insights to develop your skills for new projects.  This will assist you to learn and evolve as a designer.

And if you’re designing posters, release them online before selling them, and ask for feedback. If you can’t have an objective opinion about them, others will.

Seek feedback

Although you have your own critical eye and can reflect on your work, you will also gain a lot from the insights of others.

Seek feedback from clients, other designers, and product users.  It isn’t always easy to incorporate (or hear) feedback, but if this feedback is constructive, it will assist you in developing your skills as a designer.

Explore the talent

Studying the work of talented designers may assist you with developing your own skills.  Explore the decisions they have made in creating their projects, and the design techniques they have incorporated into their work.

How did they use layout, background space, harmony, hierarchy, contrast, colour, and typography?  Considering their choices could give you inspiration for your own work.

If you already have designers that you admire, take some time to explore their work in detail.  You can also find excellent work on sites such as Dribbble and Behance.

Take Tutorials to develop your skills

There are many different online that you can use to develop your talents.  If you have spare time, you can follow a tutorial that will help you develop your talents or expand your skills.

Identify an area you would most like to learn about and follow an online guide.  It is very likely that you will be able to find an online guide which will give you just what you need.

Make it personal

Making use of design in your own life will give you an opportunity to develop your skills.  Whether you would like to design t-shirts, work on a blog, develop an e-commerce site or create illustrations or storyboards for a community theatre project, the possibilities are endless.

Personal projects allow you to develop your designs without any time limits.  You will be able to experiment; make your own decisions and take the project in any direction you choose.  You will be able to explore new knowledge along the way.

Personal projects can be both small or large, and your level of involvement will be up to you.  You can spend as much or as little time on the project as you choose.  If you develop a product, you will be able to use it to supplement your income.  Many designers have used affiliate programs, products or advertising in order to create a significant income.

Take part in a challenge

Taking part in a challenge will assist you with developing your skills.  One popular choice is to re-design the design materials for a company, charity or NGO.

While your design might not always will, you can assist the company in solving design problems by making decisions according to client needs.

The brand doesn’t have to be popular.  You could even make the choice to re-design a site you think could do with improvement, simply for the fun of it.  This will help you to gain helpful experience.

Take a class

 

Whether online or offered by a design school, there are a number of classes which will assist you with building skills or expanding your design repertoire.

Classes take time, and online courses often offer the opportunity at your own pace.  Choose the skills which would be most valuable to your work and give yourself the opportunity to learn them.

Join a social media network

Social media networks like Twitter give you the opportunity to explore new designs, meet new designers and network.  You can learn new information in short chunks, find inspiration and follow talented designers.

Make a mood board

Mood boards allow you to understand the colors, styles, and choices you are making at the moment, and what is informing your current aesthetic.

By creating a mood board, you will be able to see your current inspirations at a glance, allowing you to reflect on where you are currently and where you would like to be going as a designer.

Volunteer

Although you always want to get something back for your work, assisting a local charity or non-profit will help you to develop your design skills.

You can find a brand or charity that you resonate with and offer them the opportunity to update their look.  You’ll learn new skills and feel altruistic at the same time.

Visit an art gallery or museum

Many designers find inspiration from work that is displayed online.  However, by going to an art gallery or museum, you’ll be able to explore the work of talented artists.  This might help you to find tips or ideas for your own work.

Viewing a range of art will enable you to expand your perspectives and bring new areas of creativity into your designs.  Explore how the artist creates atmosphere, the line and flow within the paintings or drawings, and how the artist creates areas of interest.  You can use some of these techniques in your own artwork.

Use colors with intention

When working with colors or color combinations, use them purposefully, in order to create a mood or a meaning for your audience.

Colors send a message.  Greys may be associated with intellectual skills, while navy is often a corporate color, and pink is a color enjoyed by young girls.  An accounting firm may suit navy blue branding, while a logo for unicorn parties may suit pinks or pastel colors.

Blues are often thought of as calming colors, while reds evoke images of passion.  When creating a design, use color to send a message.  When designers use colors with intention, it tells the reader that they have come to the right place.  Careful color consideration is a part of good design.

