Advertising & Graphic Design

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[art50abc]

Design Tips for Non-Designers: Visual Hierarchy - TrackMaven's Competitive Intelligence Blog

"Through the use of basic design principles such as color, size, contrast, and proximity we can focus the attentions of our audience. Giving focus to the primary element through the use of one or more of these principles allows you to emphasize it over the other elements so it looks more important. Designing related elements similarly allows you to maintain this hierarchy through out a piece of work (web site, paper, presentation, etc).

Let’s go over these first, so you can see what I mean."

[art50abc]

"In this article, we will look at how frequently type needs to be broken down into different levels, such as topic, importance and tone of voice. We will explore how this can be achieved visually by relying on several things: texture and tone, seeing the designer as reader, combining typefaces, using color, employing multiple types and, of course, using the grid. Seeing the complexities that can be expressed through typography is fascinating — not to say that images cannot help to order content, but simply that the most significant elements are expressed typographically."

[art50abc]

On Visual Hierarchy

"Design isn’t about making something pretty, although that’s part of it. Design is largely about function. It’s about making an interface work so well that the user never stumbles. Much of a good UI depends on a notion called visual hierarchy.

Visual hierarchy, while it may sound technical, is really a pretty simple concept. By using color, contrast, texture, shape, position, orientation, and size, one can organize elements on a page so that users gets a sense of visual importance."

[art50abc]

"It’s important to remember that hierarchy has not only to do with content and the words that you have on a page. The imagery you include in your designs, from photos through to icons, buttons and any other visual elements other than text, has a big impact on the hierarchy and perception of your website.

When you’re designing a website the imagery that you use will largely help set the tone of the site, alongside colour, typography and more. If visual image elements don’t sit right within a design, then they can quite often break the impression that you want to set."

[art50abc]

"Visual hierarchy is one of the most important principles behind effective web design. This article will examine why developing a visual hierarchy is crucial on the web, the theory behind it, and how you can use some very basic exercises in your own designs to put these principles into practice."

[art50abc]

"Almost any website or design project will include the use of type. From a few words to a page filled with text the font choices you make in the early planning phases will carry through the project. Fonts can help create and establish a mood and set the tone for how your work is received.

Do you want a modern look and feel? Or is the desired effect more classical? Is text being used primarily as art or in logo design or does it need to meet readability standards? All of these are questions you should answer before selecting typefaces for a project.

Keep in mind that each typeface on its own can say almost as much about the project as actual words on the page (or screen). Carefully evaluate typefaces so that each represents projects in the proper way."

[art50abc]

"Choosing a typeface can be tricky. The beauty and complexity of type, combined with an inexhaustible supply of options to evaluate, can make your head spin. But don't be baffled and don't despair. While there are no easy-to-follow rules on how best to choose a typeface, there are many tried-and-true principles you can quickly learn and apply to make an appropriate typeface choice. If you work systematically through the options below, you'll have a winning typeface choice in no time. Let's get started." 

[art50abc]

"The typeface you choose for your next layout or logo design could either make it or break it. No pressure! With so many choices, where does one begin?! There is no right or wrong answer to the question, "Which typeface should I use?" However, there are a few guidelines that will help you make an informed decision."

[art50abc]

"We are constantly being reminded how important typography is in every aspect of design – that fact is well documented and well showcased. Typography also lends itself to art, and it is one area where art often meets design to produce a beautiful result. In this showcase we are bringing you a double dose of inspiration  – be inspired by the quotes themselves and also by the presentation in amazing typographic form."

[art50abc]

"Karen Lewis explains how to bind a book using some cost-effective binding and stitching techniques."

Her technique also guides you through the InDesign portion of the book design process.

[art50abc]

KaptinScarlet's instructions on how to bind a book, via Instructables. A different approach than the one we previously posted, which involves fewer traditional bookbinding steps/tools. (For instance, substituting staples for string.)

[art50abc]

Eleraama's instructions on how to bind a book, via Instructables. Especially notable for the links they provide to the resources you'll need.

[art50abc]

How to Print a Folded Booklet From Adobe Acrobat

How to Print a Folded Booklet From Adobe Acrobat

Delivered by Fitz on MojoBob in his quest to provide essential information and resources for roleplaying. Great for everyone who needs a basic guide to printing their own booklets at home, roleplayers and non-roleplayers alike. 

[art50abc]

The following question is answered in Stack Exchange's Graphic Design section:

"I am trying to print my 4" x 6" book from InDesign CS6 to my home printer. The book has about 100 pages, a perfect bound book with a few front pages and a table of contents.

I want to print the pages in the right order as 2up, centered & double-sided, onto 8.5" x 11" paper which I will then have cut down into individual 4" x 6" pages and bind by hand. The document has facing pages and I am using "print booklet",e selected 2-up perfect bound and, since my printer doesn't have automatic duplexing, I am printing the odd pages first then turning the paper over and printing the even pages.

I've got everything working except the order of the pages does not make any sense and I can't figure out why or how to fix it. I did not anticipate this being a complex function! I thought that "print booklet" would handle the page ordering."

[art50abc]

"The Print Booklet feature lets you create printer spreads for professional printing. For example, if you’ve created an 8-page booklet, the pages appear in numerical order as you’re designing. Printer spreads are used so that when the booklet is printed, the pages end up in the correct order after the pages are folded and the booklet is bound."

[art50abc]

A tutorial from The Evergreen State College on printing booklets that are made using InDesign. No-nonsense, guides you through the basics, and includes a link to another page where they guide you through setting up your booklet document. 

[amyreeder]

Amy Reeder's Digital Coloring Technique

[art50abc]

Amy Reeder's Digital Coloring Technique: How She Colored Red Sonja (link)

"I’m not an uber-experienced colorist and I have no idea what the standard technique for coloring is—so maybe this is common knowledge—but there’s something new I’ve been trying occasionally when I really want to play with opposing hues as light sources.  And I thought I’d share.

The short of it: I create three hue versions of the base color and give each a layer.  Then I use layer masks to choose which layer comes through and where." 

Click the link to learn more and see the image she's talking about!