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Quick and Easy Logos, Clip Art, and Graphics

October 7, 2009 – 7:25 pm

Graphic designers are collectors of tools. It can be clip art, vector graphics, illustrations, fonts, or website apps. All these little tidbits create a nice library of things that can be used in projects or work.

Freebies Aren't Always Free
One thing that you'll always see on the Internet are the so-called free graphics tools.

The problem is that the tools or downloads aren't really free and are merely a ruse to get you to go to the website.

Then you suddenly realize, "Hey, this isn't for free. I actually have to pay if I want to download or use the program! #@@!$%#!" (Censors have prevented the preceding word from appearing to sensitive eyes).

Or other times, the sites are a little more honest and say, "Free download!" Which is actually true, but they don't tell you that while the download is indeed free, you have to pay in order to use the software or feature.

Quick and Dirty and Really Free
But here are a few places that offer services and helps that really are free with no strings attached. These sites provide quick and not so dirty results for making text logos, clip art, rendered .psd and .il logos, and a few other things without charge.

The next time you're under the gun in trying to think up a logo, a font, or a design, you might want to visit a few of these sites. Just click on the logos or bold text to go visit them.

LogoEase is a simple to use online design tool that offers users a clean and easy to use interface to design a logo with text really fast.

If you are in a rush or just want to experiment with a few ideas to get your thinking cap going, this is the site to go to.

Registration is required but there is no charge to use the website.

CoolText offers some nice text logos that are simple to use and make.

You'll be out of there in under five minutes after your first design.

No frills. No bogus programs. Just straightforward text entry, selection of style, font and color, and you're done.

AllFreeLogo: Looking for company logos to use in your next project such as Lays, Trekk bicycles, or some other corporation or business? You need look no further than here.

You can download hundreds of corporate logos. Or maybe you just like to collect logos to view and admire. If so, this is the place to be.

Logo Instant: Graphic artists upload their logo designs for all to see and use. You can download them and alter them to suit your personal needs.

This is a really cool site for just browsing for ideas and inspiration. And if you see something you like, it's a totally free download with no strings or restrictions for use.

Flaming Text: With a title like this, how could you not take a look? This site is the epitome of simplicity and function if you want to turn plain text into a stylized format.

Type in your words and the site does the rest for you. In addition, you'll have a big selection of clip art, webmaster tools, buttons, and web art at your disposal.

A few of these websites ask for voluntary donations, and if you like what you see or use, feel free to donate a couple of dollars or other currency to show your appreciation of their work.

By admin Posted in Design Software, Drawing and Sketching, Fonts, Free Design Stuff, Graphic Design, Web Design 1 Comment

Web-Based Photo Editors: Fast, Fun, and Mostly Free

October 2, 2009 – 4:43 pm

It may seem odd but using a web-based photo editor is sometimes perferable to firing up Photoshop or some other computer software based photo editor. These little gems are easy to use, fast, and come in a variety of configurations.
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Some of the programs are surprisingly full-featured, while others do really simple tasks such as cropping your images.
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Now, without further delay, here is a small sampling:
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Photoshop.com - A good mix of special effects, editing, and all-around good freebie. Even if you haven't used Photoshop before, this web-based program is very easy to use and straightforward. You don't even need a manual to use it!

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Splashup.com - The main page says, "Jump right in," and this is a very suiting description. This program loads pretty quickly, and there are a great deal of effects, filters, and tools to use. It even has layering, pixel-level control, and a more simple version for those who don't need all th bells and whistles called Splashup Light. Good deal!

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Picnik.com - Editing photo images isn't always a picnic, but if you use this program, it can be. This is a simple to use program that has basic features to edit, crop, re-size, rotate, adjust colors, and add minor special effects. It uses a tab system that clearly displays all the functions and incorporates one-click ease in using the features.
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Aviary.com - What can we say, except that this program really flies. This is another extremely user-friendly photo editor that is geared towards simplicity and speed of use. You click buttons that correspond to different editing actions. This is your basic plain-Jane photo editor.

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Snipshot.com - This program brings extremely basic photo editing features for those who aren't familiar with editing software. The learning curve is virtually zero and you can hit the ground running the first time you use it. The one downside is that you actually have to pay to use these basic features.

