Freelance Graphic Design Advice You Can’t Live Without
by Jeremy Tuber –
I’ve got a client on the East Coast that’s driving me nuts right now – woman’s clearly got OCD issues. Over this Easter/Passover weekend she has called and left me two messages (both extended beyond the 2 minute limit on my machine so she got cut-off in mid sentence), she also left me 6-7 emails (I lost track after 5). Even though we’re on record pace, she’s desperately trying to get her web site up and running for…well, there isn’t a specific event or date we’re shooting for, it’s just become an insatiable obsession for…
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by Aron Joshua -
You need to be a flash developer if you want to embed animations, graphics and sounds in your website on your own. Flash is the best choice of experts for beautifying a website with attractive presentations and graphical expressions. However, you can easily learn Flash and its basic operations but for extreme quality and professional aspects, you need to master it. Becoming a Flash Developer is the only option in this case. So, if you too want to become a Flash Developer, here is a simple guide that will help you understand all the required consequences.…
by Bill Long -
Graphic design is probably as old as man himself; the cave writings in Lascaux, France are 15,000 (or more) year old graphic designs. Illuminated manuscripts from the Medieval Period are graphic designs. Anything that uses pictures and symbols to communicate something is a graphic design.
In the last half of the twentieth century, graphic design moved from the drafting table to the computer. During this time of transition, computer skills were more important than design skills. Computerized graphic design programs were complicated and difficult for most people to use. If you were computer savvy, you could…
by Douglas Farrick -
1. Adobe Photoshop
The ability to use and understand the basics of pixel based photo manipulation. The best Photoshop experts are constantly learning and experimenting through online tutorials, books and seminars. This is the grand daddy of them all. Make it a goal to spend X amount of time each week learning a new technique.
Test: Can you do complex selections via the selection tool? Are you accomplished with layers? Do you understand how to use adjustment layers, masks and channels? Can you remove blemishes, “scratches” and color correct
2. Adobe Illustrator
The ability to use and understand…
by Jeremy Tuber -
Freelancing can be a rewarding and lucrative career option for talented designers, but becoming successful goes beyond how to design cool collages in Photoshop or cartoons in Illustrator. This article sheds some light on the biggest and most costly mistakes designers make in opening their doors as freelancers.
1. The most talented designer is always the most successful
Talent is certainly helpful, but the designers that make the big bucks know how to articulate value to their clients, how to market and how to sell. I’ve seen designers that had all the talent in the world…
by Tom Womack –
What’s new in After Effects CS5? Let’s get started.
Adobe CS5 is a watershed moment and it travels in great company. With the release of 64 bit versions of Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop, we are getting used to 64 bit versions of Windows operating systems. Windows 7 has been road tested now. The incredible difference in available memory alone makes the previously tedious, long winded tasks a pleasure as you get to zoom down the timeline instead of going for another cup of coffee. Being able to view high def videos such as…
by Greg Dixon -
The route to becoming a freelance graphic designer has always been about first getting your design qualifications at college or university and then getting yourself a job (if you’re lucky) at a design agency where you would hope to be employed for a number of years before eventually breaking out on your own and forming your own design agency, perhaps taking some of your clients with you.
These days however, it is possible to take a different route to becoming a freelance graphic designer. The internet has opened up the field over the last few years.…
by Kelly Nickless -
First off, A stands for art skills. Admittedly, all graphic designers are artists in themselves. However, what sets apart a successful graphic designer from a not-so-successful one is the ability to use color, composition and design to great effect. Basically, you must be able to convey the right message to the right audience using your kind of art.
You will be asked to produce art presentations from printed materials like charts and logos to moving images like television advertisements. As such, you must possess a strong foundation in the arts, thanks to your excellent education and…
by Michelle Minix –
Starting a new business can be a scary task.Where do you even begin? This quick guide provides 5 basic steps to success in your new adventure.
1. Get your bookkeeping in order. This is the step you will love to hate! Most designers are not good bookkeepers…it’s just not in our nature! It’s in your best interest to visit an accountant. He will be able to set you up with a Tax ID and provide other valuable guidance regarding sales tax, income tax, etc. Save yourself some money by handling the invoicing yourself. Your accountant…
by Christopher Loch -
If you work for someone else now but you’re thinking about starting your own graphic design business, this is a big step. Most people begin to “freelance” on the side while they’re still in their full-time jobs. This is almost always the best way to see if you can cut ties to your regular job and go full-time as an entrepreneur. As you begin a new life as a full-time graphic design business owner, the transition can be scary, but it’s necessary for your success.
Not everyone has the talent it takes to make it as…