Summary

Ask yourself what you have done as a designer to improve upon or expand your work?  How have you chosen to move forward?

What aspects of your work are strongest, and where would you like to develop?  These are questions designers ask to assess where they are coming from and where they might be going.

Just as design is constantly changing and evolving, so are the tools and techniques used in the industry.

Continued learning and experimentation assist you with learning new skills.  This will keep your design practice new, fresh and up to date as you continue to learn and evolve as a graphic designer.

Post pobrano z: Design deals for the week

Every week, we’ll give you an overview of the best deals for designers, make sure you don’t miss any by subscribing to our deals feed. You can also follow the recently launched website Type Deals if you are looking for free fonts or font deals.

Fontfabric Font Bundle of 90+ Fonts

If you’re looking for a great set of fonts, this Fontfabric Font Bundle is sure to put a big fat smile on your face! That’s because with just 1 deal, you’ll get yourself more than 90 different fonts! You’ll get yourself some of the greatest Sans and Art fonts around. These 18 unique font families are delivered to you all in an .OTF file format. What’s even more amazing is that thanks to this Mighty Deal, you can save more than 95% off the regular price!

$29 instead of $1208 – Get it now!

Take Full Control of Email, Social and SEO with All-In-One Marketing Automation Platform

No need to spend a fortune hiring a full marketing team to promote your website. Instead, just grab hold of this All-In-One Marketing Automation Platform from Maax Market! Through an easy-to-use interface, you’ll have full control of all your marketing needs from email to social media to SEO! You can even analyze your data in real time.

$87 instead of $687 – Get it now!

57 Premium Fonts from Mellow Design Lab

It’s time to expand your already fabulous font collection! With this Mighty Deal from Mellow Design Lab, you’ll get 57 high-quality, professional fonts for 1 ridiculously low price. With styles ranging from Script to Display, you’ll also get plenty of OpenType features and an extended license to ensure you’re set to design away til your heart’s content!

$9 instead of $956 – Get it now!

Quickly Transform Vectors or Text into Realistic Sketches with Super Sketch

Have trouble sketching out a stick figure? Not to worry. Even for the least artistic designers out there, you can achieve results with Super Sketch! This amazing Photoshop Action instantly transforms your logos, vectors and even text into a realistic sketch appearance. Simple to use, with just a few clicks you can play around with the organized layers to customize and combine the perfect sketch appearance for your designs.

$9 instead of $15 – Get it now!

The Delightful Bundle Vol II

Jam packed with 25 fonts from 20 different font families, this amazing font bundle comes in at JUST $0.80 per font.

$19 instead of $299 – Get it now!

Post pobrano z: Design deals for the week

Every week, we’ll give you an overview of the best deals for designers, make sure you don’t miss any by subscribing to our deals feed. You can also follow the recently launched website Type Deals if you are looking for free fonts or font deals.

The Delightful Bundle Vol II

Jam packed with 25 fonts from 20 different font families, this amazing font bundle comes in at JUST $0.80 per font.

$19 instead of $299 – Get it now!

5 Fabulous Handmade Script Fonts

Fonts make all the difference in your designs. Sure, what you say is important, but how you say it is just as powerful! Be sure to hurry and grab this Mini-Font collection sporting 5 fantastic handmade script fonts! Whether you’re working on invitations or mugs, these professional typefaces can be molded to suit your style thanks to the many OpenType Features they include.

$9 instead of $75 – Get it now!

UX Web Tiles for Flow Diagrams and Sitemaps

This Mighty Deal features a total of 150 unique Web Tiles from Firetuts, that can easily be used to create Flow Diagrams and Sitemaps for your clients. Simple to edit and highly customizable, these Tiles are compatible with popular editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks and Omnigraffle. This deal has been brought back for another run, by popular demand. Jump on it now and you could save 91% off the regular price! And for just $9 more, you can also get the iOS Mobile UX Tiles collection.

$15 instead of $74 – Get it now!