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Easycropper.com - The guys who made this program have a sense of humor, so it gets a spot here. They state, " It’s a free tool, so use it at your own risk. Then again, you’re just cropping images so what’s the worst that could happen?" Click once, enter your dimensions, hit enter, and you're done. Only one thing though...

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Pixlr.com - Here's a very "Photoshopy" looking photo editor that has practically everything you need to properly edit your photos. It features layering, adjustment tools, filters, image sizing, a good range of special effects, and more. A very nice program.

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And there you have it; a sampling of what's out there. There are lots of them on the Internet so there may be a perfect match for your particular needs.

By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Design Project Management, Design Software, Design Tools & Utilities, Drawing and Sketching, Graphic Design Resources, Web Design No Comments

Printed Paper and Storyboard Templates Galore

October 2, 2009 – 12:00 pm

People sort of take paper for granted. It's everywhere and has become such a common commodity that it is rarely given a second thought.

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But for anyone in graphic arts, illustration or design, paper is useful in producing the end results.
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Sometimes there is a need for the use of certain types of utility paper such as graph paper, lined paper, dot paper, and more as they say in those late-night infomercials.
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Maybe you dabble in music composition as a hobby. You could go out and buy a pack of staff paper for five dollars or more, but why bother when you can print your own?
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Here are a couple of sites that have various templates for you to print your own utility paper. One particular site, called Printable Paper, has templates that allow you to print all sorts of design paper that can be useful. They're all free, so there's nothing to lose.
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Some of the templates for printing your own are:
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• Graph Paper
• Lined Paper

• Logarithmic Graph Paper
• Polar Graph Paper
• Isometric Graph Paper
• Hexagon Graph Paper
• Octagon Graph Paper
• Music Paper
• Columnar Pad Paper
• Dot Paper
• Penmanship Paper
• Note Paper
• Perspective Grid
• Calligraphy Paper
• Knitting Graph
• Cartesian Graph Paper
• Printable List
• Printable Calendars
• Printable Teacher Resources
• Printable Games
• Printable Budgets
• Score Sheets
• Storyboard Template
• Letter Paper
• Legal Paper
• Ledger Paper
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One particular type of printed paper that is quite helpful for jotting down ideas, design concepts, video scenes, or blocking out animation is the humble storyboard template. These little squares of wonder can help any designer. Storyboards are so simple but so useful.
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The mother of all storyboard template sites is Karen J Lloyd's Storyboarding Tips and Advice. Here you will find one big fan of the storyboard. There are a good variety of storyboards that can fill virtually any need.

If you sign up with Karen's blog, she'll send you some freebies for, well, for free, and a monthly newsletter that informs her followers of her interesting adventures, design tips, product discounts, and videos that don't normally appear on her website.
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If anything, she's enthusiastic about what she does, and her blog is a fun read. She also has other resources and articles on her website that are helpful too.
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Now that you know where to get all these cool free printable paper templates, you'll never stay awake at nights in your bed again wondering, "Gee, where am I going to get some columnar graph paper at this time of night?"
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Don't ask me what that is, I don't know either...;D

By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Blogging, Design Tools & Utilities, Drawing and Sketching, Free Design Stuff, Graphic Design, Web Design No Comments

Get Graphic Design Tips and Courses for Free

September 23, 2009 – 12:00 pm

There is an incredible amount of information on the Internet. Sometimes the hardest part about surfing is distilling the good info from the useless or even worse, the wrong info.

If you want to get a few training freebies related to using Photoshop, Illustrator, web design, and yes, even an introduction to basic graphic design, we've got some picks that can help you on your way to becoming a better graphic artist or designer.

The following courses may be too basic for some, but it will help those who may want to brush up on some design theory or Photoshop techniques.

Newbies to graphic design can benefit from the knowledge given by those who have been in the business for a while.

Learning never stops so there may be some tidbits of design info that you can pick up on in these free courses. Those who want to continue their education in design may want to enroll in a graphic design college. But whatever path you take in your education, there is always something new to learn.

So without further ado, here are some of our picks for good freebie learning information:

Have you ever needed to take a .gif, .jpg image or photo and turn it into a scalable vector graphic? It isn't too hard to do but it does take some time and effort.

But thanks to Illustrator CS2, you can use the Live Trace feature and be on your way in under a few seconds.

<---- Click on the photo to beam over to the site and learn how.

