The use of textures in photography as well as web design is becoming increasingly more popular.  Using textures adds to the overall look of a webpage.  The textures are very easy to integrate into a webdesign and into photography.  In photography the textures are used to provide a more surreal look to the photo.  You can added texture to make a photo look like an old photo with lots of scratches on it or you can make a photo look more artsy.  In web design, the use of textures adds more depth to the webpage.  Instead of a static one color design, the webpage is more appealing to the eye.

Today textures are very common and photographers all over are willing to share their textures.  You can also easily take your own photos of textures.  You can simply take around a small point and shoot camera and take pictures of textures in the environment that appeals to you.  This is pretty much what all textures are.  They are not usually randomly generated by computer.

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If you’re ready to start branding your company, the first thing that you’re going to need is a logo.  A logo is a great way to give your company some identity.  It shows up everywhere from business cards to websites.  There are many places to turn to for getting a logo.

The worst thing you can do is to try and attempt to design your own logo. This probably isn’t a good idea because these kits are loaded with clip art and you’re going to want to avoid using clip art. Using clip art screams amateur.  It really is easy to spot the use of clip art from something done by a professional.  If cost is an issue, this may be the only option.

How do you choose between the ton of professional logo design companies out there on the internet. How do you know if the company you choose is the right one.  First of all, you’re going to have to evaluate your budget. If you’re on a tight budget, you can try and hire some design students to help you out with a logo.  However the best bet is to have a company design an entire branding scheme for you.  You will need to know what you need in terms of designing your brand. Do you need more than just a logo? Do you need any marketing advice etc… If you just need a logo there are companies that specialize in just making logos. Some charge more than others. Most companies that design logos will have samples on their websites. You may want to find out who did the design work for some of the corporate logos out there that appeal to you. Also, one other indication of a company’s skill is how they try to get information out of you in order to design your logo. The more customer service that they provide in this aspect, the chances are better for you getting a better logo.

In any case, you should do some research on logo companies. Many companies offer different services so you will need to compare apples to apples. However, their logo samples should be the biggest factor in deciding on who to go with. Once you decide on a company and you get the results that you wanted, you’ll see that the use of a professional was probably the best decision after all.

admin Branding your Company Branding, Company Branding, design, logo design

Now there are a lot of software out there that says you can design your own logo.  However, the money you spend on this software may be a waste of money.  Most of the design features on this type of software usually incorporates some sort of clip art that you can move around and add fonts etc.  There is really nothing that is custom about this and the design you generate from this software usually looks like it was made from clip art.

In order to get a really great looking logo, you’ll need to hire a professional designer.  One who can gather information about your company and design something that has features unique to the company.  The designer can also use effects such as shading, 3D, and other tools to really make your logo stand out from the other companies who don’t use professionals.  All of the big companies usually hire professionals to design their logos and or marketing.

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Business cards are evolving into something that isn’t just about stating what the individual’s name and contact information.  These cards are a design work of art.  They express as much about the company as the individual on the card.  Some examples of what business cards are evolving into are at this site.  As you can see the designs aren’t just about white pieces of paper anymore.  The unique designs incorporate hours of design work to bring these cards into reality.   These cards however are not cheap.  You can design your own cards and get them printed on regular paper for about $20 for 500 however these designs will cost much more to get printed.

admin Branding your Company Business Cards, design

There are important principles that you should try to follow whenever you’re graphic designing.  You should try and include as many of the principles as possible whenever you can. Following all the guidelines will not always ensure a good design but it may help to steer you in the right direction.

The Principles of Design

Balance – Make sure everything looks well balanced, if you have a big object near the center of an image it may be best to balance it with either another heavy object just opposite or even a small object a little further away from the center of the piece.

Repetition or Rhythm – Repitition or rhythm creates the illusion of texture or patterns, there are different ways to express repetition or patterns, you can do it by repeating the same object over and over, which is regular repetition. You can have a flowing rythm which has more movement, the objects may not be identical in a flowing rhythm. A progressive rythm is a flow of steps, so over lapping objects could create this type of repetition.

Unity – You should be sure that the desgin looks like it goes together, though the elements included in the design can have their own feel, all in all they should fit together well.

Proportion – Along with balance it’s necessary to have a good proportion when speaking of the elements of design, if you’re laying something out you want to be sure that things are proportioned for their importance to the overall design.

Dominance - What in your design means the most, where is your focal point, that is where dominance comes in, the main element of your design should dominate, though not be overbearing.

All those principles should mean something, but overall your eye is probably the best tool, if you don’t’ follow one of those rules and your design still looks good, it’s probably a good design.

admin General Design design, principles of design