Graphic Design (Topic) - Blog Posts

Some would say that finding the best fonts for your print media project is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it's actually more like trying to find a needle in a stack of other needles. Just when you think you've conquered this herculean task and discovered the one font that seems to perfectly encapsulate your vision, you'll find that the font is outside your budget range, unsuitable for print, or not safe for commercial use. To help out, we've written reviews of the best free font … [Read more...]

Fonts are like celebrities—some are famous, while others can be downright infamous. When an audience sees a font in your print media design that they just can't stand (be it overused, ugly or unreadable), you can lose their attention in a heartbeat. We've already discussed how to properly use typography in your print media project, but there's one more rule that print designers should take to heart: avoid using notoriously bad fonts in your designs. To that end, we've provided you with a list … [Read more...]

Every industry has its own unique lingo that can sound like complete gibberish to the uninitiated. The print design industry is no exception to the rule. You may have heard the terms RGB vs CMYK vs PMS in relation to color when designing for print, but you may not know what each acronym stands for—or, more importantly, why you should care. However, if you want your final design to look the way you intend, it's imperative that you educate yourself on each of these color profiles and the … [Read more...]

When designing print media collateral, a good font can grab the eye and captivate the audience—but the best fonts for print ads often require you to pay a licensing fee for use in commercial marketing. This can increase the cost of your print campaign and leave less money in the budget for special options like coatings, die cuts and embossed elements. Fortunately, there are a bevy of free fonts for print design that are beautifully designed and don’t cost a dime to use commercially. Keep in … [Read more...]

It's easy to find inspiration in a unique color, font or logo when creating print marketing collateral–but the shape of your media is one aspect of design and branding that is often overlooked when brainstorming for ideas. Need some examples? Consider the green soda bottle in the image to the right. Any idea what brand it is? You could certainly tell if it were labeled, but there's nothing about the shape itself that tells us anything about the brand. Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola bottle is … [Read more...]

The printing method you choose has a major effect on the quality of your marketing materials, especially when you consider the other elements it needs to work in tandem with: design, stock, coatings and other factors. If your print technique is incompatible with any of these elements, it can make your finished product less attractive or even downright illegible. For that reason, it's vital to select the right method for your particular project. Embed this on your site <img title="How to … [Read more...]