Articles Index
How to Create Website Wireframes
Website wireframes are simple line drawings that show the placement of elements on a web page. Learn the focus, benefits and elements of a properly constructed website wireframe.
How To Design a Website
A step by step guide to designing a website, from research and brainstorming to creating wireframes, developing the website and promoting it.
Color Properties and the HSV Color Space
The HSV color space is important to look at because it describes color based on three properties: Hue, Saturation and Value. As you edit these values, the full spectrum of colors can be created.
Graphic Design Business Ideas and Tips
Starting or building a graphic design business can be a daunting task. These graphic design business ideas are tips to help spread the word, show off your work and set your rates, as well as suggestions for meeting with clients and managing projects.
How to Use the Adobe Illustrator Type Tools
There are several tools for creating type, all found on the Illustrator toolbar, and each with a different function.
How to Use the Adobe Illustrator Pen Tool
The pen tool is perhaps the most powerful tool in Illustrator. It can be used to create countless lines, curves and shapes, and serves as the building block for illustration and design. The tool is used by creating “anchor points,” and then by connecting those points with lines, which can be connected further to create shapes. Use of the pen tool is perfected through practice.
How to Use the Adobe Illustrator Selection Tool
The Illustrator selection tool is for selecting objects in your layouts, such as shapes and blocks of type. Once selected, you can use the tool to move, transform, or apply any number of filters or effects to the selected objects.
How to Create an Email Newsletter
An email newsletter is an important tool for growing a graphic design business. It is one of most effective ways to spread the word-of-mouth on what type of work you are doing and looking for.
How to Use the Photoshop Marquee Tool
The Photoshop marquee tool, a relatively simple feature, is essential for several tasks. At the most basic level, the tool is used to select areas of an image, which can then be copied, cut or cropped. There are four options within the tool to select different types of areas: rectangular, elliptical, a single row or a single column.
The Graphic Design Process
When starting a new design project, there are steps of the graphic design process to follow that will help you to achieve the best results. You can save yourself time and energy by first researching the topic, finalizing your content, starting with simple sketches, and getting several rounds of approval on designs.
How to Determine a Graphic Design Hourly Rate
Setting a graphic design hourly rate is important because it will position you in relation to your competitors, determine what your flat rates are for projects, and of course directly affect what you earn.
How to Use the Photoshop Clone Stamp Tool
Learn to use the clone stamp tool in Adobe Photoshop to retouch photos by copying one area of an image onto another area.
Preparing Content for a Website Portfolio
The web is full of portfolios for graphic designers, web designers, photographers, artists, illustrators and other creative professionals. When building a new online portfolio, there are many factors to consider and decisions to make to set yourself apart and properly showcase your work. You must determine your goals, create an outline, categorize and select your work for presentation, write your content, and design and launch the website.
How to Determine a Flat Rate for Graphic Design Projects
Charging a flat rate for graphic design projects is often a good idea, because both you and your client know the cost from the start. Unless the scope of the project changes, the client doesn’t have to worry about going over budget, and the designer is guaranteed a certain amount.
How to Use Photoshop Tool Presets
Creating tool presets in Photoshop is an excellent way to speed up your workflow and remember your favorite and most-used settings. A tool preset is a named, saved version of a tool and specific related settings such as width, opacity and brush size, all handled through the tool presets palette.
How to Use the Photoshop Crop Tool
The Photoshop crop tool serves two main purposes. The first is to crop, which means to cut out an area of an image by selecting the area that you wish to keep. It is also handy for quickly resizing images. These functions can also be used at the same time to crop and resize a photo (or any type of image) at once.
How to Use the Photoshop Save for Web Tool
As a graphic designer, you may often be asked to deliver web-ready images, such as photos for a web site or banner ads. The Photoshop “Save for Web” tool is a simple and easy way to prepare your JPEG files for the web, helping with the trade-off between file size and image quality.
Using Swatches to Insure Desired Color Results in Printing
When designing for print, a common issue that has to be dealt with is the difference between the color on your computer display and on paper. To deal with this problem, you can use the Pantone Matching System, or PMS. The PMS has an industry standard book of color swatches with reference numbers that you can give to the printer, who will then use ready-made inks that match these numbers to complete the job.