Getting The Ideal Twitter Header Size

You’re not alone if you struggle or have struggled with Twitter header dimensions.

Sure, the social media platform has guidelines for header photo sizes, but it is still a challenge to get the sizing perfect. This is because Twitter chops off part of the cover photo, even if you’ve followed their guidelines. Not only that, but you have to wonder about what your photo is going to look like on various screen resolutions.

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All Non-Designers Should Know These Graphic Design Tips

This is a gathering of a list of graphic design tips that every non-designer should have in their arsenal. If you are able to follow them, you will be well on your way to creating incredible graphics to meet any online need.

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1. Begin With A Nice Color Palette

Have you ever noticed that some of the best designs out there will have wonderful colors? This is no accident, as selecting a great color palette is a key to amazing design.

Before you balk at the thought of picking your own colors, know that you don’t have to. Using a website such as ColourLovers will allow you access to millions of stunning color palettes. All you have to do is find a hex code that you like and you can use it in your design.

2. Never Get Carried Away With Your Fonts

In an ideal situation, you should think about limiting yourself to a couple of fonts. This will help to keep you from worrying about tons of combinations. If you would like to use multiple fonts, having one for the header and then another for the body will be best.

3. Set Up A ‘Swipe File’

4. Never Be Afraid To Blank Out

5. Aligning Your Objects

Read the full article at http://markustudio.com/graphic-design-tips-for-beginners/

6 Amazing Tips For Designing Brochures

Brochures are a fantastic tool for brands to deliver their message and provide plenty of visual spark. And it’s a job of a graphic designer to make sure this happens effectively! For more of sample of brochures, visit Markustudio - #1 Web Design Studio Manchester.

I’m going to take you through some of my best tips for designing a brochure which really knocks the ball out the park, so let let’s get started!

1. Get Sketching

Brochures are highly visual pieces of marketing, so it’s imperative that you break out your pads and pencils to brainstorm and generate ideas early on.

This is the best way to define what it is you need to deliver for the client and how you can design this. And make sure you communicate these early sketches to the client to get approval and keep them involved.

2. Understand your Audience

If you really want to produce an amazing brochure that engages with the intended audience then you need to get to know them. Make sure you speak to the people that the brochure is aimed at to get a feeling for what they want. Understanding their mindset equips you to tailor the brochure to their every need.

3. Establish the Paper Required

Brochures are published on all different types of paper, so establishing early on which type you’ll be printing on is essential. You’re going to need to know exactly which format your client requires. Will it be A4? Will it be coated or uncoated? Once you have this knowledge you’ll be able to know exactly what you’re working towards and what’s possible in that format.

4. The Cover Page is the Most Important Page

Great content is a prerequisite for a brochure, but the only way people are going get to it is by opening the cover. Therefore, you need to invent plenty of time and effort in the front cover.

The best advice I can give for front covers is that you have to present a clear message of exactly what this brand is about and what the brochure is packed full of. You don’t want to bore customers with endless spiel on the front cover, just concentrate on the basics and make it as appealing as possible.

5. Use Good Quality Images

Brochures demand the use of amazing images to captivate readers’ attention, so they’re the type of project where you’re going to want to hook up with a photographer to supply jaw dropping pictures.

Sure, you can use stock images, if necessary, but just remember they need to be high quality ones to stand out. If you stick to overused stock images then the brochure will become cliched and fail to stand out.

6. Keep Check of your Fonts

Certain fonts, such as Helvetica, have proven very popular in brochure design, so don’t feel as though you need to reinvent the wheel with new fonts. Established fonts may not feel exciting, but they’re the best ones for the job.

And make sure you don’t go overboard with the number of fonts you use either. Ideally you should be sticking to between 3 – 5 for the entire brochure. Some graphic designers have been known to use double this amount and it doesn’t look pretty!

Source: http://markustudio.com/6-amazing-tips-for-designing-brochures/

Finding Your Niche in Graphic Design

Graphic designers are creative types and we often feel as though we’re capable of taking on the world and every project that it has to offer. See sample of creative graphic designs.

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However, although this approach means that there are always going to be job opportunities available, you’re going to struggle to struggle to hone your skills to an expert level in one particular discipline.

And this means your brand becomes a little vague. Sure, you can probably design a business card as adequately as a website, but clients want more than adequate. They want masterful designs which are the result of years of experience.

To become more of a go-to designer for specific needs you need to carve out your own little niche in which you can specialise. And, luckily, I’m here to show you how to dig out that niche which could prove to be a goldmine!

Understand Your Current Performance

No doubt you’ve probably been beavering away for a few years now as a graphic designer, so this should provide you with enough information to analyse what’s worked and what hasn’t.

Try and take a look back at all your projects and identify which ones were the easiest to complete and which were a nightmare. It’s likely that either result will all contain similar styles, mediums or genres. And this knowledge will help you narrow down the niches in which you can work with the least amount of stress. Remember: stress does nothing but stifle creativity.