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Ah yes, the infamous color wheel. We've all seen it and memorized it. It is the basis for what we all do with colors.

But in spite of this, some of us start to get the shivers when we stare at a photo that needs color correction or adjustment. If it's too green, should you add more yellow or magenta? If a print is too blue, do you subtract blue or add more yellow?

These and other burning questions can be answered by clicking on the magic color wheel to the left.
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Adobe makes so many cool graphics products that we all use such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Elements, and Adobe InDesign, just to name a few.

Wouldn't it be great to sample a few official online courses from Adobe to gain some more knowledge?

Well sports fans, there is a way. Adobe offers free sample courses at no obligation. If you like what you see, you can enroll for the real course.

If you don't like it, no charge. Click on the Adobe logo to see what is available.
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To round out our selections, we saved the best for last. w3schools is probably the 800 pound gorilla of all free learning sites for web developers.

Here you'll find resources, tutorials, and instruction about HTML, XML languages, browser scripting, JavaScript and DOM, and a zillion other things, and tips.

They've also got a healthy forum community that can answer your questions as well. This site is almost too good to be true. Pinch me. Am I dreaming? Click on their logo and be in awe of their resources.

By admin Posted in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Design Tools & Utilities, Funny and Humor, Graphic Design, Web Design 6 Comments

Free Photoshop Brushes for Creativity and Fun

September 21, 2009 – 10:16 pm

Photoshop is an application that can be used by beginners for graphics projects and photo retouching. But as many seasoned PS users know, this is only the very surface of what this great program can do.
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Seasoned PS users also start to collect all manner of plugins and add-ons to their Photoshop program. The number of these great (and some not so great) tools are useful for creating just the right design you are going after. In many cases, a "simple" graphics piece has a myriad of little tweaks and additions that the casual observer misses.
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See that smoke in that advertisement? Most likely it was a Photoshop brush or plugin that was responsible for that beautiful texture. Just how do they do it? Easy--with accessory Photoshop brushes, patterns, gradients, and shapes.
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To get you started or to add to your existing Photoshop zoo of effects, here are some free downloadable ones that may interest you. These effects/brushes were collected by our friends over at photoshopbrushes.com. We've picked our favorites from there for you to check out. Just click on the image to go to the download site.
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Bon appetit! (Well, you can't really eat these effects, but you get the idea...)
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SMOKE : Remember we talked about smoke effects? Here are more smoke brushes that you can shake a, well, brush at.
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These will come in handy the next time you are doing a graphics project that needs the perfect smoke or steam trail from that hot mug of coffee or plate of food.
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SMUDGE: Ever find it hard to make a perfect smudge? You would think it would be a simple matter to do, but getting it just right is harder than it seems sometimes. Try these smudge brushes as the basis for forming the smudge of your dreams.
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OWLS: Ok, just whooooo decided to think up this brush? Why is it here? It's cute for one thing, and you never know when you might need a good owl in your next design. Or perhaps you don't give a hoot?
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FLOWERS: Power to the people, man. Like if you want to do flowers like back in the days of the hippies, go for it right here. It'll be a real trip, man and it will add just the right touch to your next design project. Peace!
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FLOWERS II: Hey man, you're back already? Well, if the first set of flower power brushes didn't strike your fancy, try these brushes out for some colorful fun. This set of flower patterns are more mellow for you laid-back types. Right On!
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SIGN SYMBOLS: Now just where is that sign symbol of a canon that you need? Or maybe you're looking for the man or woman symbol that adorns restrooms. Some of these are standard and some are funny. Try them out for your next signage needs.
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GRADIENTS: I don't know about you, but I just love to use gradients for backgrounds whenever I can. They provide a nice touch to make your graphic designs appear to have more depth. Many colors to choose from. Step right up...
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HOUSES: Here's a doodled PS free pattern that may come in handy when you want to add a little whimsy to your next greeting card or poster project. This pattern must be based on San Francisco...there are lots of hills in this one.
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By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Design Tools & Utilities, Free Design Stuff, Graphic Design, Plugins and Filters 1 Comment

Good, Free Stuff for Your Computer: Part 2 of 2

September 17, 2009 – 8:04 pm

........................... haunted-house

In our last exciting episode, we found our hero with a Kentucky Fried Computer because he failed to have a surge protector on his computer system; but not only that, he also forgot to backup his files (Oh no!). We now continue with the exciting conclusion...