250 Feminine-Style Branding Logos & 20 Bonus Textures

If you’re looking to add a feminine touch to your latest project, this Mighty Deal is for you! A huge collection of 250 feminine-style logos, this ultimate branding pack features colorful and fully editable logo templates. Plus as a bonus, you’ll get 20 hi-res textures! There are even video tutorials included that explain how to add the textures in both Photoshop and Illustrator.

$9 instead of $19 – Get it now!

Feel the Love: Valentine’s Day Bundle of 100+ Vectors

Ahhh… Love… what a wonderful, magical feeling. The butterflies in your stomach, the ongoing daydreaming about your significant other, the fulfilling feeling of passion and excitement of just thinking of your beloved one. This bundle is just about that. Love…pure simple passionate love. Please take a peak of this beautiful new Valentine’s Day Bundle. We’re sure that you will find something suitable for your own love life and to show the love on your websites. Happy Valentines Day!

$9 instead of $200 – Get it now!

Post pobrano z: An anatomic armchair by Jade T. Cho

On Designer Daily, we have already featured the anatomy of gadgets or the evolution of type, two projects that revealed a supposed anatomy or evolution of objects and type. Obviously, we were delighted upon discovering the anatomic armchair by Jade T. Cho. The young designer from Korea took a vintage armchair and exposed some bones and gory details using various material for building it.

Post pobrano z: Thoughts on designing user interfaces in 2018

Many elements of website design have become over-familiar and even generic over the past few years.  Full-screen images, videos, and hamburger menus are so common that they are seen absolutely everywhere.

Flat design has become a trend and many designers use responsive menus.  Creative designers in the industry are beginning to ask, ‘What next?’

What risks are designers willing to take, and how can original and creative ideas be incorporated into UI design? User Interface design involves creativity.  By communicating with a client and imagining a new product or goal, a web designer aims to create a unique product.

Here are some new and creative ideas which are beginning to emerge in website design.

The importance of new design

As a designer, it is very easy to try to improve on old patterns and trends.  However, truly innovative design often changes the way a user engages with a product.  When Henry Ford created his first car he completely transformed the transport industry.

However, even small changes can make a big difference.  Adding a digital element to the household thermostat has made it simple and easy to use.  Homeowners can now control the temperatures in their homes from their smartphones.  There are no longer complicated keypads to contend with.

Working innovatively while keeping user experience in mind is important within web design too.  This is how designers create transformative experiences for their viewers.

The role of wearable technology

Wearable technology often comes in the form of wrist wear such as a smartwatch, jewelry or even a pair of eyeglasses.  Product designers have created an attractive product which appeals to gadget lovers.

Users enjoy this technology and as it starts to become more popular, it is becoming more affordable to a great many people.

As a web/UI designer, wearable technology brings applications and websites not just to smartphones but to watches and other easily accessible devices.  Brands will want their sites to be accessible through these products.

Wearable technology means designs need to be as simple and functional as possible, cutting out any superfluous material.

Users love simplicity

When designing a site or web app, keep in mind that a user will often form an opinion in the blink of an eye.  As a result, your layout should be simple and clear.

Viewers need to understand the next step to take.  As a designer, your goal is to focus your user’s attention immediately.  This could mean placing one button instead of four in your layout.

The easier an app or website is to use, the more intuitive it will feel to your viewer.  Give your viewers all the information they need without confusing them.  Design with the average viewer in mind.  You can always add extra content or additional options at a later stage.  Keep your pages simple and clutter free.

Think of dashboard design as an experiment. What do the most popular dashboards have in common? Simplicity. It should perform the needed tasks for the users, and nothing more.

Balance creativity with convention

Although your goal as a designer is to create a unique design, there are times when it is best to remain traditional.

When you’re creating a digital user interface, it is important to speak your viewer’s language.  Your call to action button needs to be easily identifiable.

Likewise, shopping carts and navigation menus need to be familiar to a viewer.  Otherwise, your viewer will simply not be able to interact with your site.

Keep responsive design aesthetic

As smartphones and tablets have become increasingly popular, designers have been using responsive design to create websites which adjust to smaller screens.

Responsive design has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years.  Research proves that it makes a massive difference to viewers.

