Resource Center » Photoshop and Graphic Design Resources
Whether you’re a seasoned graphic designer, or a small business owner fashioning a logo for your business promotional products, everyone could use a central hub of resources for creating striking images or memorable logos.
Without further ado, some of the best tips and tricks for both the advanced and casual web designer and graphic artist:
Free Fonts. Let’s be perfectly honest: if your type isn’t easy to read, people won’t read what you have to say; and if your logo isn’t visually appealing, people won’t bother to research your company. Luckily, both of these problems are solved by choosing the right font. There are plenty of websites online that offer free fonts. Just double check that the font is licensed for commercial use (most offered on free font sites are) and you’ll be ready to create a visual masterpiece.
Free Stock Photography. When your fonts are in order, you’re going to want to spruce up your web pages with photography. Once again, there is a lot of free stock photography and clip art online. You can also check Flickr’s creative commons photos. As long as they are labeled for commercial use, you can use them with attribution to the original artist.
Patterns. Solid background colors without any change or texture are boring. So mix up your design with some patterns. Using too many flashy patterns may detract from your overall design, but when done right, you can add beautiful depth to any website background.
Texture. If bold patterns aren’t right for your brand or website, consider a subtle texture instead. When used correctly, textures can give richness to your images and website. Seeing nature-inspired or weathered sights can help humanize your brand.
Tools. There are plenty of tools on and offline to aide you in graphic design. For example, you can use the Color Scheme Designer to help you pick the right colors for your logo or website, or you can visit sites that convert points to pixels. There are lots of websites with other like-minded individuals who love design or color and offer rich communities of support.
Photoshop Tutorials. If you have a certain vision for your website or promotional items, then there’s a good chance that there’s a photoshop tutorial for it. It doesn’t matter what your level of experience is, there are tutorials for those just getting started, skilled beginners, and advanced users. Make sure that you check the tutorial sites frequently – new tutorials are being uploaded all the time.
Logo. Your logo is by far the most important part of building your business or brand, which is why you’ll want to spend lots of time designing it. If within your means, hire a freelance designer. For a more economic approach, consider purchasing pre-made logos and then tinkering with them in a design program.
CSS. Short for Cascading Style Sheets, CSS lets you style web pages. Beginners can find many tutorials on the Internet. You can also find many templates on the web: many of which are free.
Sound. Even though appealing to the visual senses is important, it doesn’t mean that our work is done! While the wrong sounds can annoy customers, the right sounds or music can enchant them. Sound effects might be out of place on your homepage, but they might be exactly what you need to spice up your product videos.
Printing 101
Tips and Tutorials for Photoshop
Clipart for Teachers
Color Scheme Tools
Free Clipart and Web Graphics
Free Fonts
Photoshop and Graphic Design Resources
TIFF Images: An Informational Guide
Color Theory for Web Design