I didn't mention that I didn't have surge protection in my last article? Well, make sure you do.

Ever since that dark and stormy night when my computer gave up the ghost, I've never been without surge protection on my computers. You ask, "Why the heck didn't you use one before?"

In short, I was cocky. I figured, "Hey, it's not going to happen to me. It's just a ploy to sell me more computer equipment."

As the tears fell from my face on that night when my computer went to that big computer scrap heap in the sky, I decided that my folly did me in.

Now onward.

Part one of this article gave some of my top picks for freeware to make your computing safer and more productive. We depend on our computers to work hard for us in graphic design, photography, and a host of other duties; it makes sense to take care of them so they'll be happy. (Can computers be happy?)

Now, the rest of the recommendations:

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Malware (malicious software) are little programs that sneak in or are installed on your computer without your permission or knowledge. They're there to make your life miserable. No fun at all.

Malware includes viruses, Trojan horses, data tracking cookies, keyloggers, spyware, and worms. These programs try to damage, disable, or spy on your computer usage.

Malwarebytes' anti-malware program fills the need where anti-virus programs may not be able to spot certain types of malware.

The program runs quickly to scan your computer and also has an option to run in the background while you go about your tasks. This program should be in your arsenal of computer protection programs.

Check it out here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

Paint.net - Do you need a graphics program that can let you work in layers, use lots of plugins, gives you the ability to adjust gamma, adjust alpha channels, do photo effects, retouch, add text, use magic wands, and zillions of more things?

Try Paint.net. If you have used Photoshop, you'll immediately notice some similarities in how the program works. Paint.net is great for getting graphics or photo editing jobs done.

You can design, manipulate, and edit images to your heart's content. For a freebie, this program is quite powerful.

Check it out at: http://www.getpaint.net/

Rainlendar Lite - There are lots of calendar programs, but Rainlendar Lite is one of the best out there. Unlike Dema Notes, which is as simple as can be, Rainlendar Lite offers some more muscle as far as what you can do with it.

It's basically a scheduling calendar with the ability to modify the look and function of it.

It sits on your desktop and you can see at a glance what you need to do in the coming weeks, months or years as you fill in the schedule spots. It has a reminder alarm too. Good stuff.

Check it out here: http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php

SyncBack- Now here's a little jewel of a program to make backing up your files and images a breeze. The program starts out by having you set up a few rules on what to backup, where to backup, and when to backup.

It looks a little daunting at first glance, but if you take your time you'll be able to do amazing backups in a very short time. This is a great program for those of us who forget or intentionally avoid backing up our files.

It's a necessary thing to do, but it can become drudgery. With SyncBack, it automates the process so we can play more video games...er, I mean do more work.

Check out the program here: http://www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html#freeware

Some Last Words
All the programs listed are free, but these developers could use some voluntary contributions to their cause.

They work hard at providing these excellent programs so if you want to send them some pizza or soda money, go ahead and make a contribution at their sites. Or even better, if there is an upgrade to purchase, do that.

Cheers mate!

By admin Posted in Funny and Humor, Graphic Design Resources, Lists 1 Comment

Good, Free Stuff for Your PC: Part 1 of 2

September 15, 2009 – 1:32 pm

........................... haunted-house

It was a dark and stormy night. The lightning pulsed outside my rain pummeled window, but I was safe and sound inside my study. The comfort of my surroundings lulled me into a sense of warm, contented security.

I tapped away on my keyboard and graphics pad; the project I was working on seemed almost too easy to do. I was elated. But without warning, the computer screen started to flicker several times as though it were in electronic cardiac arrest.

I watched in horror as the realization hit me that my computer was dying right in front of my eyes. And the saddest part about this tragedy became as bright as the light of day to me. I didn't back up my files.

I could hear the howling wolves in the distant night air.

Were they laughing at me?

Ok, I know that was rather cheesy, and this was my intent. But the reality of this sort of situation did confront me several years ago.

My computer literally fried during a big storm, and I did lose virtually all of the files I was working on. From that day onward, I vowed never to fail to back up my work.

Along the way of my graphic design education, I started to collect a few computer programs that were not only highly useful but were also free of charge. These freebies do various tasks to make your computing life easier, and some will literally save your computer from harm.