However, designing a responsive website means taking into account the size of text along with the focus on imagery.  If your site simply shrinks in size, it often becomes complicated and difficult to navigate for viewers.  Your site might not give the visual message you are aiming for if your imagery is not proportional.

With screen size changing constantly and the increasing popularity of wearable technology, you will want your site to look good in many different screen sizes.

As a designer, your goal is not simply to create a responsive site.  It is to create a responsive site which maintains your aesthetic.  Check your designs on multiple screen sizes and ask yourself whether it still maintains the image of your brand.

Incorporate animation

 

An animation is a quick display of images which have been shaped into a sequence.  It is commonly used in the form of a film or video.  When designers use animation, they increase a viewer’s interaction with the site.  Animation gives a fluid sense of life to a site.  It attracts users attention as they watch shapes change and evolve.

An animation is an effective way to create interest in any site.  As an additional benefit, it does not take a great deal of time to incorporate.  Animation enables a designer to bring a message to life.  It is, however, not widely incorporated across websites.

Animation can be used in the form of GIF images or saved in CSS or SVG format.  You can create anything from a simple underlining of important keywords in a text to a full video or evolving logo which shapes its way across a page.

Adding animation to a website takes very little time.  However, your digital interface design will immediately feel less like a website and more like an application.

Make it easy for your user to navigate your web or mobile app

As a UI designer, you need to ensure that your user can engage with your app.  This prevents your user from getting lost.

Ensure your app speaks your user’s language and feels intuitive.  Navigation should be easily accessible.  Your user should be able to do any false actions or find the way home when lost.

If you keep your app design clear, simple and easy to use, this will ensure your users will use it again and again.

Let your user scan your content

Users are often impatient.  In order to have your viewers interact and explore your site, you need to make content easy to understand.  Your users won’t want to wade through a long and involved story in order to find what they are looking for.  Break information up into small chunks.  Create headings and subheadings so that your user can see what is on each page.

Place the most important content at the top of your page.  An interested user might scroll down to the bottom of a page to read minor details, but you will need to place your crucial content at the top.

Users will only switch from scanning to reading copy when the content helps them to focus on areas of interest.  Make your subheadings clear.  This way your users can pick and choose what they would like to read.

Many sites use illustrations in order to give quick and easy messages which don’t demand too much of site visitors.

Post pobrano z: The Best Tools and Services to Try in 2018

Have you thought about how you can cut costs in 2018?

After all, money is the lifeblood of every business, so it makes sense to cut expenses wherever you can.

These tools will help you save both time and money in the long run, so don’t hesitate to try them out!

ActiveCollab

You can’t expect your employees to perform well if all communications and data are scattered over Gmail, Skype, Slack, and God knows what else.

This is why you need a centralized project management system where people could communicate with each other and find all the relevant data.

ActiveCollab is that system. It’s a tool that allows you to manage tasks, collaborate with your team, track time, and more. Most importantly, it ensures that everything is in one place. No more miscommunications and misunderstandings!

Futuramo

Futuramo is a sophisticated collaboration platform that was built with creative teams in mind. It allows you communicate with both your team and your clients, track time, create visual tickets, and more. It even has a bug & issue tracking app!

Futuramo will definitely make working on creative projects much easier!

Undsgn

When it comes to blogging, people often talk about how crucial content is, but rarely mention the importance of design.

However, overlooking design is a big mistake, because if your blog looks ugly, no one will want to read it, no matter how great your content is.

Undsgn is a design team that has been developing WordPress themes since 2008 and have received multiple international awards for their work.

Their team Uncode was built specifically for flexibility, performance and aesthetics. It looks great. Why don’t you try it for your blog?

DepositPhotos

Okay, so what can you do when you need photos for your business, your iPhone snapshots won’t cut it, and you don’t have money for hiring a professional photographer?

A leading stock photography website called DepositPhotos can help you here. Subscribe, pick the photos you like, and use them any way you see fit. These photos are royalty-free, so there are no restrictions on their usage.

WPKube

Do you have WordPress questions? It’s okay. We have all been there. It can be really confusing at times.

WPKube is an excellent resource that probably has answers to your most pressing questions. There, you’ll find everything, from advice on choosing your domain name to tips on WordPress security. It should be your go-to resource whenever you need some WordPress guidance!