Money, of course, will also play a role as it’s no point consistently working on projects which are simple, but fail to pay the rent. A compromise, therefore, needs to be applied which gives you the best chance to enter a niche which doesn’t cause you palpitations or bankruptcy!

Who Do You Want to Work With?

Graphic designers end up working with all types of clients from huge million dollar corporations to local pet shops. And all these different clients have different combinations of pros and cons e.g. large corporations pay well, but are very demanding when it comes to deadlines and smaller corporations tend to be more patient, but don’t stump up as much cash.

It’s down to you to determine which type of client base you want to serve. Do you, for example, want to design websites for small businesses or concentrate on medium to large businesses? These are all different niches and some graphic designers will feel more comfortable serving different clients.

Once you’ve decided which type of client you want to work with then you can see which projects have been most successful with this sector previously. You should be able to draw up a number of potential niches where you can work to your full potential and satisfy your client’s every need.

What Is Your Passion?

The best niche for a graphic designer to enter is one that they’re wildly passionate about as it’s one you’ll be able to invest blood, sweat and tears in. And this should translate into some amazing logo designs.

As we discussed above, though, that may not always be financially viable, but believe me, if you’re passionate about one specific area of graphic design then you can make it become very lucrative.

Grab a pen and paper and draw up a wish list of the top 5 graphic design jobs you would be more than happy to work on for the rest of your days. Once this is done you need to take a long, hard look at these 5 genres and see which offers the best chance of success in the long run.

And the one you choose may not work out, so just go through them again and try something else. You’ll know when you’ve chosen the right niche for you as everything will suddenly click.

Finalizing that Niche

The best niche will be one which combines something from each of the methods we’ve discussed above.

A graphic designer needs to ensure their niche doesn’t leave them tearing their hair out, allows them to work with customers they can best serve and also contains something they’re capable of getting immersed in passionately.

Once you find this you’ll have the perfect niche.

Source: Finding Your Niche in Graphic Designs

How to Choose the Right Font in Graphic Design

One of the most taxing questions a graphic designer has to ask themselves when starting a new logo design is “Which font do I use?”

It’s a tricky problem to solve due to the ramifications it can have on your design. Choose the right font and you’re laughing as it will enhance your design more than you could ever imagine. However, pick a font which doesn’t quite fit and you’ll find that your design fails to spread it wings and fly.

To help you overcome this common obstacle I’m going to discuss a few tips to help you choose the right font.

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Understand the Project’s Mood

Fonts are a fundamental element in creating a mood and helping convey a sense of emotion, so this is why they’re so powerful in graphic design.

Now, every project will require a different mood from the last one you’ve worked on, so you can’t just dig out the same old font. The chances are that it’ll clash terribly with the new client you’re working for. I mean, for example, would a children’s nursery want the same font as a car garage?!

The best way to define the mood required is to get stuck into some brainstorming. This will present you with a wide range of ideas on the feel you need your font to exude.

Readability is Essential

It’s not surprising to learn that the readability of the font you choose is key to communicating your design’s message.

However, what many graphic designers fail to realise is that certain fonts work best in certain media. Sure, there’s no problem with breaking the rules once in a while if it’s going to improve your design, but there are certain rules you should stick to.

Books, for example, contain thousands of words, so have to be very easy to read or the reader will get tired of slogging through beautifully ornate, but difficult to read calligraphy. Likewise, a jar of marmalade would look very appealing with an elegant font containing plenty of artistic flourishes whilst Times New Roman would be uninspiring.

Understand What Works with Dark Backgrounds

The most common font/background setup is dark text on a light background and it’s pretty simple to execute due to the simple contrast.

However, when it comes to working with dark backgrounds the rules change!

You’ll want to try working with fonts which are bold, large and less decorative to ensure they stand out against such a dramatic background. If you choose fonts whose typeface is too thin or elaborate then they’ll just get swallowed up.

Avoid Clichés

We’re professionals after all, so we really should be avoiding clichéd combinations of mood and font.

Take Comic Sans, for example, which is stereotyped as being childish, fun and light-hearted. It’s also been absolutely used to death in any niche which relates to children e.g. children’s clubs, toy packaging etc.

As a graphic designer you want to be known for your graphic ingenuity and craft designs which stand out. If, however, you’re prone to choosing the first font that comes to mind you’ll find that your designs get lost in a sea of mediocrity.

So, please, try something a little different!

Serif or Sans Serif?

The most common types of font are either serif or sans serif, but what’s the difference and which one is right for your project?

Well, serif fonts have feet attached to the bottom of their letters whereas sans serif fonts don’t and are bolder as a result.

Serif fonts are best suited to more traditional and serious subjects, so they should always be a go to font in these situations. Sans Serif fonts, meanwhile, are more modern and just perfect for flat design projects such as modern web and app design.

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