But what does this have to do with graphic arts, photography or illustration? Everything. We all use our PCs extensively when we do our projects, graphics, photography, or media. It makes sense to keep our computers, (and ourselves) happy by using a few of these programs. Using our computers effectively is all part of our graphic design education.

Oh, did I mention that they were free? So here we go. My favorites:

AVG - This program is an anti-virus program that will scan your computer for viruses, Trojan horse programs, and spyware. It detects them, identifies them, and removes them.

The program has its database constantly upgraded, so you have protection from the newest viruses out there. AVG rivals, if not surpasses, anti-virus programs that are sold for lots of $$$.

Check it out at http://free.avg.com/
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Advanced System Care - Ever notice that your computer doesn't seem to be as fast as it used to be?

One reason could be related to your computer's registry--a place where information about programs and data is stored away.

As this data piles up, some of the unnecessary records slow down your computer. Advanced System Care corrects and tunes up your computer by scanning for spyware, deleting old registry data, getting rid of junk files and a host of other things to keep your computer running great.

Check it out here: http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html
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Dema Virtual Notes - We're all familiar with Post It notes--they're the ubiquitous little sticky papers that everyone uses to remind themselves of things to do or things they need to remember.

Dema Notes is the virtual representation of the sticky notes. The program is simple to use and places colored notes on your computer screen.

It is entirely configurable and gives you the option to change the note paper's color and size, and even has an alarm feature.

The only downside is that there are no instructions on how to use it. But a few minutes of tinkering should get you familiar with the program in no time.

Check it out by clicking here or going to: http://www.oibaf.com/drupal/node/2

And as they say in the movies, to be continued...

By admin Posted in Best of the Best Designs, Blogging, Design Careers, Design Project Management, Funny and Humor, Lists, Uncategorized 8 Comments

A Guide to Photography and Taking Pictures for Graphic Designers

July 1, 2009 – 11:27 am

A Guide to Photography and Taking Pictures for Graphic Designers
Photo by .M for Matthijs

A Guide to Photography and Taking Pictures for Graphic Designers

As a graphic designer, sooner or later you will need to take a picture. If you are fortunate enough to work for a company which supplies you with a camera, use it if that camera is good enough. If it is not, find one that is.

What is good enough? A camera that can provide enough light to adequate illuminate the subject. This can be done with a built-in flash or with an add-on flash. AND, a digital camera that provides enough pixel resolution. A good rule of thumb is anything below 6 megapixels probably won't do everything you need done.

QUICK FACT

A hot shoe is the place on a camera where a removable flash is mounted. The hot shoe interface allows the camera and flash to work together.

In general and if you can afford it, get an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) with a removable lens. Some cameras with a permanently attached lens will work, but it needs to be a zoom (telephoto or magnification lens).

PRO TIP

Years ago as a photographer who shot several rolls of film a week, I carried a 35-200 mm zoom lens. It met 99.5 percent of my needs a photojournalist. Then, I got my hands on a 24 mm. That lens, a 135 mm fixed length and a 70-200 mm took 99.98 percent of my pictures. The 24 mm shot more than 90 percent of my pictures.

I found that the wide angle lens forced me to get up close to my subjects. By getting close, I picked up details I missed standing a distance away. I started noticing details I missed before. I had to pay more attention to light and the surroundings. As a result, the quality of my photography went way up and I began to receive awards and assignments (which meant more money) that had passed me by previously.

The three basic rules of photography, especially where graphic design is concerned are: Get Close. Get Close. Get Close.

After you get close, start paying attention to what you are taking a picture of.

Start framing that picture, with the camera viewfinder or display, for use in your project before you ever snap the first shot. The viewfinder or screen image is the final edge of the picture. If you think of it as the final edge of the picture for when you turn it into art for your design, you'll find you will have to get a lot closer than you expect. You'll also take better pictures.

Getting close means several things:

Rule 1 is More detail in your final image. A good thing, unless your project calls for a blurry image.

Rule 2 is Less cropping needed. With digital images this is especially important. The more you enlarge a digital image, the faster the image quality drops off. When you enlarge a digital image, you enlarge the pixels which make up that image. There is a point of diminishing returns.

crambo - the image is at 100 percent of size with a 180 DPI resolution.