MeridianThemes

Still looking for that winning WordPress theme?

MeridianThemes offer a bunch of beautiful, easily customizable WordPress themes in a very affordable range of $49 – $59. Just pick one and go with it. They are all gorgeous, so you can’t really go wrong there!

123FormBuilder

Okay, so you need to build a form for your website, but you have no idea how. What now? Should you try and learn to code one from scratch yourself? Or maybe you should hire a developer?

Thankfully, there’s an easier solution, and it’s called 123FormBuilder. It’s an app that allows you to create all kinds of online forms, from contact forms to event confirmation forms, all by yourself, without any coding skills! It will save you quite a bit of time and money!

Crello

Now, what about situations where you need some graphic design thing done, but you aren’t exactly artistically inclined yourself? Hiring a designer for something small seems a bit silly. But what are the other options?

Well, believe it or not, you can do graphic design yourself, with a little bit of help from Crello. Crello offers a three step process for creating stunning designs. First, choose a format. Then, choose a template. Then, customize it all. Sounds easy? It is!

Viraltag

Are you struggling with social media marketing? You are not alone. It can be hard to stay on top of things when there are so many networks that you need to keep up with.

Viraltag can make your life a lot easier, though. It’s a social media marketing app that allows you to share visuals on a bunch of different networks. It also let’s you schedule posts, recycle evergreen content, and more… All from a single dashboard!

Instagrowth Ninja

Instagram is a major social network and if you aren’t active on it, you are missing out. But how can you stand out in such a crowded place?

Instagrowth Ninja can help you do that. It’s a monthly organic Instagram marketing service. What does that mean?

They will identify your target audience and interact with them 24/7 to build up interest around your brand. Believe me, with Instagrowth Ninja your Instagram profile will grow faster than ever before. It pays off to leave your Instagram marketing to professionals!

Salesmate

As I have said in the introduction, money is the lifeblood of every business… And where does the money come from? Sales!

So how well are you managing your sales process? You could probably use a customer relationship management system like Salesmate if you aren’t using it already. It will help you tighten up your sales pipeline, optimize the process, and build great relationships with your clients… And, of course, make more money!

Conclusion

As you can see, having the right tools can save you a lot of time and money, be it by helping you optimize your processes, empowering you to do small design and development tasks yourself, or improving your social media marketing.

So don’t be stingy when it comes to these tools. Get them now. They will all pay for themselves in the long run!

Post pobrano z: Career Tips for Graphic Designers

Junior graphic designers provide a visual representation of a client’s brief.  This means using typeface, images, animation, color and composition to communicate ideas.  Designers create advertisements, websites, multimedia products and illustrations.

If you are starting out in the field of graphic design as a recent graduate (or even if you’re a design student) the following tips may help you.

Common Responsibilities of Junior Graphic Designers

You might wonder what the job of a junior or entry-level graphic designer entails.

Junior graphic designers often use Illustrator to create and edit illustrations.

They work with typefaces to create a clear message about a product or brand.

They develop guidelines for companies to communicate their brand messages or images.

They create digital interfaces which convey atmosphere and are in alignment with a company’s brand identity.

Join design networks

As a student designer, it is helpful to join organizations such as AIGA.  This way you can network with professionals in the industry.  This will help you to gain insight into industry players.  You will also get the chance to speak to people who will inspire you.

Within a networking organization, you can gain insight into the industry.  You will also be able to obtain knowledge or advice on how to work as a graphic designer.  As a student, you may also gain the attention of key industry players.

Volunteer

If you would like to build up your portfolio while working for a worthy cause, you could volunteer with charity organizations.

This will give you the opportunity to gain experience following a client’s brief.  If you believe in the cause, you’ll put in your best and acquire a stellar portfolio piece.

Working with charities could lead to further work for you (some of this may be paid work).  You could approach animal shelters, children’s homes or even local galleries.  Choose work that is close to your heart to keep you motivated.

Seek out internships

If you’re looking to gain valuable experience with a good design studio, you could look for an internship.  An internship will teach you skills that you can use throughout your career.  You’ll learn how organizations are run, understand how to work with client briefs and how design teams work.

