Graphic Design
Quick Photoshop hacks can be used to instantly improve an image when you are short on time. The images above were slightly washed out. A little adjustments using Curves can save the day. Curves (Control M or Ctrl M) Use this tool to adjust the contrast in an image, color channel by color channel. For example, an image may have a large percentage of red. This can alter how the image’s subject looks compared to how the subject would look…
Everyone is vying for the Millenial dollar. Walmart decided they wanted a bigger piece of the pie. The Walmart website has definitely gone through some changes as of recent. When you compare it side by side with Target’s site you can see how much they resemble. Kudos to Walmart. Not so much for having such a similar design aesthetic as Target, but for making necessary changes toward relevancy. Print Magazine has an insightful article specifically about Walmart’s redesign. Interactive design…
Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet. “The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.” – Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. As a child, I loved violet, and all types of purple for that matter. As an adult, however, it wasn’t the first color on my list. It felt…
You’ve heard so much about Pantone spot colors vs process colors, but what does it all mean? Everything design-related has to do with color. Be it Graphic Design or Fashion Design, color is so important. In simple terms, colors can be separated between spot colors and process colors. Pantone is the global standard for spot color. They have created a color matching system in which colors are specially mixed for accuracy across all types of media. Colors are numbered and put…
Everyone is a rookie at some point. And there will always be someone who has more experience than you. There are some design mistakes we can make, though, that automatically make us look like a rookie. I’ve made all of the following. Don’t be like me. Avoid making these five rookie mistakes. One: Forgetting to proofread your project before production. We get so excited to be ending a project and we just want to see the finished result. We rush…
You have just created the perfect logo. You drop it into InDesign only to realize that it has a white background. You thought you saved it in the correct format, so what did you do wrong? I’ll walk you through how to make images in Adobe Illustrator with transparent backgrounds. Step 1: Go to the Document Setup under the “File” menu. Now you’ll be able to see all the document properties. Step 2: Make sure that “Transparency” is selected as the background…
In a previous post I explained how you can definitely start a successful career with an arts degree. Today I want to give examples of specific career paths you can take with a Graphic Design degree. One thing about creative degrees in general is that you are very flexible. You may start out teaching art (as I did at one point) and go on to working at an advertising agency. Graphic Designer Design and produce collateral material (brochures, booklets, posters,…
This week I’m picking the brain of local Connecticut photographer, Justin Antunes. He is the photographer behind Justin Antunes Photography. This is a great interview for anyone who has a passion for photography, but doesn’t know how to turn it into a career. Q: When did you start photography? From a young age? I don’t remember exactly when I started taking photos, but I know I’ve always had a knack and appreciation for it. My first camera was a Sony…
You may have seen so many photos where everything is black and white, except for one item in the photo. It seems like something too difficult to ever recreate yourself. Let me break it down for you into steps that anyone with minimal Photoshop experience can do. Step 1: Duplicate the layer. This allows you to have a top and bottom layer of the same image. Step 2: Adjust the image to a Black and White mode. Go to “Image” at the…
When you are a creative person, you tend to accumulate lots of junk. This is especially true if you go into a Creative Field. Being a Freelance Graphic Designer and all around artsy person, I have tons of art supplies. I also have projects from college that I just cannot part with. In the process of rearranging furniture, I realized it’s easier to move items when they are lighter. So I decided to clean out two of my art drawers…