In this example, the image is at 100 percent of size with a 180 DPI resolution.

crambomaged - the pixels begin to show.

In this tight crop and enlargement of the same image, the pixels begin to show. The greater the magnification, the more the pixels will show.

This problem is made even worse when the DPI (resolution) of the original image is lower. Most digital cameras generate images at 72 DPI. They just have a much larger image area.

katie4x4 - 72 DPI and the picture is 4x4.

In this image, the resolution is 72 DPI and the picture is 4x4.

katie7x7 - In this image, the resolution is 72 DPI and the picture is 7x7.

In this version of the same image, the picture is nearly doubled in size. Quality is beginning to drop off as the image is beginning look out of focus as pixels are enlarged.

katie-pixelated - he out-of-focus appearance is even more dramatic.

In this magnified crop, the pixels are even more evident and the out-of-focus appearance is even more dramatic. Increasing the resolution of the image through Photoshop does nothing to clear up the image. The fuzziness remains. Only the pixels are smaller.

Rule 3 is Less image manipulation. Even if you will severely alter the picture in something like Photoshop, starting with an image which fills the frame is going to move you ahead of the game as No. 2 states.

Rule 4 is Watch the Light. You can see quickly if you have enough light. Where are the shadows? Do they obscure something important? If so, move the subject if you can and reshoot. If not, turn the camera flash to the highest setting. Cameras with built-in flashes may not generate enough light, which is why an SLR with interchangeable lenses is good. These cameras support add-on flash (called strobes in the photography industry) units.

Watch the light because image-enhancing options cannot bring out an image that simply isn't there. If what you need is neither washed-out or obscured. You will spend unnecessary time in a photo support program trying to correct this. The best thing to do is not let it happen in the first place.

009 - there is plenty of light.

In this example, there is plenty of light. There's just not enough light under the tent. Now lets see what happens when there is either too much or too little light in a picture.

light2 - the camera's flash unit was needed

In this image, taken indoors, the camera's flash unit was needed, but was not turned on.

washout - the flash was too much and the picture is washed out.

In this example, taken indoors, the flash was too much and the picture is washed out.

If you are shooting in a well-lit location, get the lights behind you. Existing light is called ambient light. This is especially important outdoors. People you plan to take pictures of will line up so the sun is to their back. This means their face will be in shadow. If you are going for a silhouette effect, that's what you need, But if you need to see faces, the sun needs to shine on them.

This may be a problem on a sunny day, especially when you don't want the people to wear sunglasses. Here's what I do:

Tell the people to close their eyes. Tell them you will count to three. On three, they are to open their eyes for an instant. You snap the picture in that instant.

You won't get squints and you should get everyone's eyes open.

Rule 5 is watch the background.

Make sure there are no trees growing out of someone's head.

badbackground - colored lights appear to be growing out of the head on the girl at left.

In this example, strings of colored lights appear to be growing out of the head on the girl at left. Moving slightly probably would have taken the lights out of the picture. Make sure the background is either clear or shows things you want seen.

fishin - people fishing

In this example, while the central point is people fishing, the background is interesting and could be important depending on how the picture is used. You can manipulate the background if needed with software, but if it can be easily done before the picture is taken, you are ahead of the game.

Rule 6 is don't stand in one place.

Walk around. Kneel. Climb up on something. Change the camera's angle and you can sometimes dramatically change the picture.

scooter1 - the rider and motorcycle stayed in one place and the photographer moved.

scooter2 - the rider and motorcycle stayed in one place and the photographer moved.

In this example, the rider and motorcycle stayed in one place and the photographer moved. The difference in images is quite dramatic. The angle of the bike is different and the background is different.

Rule 7 is shoot pictures.

Considering the overall cost of a project, short and long term, film is cheap, the cheapest part of your project. Digital images are even cheaper yet. By getting a lot of images, you give yourself more to work with when you get back to the computer.

Technorati Tags: photography, photographer, graphic design, digital photography, shoot pictures, take pictures, shooting pictures, taking pictures, tips for photography, photography for designers, images, pictures, graphics

By admin Posted in Graphic Design, Graphic Design 101, Graphic Design Tutorials 9 Comments

Social Networking Communities for Graphic Designers & Web Designers

June 29, 2009 – 2:16 pm

Social Networking Communities for Graphic Designers & Web Designers

Are you a graphic designer looking for a place to fit in online? Well, I have put together a comprehensive list of community sites for graphic designers and web designers.