If you work hard and put in every effort, you may be able to make a real contribution.  Make the most of your talents and show your commitment to the company.  By doing so, you may be able to turn your internship into a full-time job.  At the very least, you’ll be able to develop new skills and develop a professional network.

Nurture your networks

Instead of seeing your design peers as competition, develop networks.  Peers become supporters and collaborators for future projects.  It pays to develop professional networks.

Projects are often assigned based on word of mouth.   A busy peer may have the perfect project for you.  Another might know of a job opportunity, which you would love to take up.  Those small jobs an experienced designer will pass over could be a great opportunity for you to build your portfolio.

Become a fan

We all enjoy it when someone shares their appreciation of our work.  Let your heroes know how you feel.

If you send short emails to people in the industry that you admire, this might lead to opportunities.  You may be able to fill a gap in a large project.  You might also be able to do contract work on a project that suits your skills set.

Don’t be discouraged if your heroes don’t always respond.  You could send a follow-up mail and an example of some of your newest work.  By doing this, you could keep recipients interested, as well as remind them that you are available.

Create an online presence

When you apply for job opportunities or set yourself up as a freelance designer, your prospective employers will search for you on the internet.  Creating an online presence will give you a head start.

When you create an online presence, showcase your talents to the best of your ability.  You could set up a blog or website to showcase your best work.

Show all of your skills

If you are a skilled illustrator or an excellent photographer, draw attention to these skills and include them in your design portfolio.  This could catch the attention of talented art directors.

Pull together your best work in either a PDF or print format, and send it to agencies or companies you would love to work for.

Also, make sure you set up a great looking resume. You can use a resume template, if you want, however it’s best to create one yourself, if you have the skills for it.

Submit your work for award

Awards can help you build your reputation in the art industry.  They also gain the attention of significant art directors.

If you have awards linked to your name, it will help you to become a designer of choice for creative directors making a choice between talented applicants.

Use your people skills

In the design industry, emotional connectedness guides a designer’s intuition and builds a reputation.  By being respectful, friendly and genuinely interested in a client’s project you will be able to win contracts, work with a team or attract repeat clients.

Effective communication and respectful relationships lie at the heart of developing an effective design practice.  By using your people skills to the best of your ability, you will be able to develop an excellent reputation as a graphic designer.

Initiate your own projects

As a creative person, you have the option of starting your own projects.  This will help you build a portfolio and generate opportunity.

If you prefer to work in an art studio or with a design team, you could search for work for one part of your day while working on your own projects at the same time.  These projects could include ebooks, postcards, t-shirt designs, websites, logos or invitations for family and friends or even illustration projects that you could sell online.

Your own projects allow you to give your creativity free reign.  You could also connect with like-minded people to develop your projects, expand your ideas and build on the work of others.

As internet culture grows and expands there are a great many more opportunities for designers to sell or promote products and services.  You could search for ways that this could work best for you.

Assess your goals, talents, and interests

Always ask yourself what you can do to make yourself useful to the design industry.  How can you offer the most to your employer, clients or the people you care for.

What would you like to do to expand your talents or work towards your dreams?  Asking what you might do to work towards growth will get you past momentary frustrations or personal blocks.

If you feel stuck in a situation, ask yourself what you would like a year from now?  If this means leaving a difficult situation, you will gain perspective towards the bigger picture.

Focus on your unique talents.  This will make you stand out as a memorable designer.  Too many designers try to shape themselves into a mold.  By focusing on what makes you unique, you’ll create a portfolio which is unique to you.

Share your passions, even if these are outside of traditional graphic design.  Illustration, photography, painting, and sculpture are all aspects of visual design.  It takes talent and dedication to learn each new skill.  The more you share, the greater your uniqueness as a designer.

Develop your interests beyond graphic design.  Passionate designers are inspiring but let your interests roam.  By going beyond your own field you’ll expand your ability to relate to new areas of the world.  Remain curious.  Read widely.  Understand the human body, ancient mythology or even astronomy.  The wider your knowledge, the more you have to bring into the field.

