September 28, 2009 by Jeff
We all know the importance of having a solid online portfolio. It’s relatively simple to show the work we’ve developed for the screen on our website – after all, that’s how it was meant to be seen. But what about printed material? As designers, we have two options for showing our printed material on our websites: a) mockups, or b) photos of the finished product.
I’m going to assume that most designers reading this article are comfortable enough with the Creative Suite to whip up a decent mockup of a printed piece . So, for this article, I’m going to walk through how to take professional photos of your printed design work, using only a camera and a white sheet of paper. Here’s the shot we’ll end up with (printed pieces will vary, of course!):
Hit the jump for the tutorial!
(more…)
Category: Articles, Design, General, Photography, Tutorials Tags: business card, Design, Photography, tutorials | Comments (10)
September 25, 2009 by Jeff
Gotham isn’t only the hometown of the greatest superhero alive; it is also a beautiful typeface. One of my favorites, in fact. It’s strong, clean, modern & highly legible. Thus, Gotham is the subject of this week’s Free Friday Design Wallpaper. Added bonus: the dark background makes it ideal for editing photos/doing image work without the background color affecting your perception of the piece you’re working on. 4 different screen sizes below. Enjoy, share, and subscribe to the RSS feed!
Click to download the Gotham Wallpaper in 1920X1200, 1680X1050, 1440X900 or 1280X800. Pass it along!
Category: Design, Free Friday Wallpaper Tags: Design, typography, wallpaper | Comments (3)
September 21, 2009 by Jeff
Welcome to From A to Z, where I outline all the steps taken in a specific project. In this particular instance, I’ll outline the workflow from initial brainstorming through to delivery for a recording studio logo design.
Recently a friend of mine, Randor, came to me for a logo redesign. He runs an Edmonton-based recording studio called Turnkey Studios (website updating in progress), and their current logo was one he wasn’t fully happy with. Long story short, the previous logo was designed prior to Randor buying out the studio – and now that he was the sole owner, he felt that the logo didn’t properly reflect the new direction of Turnkey. Thus, he needed a redesign and he came back to Paper Leaf (thanks Randor)! We ended up designing him a logo that won Logo of the Day!
Hit the jump to learn how we went about creating this logo. (more…)
Category: A to Z, Articles, Design, Logos, Tutorials Tags: Design, logo, logo design edmonton business, tutorials | Comments (8)
September 18, 2009 by Jeff
Neutra is a classy font. So I decided to make a classy tennis-club-style emblem for this Friday’s Free Friday Design Wallpaper. 4 different screen sizes below. Enjoy, share, and subscribe to the RSS feed!!
Click to download the Neutra Wallpaper in 1920X1200, 1680X1050, 1440X900 or 1280X800. Pass it along!
Category: Design, Free Friday Wallpaper, General Tags: Design, typography, wallpaper | Comments Off
September 14, 2009 by Jeff
Thanks to this whole “internet” thing, you can have clients all over the world if you’re a designer. Blogs, directories, and software like Skype, iChat and more have completely reshaped long-distance working relationships. However, there is still a lot to be said for local clients.
Depending on your city (or town, or hamlet, or whathaveyou), chances are there are a lot of locally-owned small businesses in dire need of design work. Luckily, you’re a local designer chomping at the bit to provide it to them. But how can you find these clients (without breaking the bank), and how can these clients find you? Read on for the answers to these questions: 5 cheap ways to find local design clients.
Category: Articles, Business, Design, Tips Tags: Business, clients, Design, Tips | Comments (8)