Graphic Design Community 2.0 -is a Social Networking and Community site for professional graphic designers, web designers, desktop publishers, and graphic design students. The Graphic Design Community 2.0 includes a design forum, chat, collaborative blog, free portolio space, design articles, list of design conferences & competitions, design critiques / reviews, Photoshop Tennis, and fun design games.

Design Sites Up - A site to find and comment on inspirational graphic design projects.

9Rules -9rules is a social content network where readers can explore interesting content across dozens of communities and connect with other like-minded people around the globe. 9rules was originally launched in 2005 and has evolved since our original concept, but the focus is still on connecting you with content you enjoy and people to enjoy it with.

Ads of the World -Not much of a social networking design site, but it is a community. Ads of the World is an advertising archive and community showcasing the best and most interesting work worldwide.

Behance -The Behance network is a platform for creative portfolios, projects, and collaborations. You can create circles of friends, discover design job opportunities, share design knowledge, and access design resources that boost your creativity.

Colour Lovers -Colour Lovers is a resource that monitors and influences color trends. Colour Lovers gives the people who use color - whether for ad campaigns, product design, or in architectural specification - a place to check out a world of color, compare color palettes, submit news and comments, and read color related articles and interviews.

Computer Love -Discover the social platform for Creative Talents … another great way for designers to waste their valuable time having a lot of fun interacting with each other. (someone stated this on StumbleUpon about this site)

Concept Share -Online design collaboration made easy. Save time and money on your design projects with Concept Share.

Coroflot -Coroflot has been around forever, however, they recently made some changes that make it more of a Web 2.0 design site. Add your design portfolio, view design jobs, join a design group, or read a design article on their blog.

Creative Bits -Creative Bits is an Apple OS oriented design community with design forums, blogs, articles, news, links, and more.

Create Magazine -The focus of Create Magazine has been to inform, connect, inspire and educate the local creative community by providing its members with key content in a high-end format. The magazine’s news bites, feature stories, business profiles and event listings give enterprising readers the information they need to get involved on the local level and network with their community’s creative decision makers, encouraging partnerships and growth.

CSS Beauty -CSS Beauty is a project focused on providing its audience with a database of well designed CSS based websites from around the world. Its purpose is to showcase designers’ work and to act as a small portal to the CSS design community.

CSS Globe -A community driven news site dedicated to CSS, web design, and web standards.

Design 21 -Design 21: Social Design Network’s mission is to inspire social activism through design. We connect people who want to explore ways design can positively impact our many worlds, and who want to create change here, now.

Designer ID -DesignerID helps all designers connect, not just those looking for a job. It includes seasoned or mid-level designers who are happy with their job but just want to see what else is going on in their market or abroad and maybe contact designers of interest.

Design : Related -Design:Related is a community site and inspiration tool that brings together creative people from different disciplines (and parts) of the design world. Design:related serves to motivate designers to share ideas, inspire, and be inspired.

Design Float -Another Digg-like / social networking site for graphic designers and web designers. The categories include print design, web design, interactive design, identity & branding, motion graphics, advertising, and resources. Designerssuggest design resources and articles, and other designers vote for the ones that they like best.

Designster -(seems to be down now but it was up the other day so please let me know if it continues to be a broken link) - Social networking and portfolio hosting for designers.

Design Snack -Another Digg-like site for graphic designers / web designers. Design Snack is a community-based web design showcase. Our members will vote, comment & ultimately choose the websites that are showcased on the front page.

Developer’s Niche -Another Digg-like site for web designers and developers.

DeviantArt -DeviantArt is the largest art community in the world and has a large designer following base.

DZone -Another Digg-like site, but this time for web designers and developers. This is a popular community.

Lo8os -Lo8os is a logo gallery and graphic design community. The goal of this community is to share logo design ideas, and inspire.

FFFFound! -An image bookmarking community that designers seem to love.

Flickr -Of course I couldn’t leave out Flickr. Flickr has a big graphic designer and web designer following. You can also find other Flickr-type sites here.