When working freelance, always make your terms clear

As a designer, you want to be clear about the terms and conditions of your employment.  There’s nothing wrong with working on a project at a low rate.

You can even volunteer, but ensure that you know how you will be working and how much you will get for this.  Ask for a deposit.  Don’t let vague terms or employment conditions rob you of your time.

Summary

By following these tips, you can develop your budding graphic design career into the direction you choose.

This will help you get started by putting your best foot forward.  Keep working, stay positive and seize the opportunity to develop your portfolio.

Post pobrano z: Design deals for the week

Every week, we’ll give you an overview of the best deals for designers, make sure you don’t miss any by subscribing to our deals feed. You can also follow the recently launched website Type Deals if you are looking for free fonts or font deals.

ANAPTÁR—WHERE ART MEETS SCIENCE

Anaptár is a unique, informative poster calendar, which is not only a work of beauty but also a source of fascinating new discoveries. Anaptár is much more than a traditional calendar. It provides lots of information beside enumerating days: visualizing data on the Sun and the Moon in a new way the calendar shows the movement of these heavenly bodies in the sky, and because of the radial arrangement this huge amount of data is incorporated in a spectacular, complex and yet easily comprehensible system.

Anaptár is the result of exceptionally meticulous work: all the versions made for various cities are different because the represented data are specific to the given city only. For 2018 Anaptár has versions adapted for the geographic locations of Budapest, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and Sydney.

Get 10% discount by using this coupon code: dd10dis18 on Anaptar by Anagraphic

Mega Bundle of Illustrator Brushes

Illustrator brushes can add a real dose of realism to any project. Well, things are about to get real thanks to this Mighty Deal from The Artifex Forge. You’ll get 18 different Illustrator Brush sets for a combined total of 486 unique brushes! Easily customizable in stroke size and color, you’ll be impressing your clients in no time flat with these bundles covering everything from pencil to chalk brushes and rope to zipper brushes.

$21 instead of $43 – Get it now!

Elegant Amsterdam Font Collection

Add some serious style to your typeface toolbox with the Amsterdam Font Family! This elegant signature font features four fabulous typefaces, each offered in a regular and slanted variety, meaning you’re getting 8 different fonts! From business cards to photo watermarks, this family is here to elevate your work to the highest level.

$9 instead of $18 – Get it now!

Beautiful Handwritten Madelyn Script Family

Time to extend your family! With the Madelyn Handwritten Script Font Family, you’ll be bringing home two unique font styles: Madelyn Script and Madelyn Black. These handwritten script fonts is a masterful blend of calligraphy pen and casual dry strokes. Packed with 500+ letters, over 100 ligatures and 70+ ornaments, Madelyn can bring your latest designs to a whole new level.

$17 instead of $37 – Get it now!

Designer’s Dream: 8 Premium Fonts & 575+ Fabulous Graphic Resources

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to bolster your artistic toolbox, this Mighty Deal is just magnificent! A Designer’s Dream, you’ll start with 8 premium fonts ranging from the curvaceously glamorous to the quirky and cool. But you’ll also get 8 graphic resource packs full to the brim with more than 575 professional floral elements, frames, arrows, wreaths, patterns, clipart, icons and so much more.

$17 instead of $239 – Get it now!

Post pobrano z: Tips for Creating Hand-Drawn Typography

Hand drawn typography has grown into a field of its own.  Illustrators, designers and letter artists are working with multimedia to make their own contributions to this growing trend.

From traditional sign making long used by local communities, to illustration used in publishing, hand-drawn typography creates a sense of creativity, uniqueness, and playfulness in illustration and design.

Creating your own lettering, even if it’s just simply by doodling, can be a creative form of expression.  However, with all of the potential opportunities in this field, creating your own lettering is a means of developing your own skills.

There are many different techniques that experienced typographers use in their graphic design projects.  This is because typography is an art and a science, with rules or formulas which create effective pages which are intuitive to readers.

When creating your own hand-drawn letters or fonts, follow these basic rules to help your page look both unique and effective.

You can always download free handwriting fonts from an article or another, but it delivers a bigger satisfaction to actually create one.

Inspire yourself from the best work out there

When you create your own lettering, it is different than handwriting.  Instead, you are drawing or illustrating your font.

To do this, it is helpful to create a folder of inspirational ideas.  You can explore the work of other lettering artists too.

Many publish their work online, so you could always browse Pinterest or YouTube to find inspiration.

Create a formula for your lettering

When you create and design your own lettering, begin by measuring the height and width of the letters you will use on your page.

This will depend on the design of our letters and how you would like to lay them out.  Some fonts are small and wide, while others are narrow.

Many designers use a ruler to layout the type on their page, making lines around the letters they are inspired by to show the width or height.

These measurements are then transferred to a page where the designer begins to experiment with his/her own font designs.

Use shapes to map out your page

When creating the space for a font, designers often map their page using empty shapes.  Thus, a large rectangle may be used to represent the space where a headline will eventually go.  Speech bubbles create spaces to be filled by text.

These shapes give an indication of the length or height you’d use for your fonts.  However, hand-drawn letters do not have to be constructed in straight lines and can vary in height or curve in wave format, depending on the design.

Use different sizes to create hierarchy

When you design your letters or fonts, you can use different sized fonts for different words, depending on importance.

This is an easy way to create hierarchy, or evaluate the importance of a message.  You can shrink unimportant words such as ‘and’ but then increase the size of important words in order to grab your reader’s attention.

Once you have placed your words on the page, you can adjust or resize them as you go along.  If you’re drawing by hand, this requires a pencil and eraser.  Gradually, a sleek, clean-lined page will begin to emerge.

Focus on consistency

When you are working on a larger project, it’s helpful to make sure the different aspects of your design are consistent.  If you create a brand logo, for example, it has to be exactly the same in all areas of the project.

In order to create identical lettering, you can create a stencil.  If work has been done already, make careful reference, as even slight deviations can make a project look messy.  Top level designers work with a consistency which creates a fluid flow across the page.

Do your research

If you’re creating typography by hand, this often creates a historic or vintage element.  Do some research before you get started.

Many contemporary logos use vintage style (exploring what is already out there enables you to set yourself apart).

However, you could also draw on historic images or references in order to create an interesting font.  You could also look at how people used fonts or lettering in years gone by in order to create the mood of the era.

Once you know what you would like to achieve, go out and sketch!  Create more than one design, exploring what works best and refining it until you are happy with the result.

Pay attention to the message your typeface is communicating.  Explore how many different fonts you would like to use in your design, and how to pair them with each other.

Look at your layout, and how you would like to place your different fonts and how this fits in with the mood or historical element you are portraying.

Transform with Photoshop

Once you’ve created your font, import your design into Photoshop.  Your next step would be to change your design from a colored photograph to a high contrast black and white image.  Using Photoshop using greyscale mode.

Choose image > mode > Grayscale

Alternatively, click Layer > Adjustment Layer > Black and White

Within the same menu you can select from:

Levels:  Use the highlighted eye drops on the left of the menu.  You can use the white dropper to define the pure white parts of your image, and the black dropper will define pure black aspects.

Brightness and Contrast:  This can help you to contrast various aspects of your image in a manual way.  You can adjust these two factors until you achieve a high contrast between light and dark.

Selective Color:  Use this to define the texture of your image.  Play with the amount of black you would like within the image in order to achieve a high level of contrast.

Polish your image using Illustrator

Once you’ve created your rastor image, you will need to turn it into a vector using Illustrator.

You will need to import the high contrast image into Illustrator.  Make sure it is selected and then use Image Trace.  You will be able to create a vector sketch from your design.  You can then tweak your image to be as sleek or messy as you would like.

Once you have created your vector, you can make some final changes to the style.  You can expand the object and Ungroup it in order to access the anchor points of your vector.  Using the toolbar, you can add, delete or move these anchor points.

If you’d like your work to be very sleek in order to use it as a logo, you can tighten it up in order to create smoother lines.

Summary

These helpful tips will assist you to create hand-lettered fonts which can be used with consistency, giving a touch of creativity and uniqueness to your graphic design pages.