GFX Artist -A digital arts community. Learn from the articles and tutorials, stay up to date with the daily news, communicate using your buddylist and the on-site message system as well as the comment functions throughout the site. Expose your work in our member gallery and see what others think about your creations.

Graphic Design Links -Another Digg-like / social networking site for graphic designers and web designers. The categories on Graphic Design Links include 3D, Blogs, Flash, Design, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Tutorials, CSS, Logo Design & Brand Identity, Graphic Design Business, Illustration, Off Topic, Photography, Programming, Motion Graphics, Typography, Web Design, and Web Hosting. Users submit design stories and other users vote for the items that they like the best. The favorite design items appear on the front page of the site.

Graphic Design Network -The Graphic Design Network is part of the Estetica Graphic Design & Web Design Forum. It is a social networking site for graphic designers worldwide and includes a forum, design groups, photos, and videos.

Graphics.com -Graphics.com is in essence a platform for publishing news concerning those who actually use graphics tools. Those who post tips, tutorials and reviews on their sites, for example, can use Graphics.com to get the word out. And there are many more ways to contribute to the life of the site, in the Gallery, Forums, Links Directory and Top 100 Sites areas, for example. Graphics.com is the reference site for news of all kinds in the graphics space, as well as a thriving community of those creating and using graphics.

Kuler -A community site for creating, sharing, and downloading color palettes for use in themes and applications (as kuler APIs) — great for inspiration, brainstorming. Need the most current Flash player.

Lounge72 -More of a design article portal and ezine than a community, but their are ways in place here that designers can communicate and post images and resources, so I think it still qualifies as a community.

Mojizu -A contemporary character design community.

Nice to Meet You -A community / psocial networking site for creative talents and companies around the world to get in touch with eachother. It is also a great outlet for their creativity. In other words, this is a space to promote yourself and your work - but even better - to get in touch with other registered users.

Open Web Design -Open Web Design is a community of designers and site owners sharing free web design templates as well as web design information. Helping to make the internet a prettier place!

Open Source Design Community -The Open Design Community (TODC) is a group of Open Source Website Designers providing hundreds of XHTML and CSS based free web design templates available for download.

Pixel Groovy -This is a Digg-like site for design tutorials. It is a design tutorial portal that users can vote up or down depending on the quality of the tutorial. The categories include Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, 3D Studio Max, Cinema 4D, CSS, Javascript, Site Development, Mac OS X, and Windows.

SitePoint -SitePoint is a fast growing online media company and information provider targeting the Web professional market, specifically Web Developers and Designers. SitePoint has great articles and a hugely popular forum. This isn’t really a social networking web 2.o site, but it is a community.

Speak Up -Through interviews, discussions, reviews and supported by openness, honesty and immediacy, Speak Up strives to distinguish exceptional practices in graphic design that exemplify the importance and relevance of the profession as well as shed light on those that deteriorate it. By talking amongst ourselves (an activity continuously regarded as ineffective) it is possible to ascertain the significance and relevance of those practicing under the umbrella of graphic design.

Typophile -Typophile is a great community of like-minded typophiles, and has numerous other resources, blogs, typography-related news and even a typography Wiki.

Technorati Tags: networking for designers, networking for graphic designers, networking for web designers, social networking for designers, social networking for graphic designers, networking sites for designers, networking sites for graphic designers, self promotion

By admin Posted in Design Careers, Graphic Design Resources, Lists 8 Comments

50+ Vector Clip Art Sites for Editable Graphics

June 27, 2009 – 8:30 am

50+ Vector Clip Art & Graphics Sites for Graphic Designers

50+ Vector Clip Art Sites for Editable Graphics to Edit in Adobe Illustrator / CorelDraw, etc

There are two major drawbacks of most illustrated and cartoonish clip art that keep most designers from using them on a regular basis. These drawbacks are caused because of the issue that most clipart is in raster format(bitmap image ... a file that is totally composed of tiny dots, or pixels). One of the drawbacks of most clip art is that you cannot edit these images in Adobe Illustrator or other vector art programs such as CorelDraw. The other major drawback is that you can not resize rasterized clip art without pixelating them. Because of these two major setbacks, many graphic designers prefer vector graphics and clip art. That is why I have taken the time to put together this list of 50+ vector clip art sites. If you know of any that I have missed, please comment below. Thank you.

ArtBitz Vector Clipart